Cherie Blair

Cherie, Lady Blair (née Booth; born 23 September 1954), is an English barrister and writer. She is married to Tony Blair, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

**Early Life and Education**

Cherie Booth was born at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Lancashire, England, and was raised in Ferndale Road, Waterloo, Merseyside, near Liverpool. Her birth was registered as "Cherie," but she was officially christened "Theresa Cara," influenced by her maternal grandmother. Her father was Tony Booth, an actor, and her mother was Gale Howard (born Joyce Smith), an actress who lived from 14 February 1933 to 5 June 2016. When Cherie was eight years old, her parents separated, and she and her younger sister, Lyndsey, were raised by their mother and paternal grandmother, Vera Booth, a devout Roman Catholic of Irish descent. Cherie attended Catholic schools in Crosby, Merseyside.

She studied at Seafield Convent Grammar, now part of Sacred Heart Catholic College, where she achieved four A grades at A Level. She earned a degree in law from the London School of Economics, graduating with first-class honours. Following this, she attended the College of Law, passing her Bar Vocational Course at the top of her year while teaching law at the Polytechnic of Central London, now the University of Westminster.

**Political Activity and Legal Career**

In the 1983 general election, Cherie Booth was the Labour candidate for North Thanet, a traditionally safe Conservative seat, but lost to Roger Gale. She became a member of Lincoln’s Inn and qualified as a barrister in 1976, later achieving the rank of Queen’s Counsel in 1995. Her early legal work included serving under George Carman as head of chambers until 1988. In 1999, she was appointed a recorder, a part-time judge, in the County Court and Crown Court.

Cherie was a founding member of Matrix Chambers in London, established in 2000, specializing in human rights law, and other areas of public and private law, including European Union law and the European Convention on Human Rights. She is the founder and chair of Omnia Strategy LLP, a law firm focused on employment, discrimination, and public law. She has represented claimants in cases against the UK government, including a notable case, Lisa Grant v South West Trains Ltd, before the European Court of Justice concerning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In January 2010, she presided over a sentencing where she appeared to consider the defendant's religiosity, which prompted an investigation by the Office for Judicial Complaints. In June 2010, the OJC concluded that her comments did not constitute judicial misconduct. She also publicly defended Emmanuel Karenzi Karake, the Rwandan spy chief, against allegations of conspiracy to murder.

In 2011, Cherie Blair co-launched Mee Healthcare, which ceased trading in June 2015, resulting in staff dismissals without notice. She worked as an ethics adviser for the Israeli security firm NSO Group in 2021.

**Academic and Institutional Roles**

Cherie Blair served as the third Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 1999 to 2006. The university named a building, the Cherie Booth Building, in her honour. She is a governor of the London School of Economics and the Open University, and in 2011, she was appointed Chancellor of the Asian University for Women.

**Charitable Work and Honours**

She received an honorary Doctor of the University degree from the Open University in July 1999. Cherie Blair is a patron of various charities, including Breast Cancer Care, Jospice, Scope, and Child in Need India (CINI UK). In 2008, she founded the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, supporting female entrepreneurs in developing countries, aiming to enhance their access to skills, technology, networks, and capital. She has spoken at events such as WE Day, organized by WE Charity, and co-founded the Africa Justice Foundation with Suella Braverman and Philip Riches in 2010.

Cherie Blair was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for her services to women's issues and charity. The Blair Foundation for Women was inducted into Power Brands LIFE Hall of Fame in 2018.

**Controversies**

In 2002, she purchased flats in Bristol with alleged assistance from Peter Foster, a convicted conman, which she later publicly apologized for. Her relationship with Carole Caplin, a friend and proponent of New Age beliefs, drew media attention, including her participation in unconventional practices. Her comments following a Jerusalem bombing in 2002 and her lobbying efforts on behalf of foreign individuals, such as the Qatari royal family, have also been subjects of controversy and investigation.

**Personal Life**

Cherie Booth met Tony Blair in 1976 while studying law. They married in the same year and have children together.