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AFP Photo/Poise/Pais Utomi Excre Getty ImageFormer-headed minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherry received thousands of pounds in discounts on designer clothes showing Downing Street, documents.
Between July 2001 and December 2002, Mrs. Blair bought clothes of more than £ 75,000 – equivalent to £ 150,000 today – but paid just £ 31,000 for them, newly released paper from National Archives.
Downing Street officials were worried that these benefits would be declared under a new ministerial code, which was then being effective, and advised to repay thousands of pounds.
This is not clear from paper when this happens.
From fashion designer Nicole Furhi alone, Mrs. Blair bought clothes of about £ 21,000 for herself and Prime Minister, only paid more than £ 8,000.
He also received adequate discounts from Barbari, James Luckland, Ung, Joseph and Maria Grachvogel, among others.
These “wholesale” discounts were interacted by Carroll Caplin, Mrs. Blair’s trainer and individual shopkeeper.
Sir Tony, who was the Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007, also benefited from a 25% discount from Paul Smith, famous for his suit.
The documents issued fiercely showed how the optics of discount and expenditure were a concern for road authorities at that time.
“In terms of public perception,” Koi 10 Private Secretary Claire Sumner wrote, “The amount involved is quite large”.
Along with the Cabinet Secretary, he recommended that Blailes should pay back the exemption, although Cheri was entitled to divide his purchase into two, on the basis that her role as a “career woman” required half of her clothes.
They would say that there were “commercial words” from designers in blaings, which usually had a discount of about 10 or 15%.
He suggested other options, including Smt. Blair had the same treatment as other high profile individuals with an individual shopkeeper, and required clothes for her own public busyness.
He said that Mrs. Blair sometimes gave her outfits to charity or exhibitions after use: “So it is difficult to see how one can seriously allege that she is getting a clear personal benefit from your situation as PM.”
Peter Dench/Getty ImagesAccording to the memorandum, the discount was for many years, and Sir Tony dated back before becoming Prime Minister.
Sir Tony dated himself on “Speak to Me”, on 19 February 2003. Later that day, Mrs. Blair spoke to Ms. Sumner.
On March 4, 2003, her note to the cabinet secretary, Mrs. Blair said that the paddy was agreed to talk to Campbell, Paul Smith and Nicole Farahi, “ask them to set their business terms, confirm that these conditions are available to others (with individual shopkeepers or as individuals) and to provide an estimate of those who had purchased their clothes”.
She will also confirm that there were “privacy agreements” with these designers.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull intended to “satisfy” that “no preference treatment was given”.
There is no mention of the gifts of clothes discounts in the ministerial gift list – which was published on 14 March 2003.
On behalf of Blailes, the Tony Blair Institute said: “There is nothing to connect what we have already revealed that shows that the advice was sought and followed.”
PA mediaAs Prime Minister, Sir Tony received some very generous performances from famous people and world leaders.
He was given a guitar by U2 prominent singer Bono – as Brian Adams.
The then Italian Prime Minister Sylvio Berlusconi offered several designer watches, including Piyagate, quorum, jagger-coaltre and cartier’s timepieces.
The Prime Minister asked Ms. Sumner to make the list “more boring” – so the published version did not include the type of watch, which could have retail in each thousands of pounds each.
He wrote: “I have removed the details of the individuals, removed the evaluation for all the objects, except those except those who reduce the details of the items and minimize.”
Concerned about concessional clothes, there is a similarity with the criticism of Sir Kire Stmper and his wife. Last year she Accepted more than £ 18,000 for glasses and work clothes From Labor Peer Lord Alli, who paid for some clothes for Sir Keir’s wife Victoria, which is only more than £ 6,000.
