In 2003, Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie, were recommended by top advisors to return the thousands of pounds they saved on designer garments to avoid public examination when Blair was prime minister, according to recently unearthed documents. Their situation mirrored the scrutiny faced by Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, over designer clothing donations. No 10 was troubled by the Blairs’ clothing discounts, which media reported came from designers such as Nicole Farhi, up to a 60% discount, arranged by Carole Caplin, Blair’s fitness and Cherie’s style advisor.
From July 2001 to November 2002, the Blairs acquired clothing worth £76,000 but paid approximately £30,000, benefiting from discounts totaling £46,000. Private Secretary Clare Sumner informed Blair that Caplin claimed most of Cherie’s attire was bought at wholesale prices – effectively a 60% discount. Sumner pointed out the magnitude of these savings, suggesting that while smaller discounts might be acceptable, larger ones such as 30% to 60% could be harder to justify.
Blair could have argued that any discount should be calculated after deducting Caplin’s salary. Both Blairs could have also contended that others with public profiles had similar arrangements. However, Sumner suggested repaying the discounts in full to avoid any mention in the Register or gift list. Following talks with the cabinet secretary, Sir Andrew Turnbull, Blair was advised to pay back £1,116 to Paul Smith and £6,532 to Nicole Farhi. This was done to secure the protection of the cabinet secretary and to prevent any media backlash.
Cherie, a prominent barrister, was advised to treat her purchases as partially those of the prime minister’s spouse and partially as a career woman, paying in full for the “public” half. She was also recommended to require confidentiality agreements from designers to prevent them from offering cheap goods in exchange for media exposure. Cherie agreed to the advice concerning herself but not for Blair. She had reportedly privately complained about the personal expense of accompanying the prime minister on international trips in 1999.
Both Tony and Cherie Blair’s spokespeople confirmed that the previously disclosed information demonstrates that advice was sought and followed at the time.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/22/tony-and-cherie-blair-advised-in-2003-to-pay-back-designer-clothing-discounts
