NAME: Cherie Blair
AGE: 48
NATIONALITY: British
CLAIM TO FAME: In the middle of a shady deal

AND you thought the Blairs — the British First Family — were a smart bunch of people. Well, judging from the mess that Cherie Blair has landed herself in, it seems that either the lawyer business is a much over-hyped thing, or she really isn’t that smart after all!

Late last month, the British press broke the news of a seemingly scrupulous deal finalized between Mrs Balir and a convicted Australian conman, Peter Foster. The deal involved the purchase of two flats by Mrs Balir in the Bristol area.

One is for her son Euan, who is attending university nearby, and the other is an investment purchase. The deal was legal and no discrepancy has yet been found. However, it is the help that Foster extended which has attracted attention.

The Downing Street immediately denied any role on the part of the prime minister or his wife. However, this only added fuel to the fire as it became evident that No 10 was trying to hide something. After all, Peter Foster isn’t the type of person who should have access to the prime minister’s wife. He has a criminal record in the US, Australia and England itself. He has been jailed in all three countries for scams involving dietary pills, and is currently awaiting extradition hearings. If convicted, he will be sent to Australia.

Peter Foster ‘bumped’ into Cherie Blair courtesy his girlfriend Carole Caplin. But his seemingly good Samaritan activities fell foul after it became clear that not only had he negotiated, but had also been advising the First Couple on financial matters. His advice eventually helped the Blairs save 69, 000 pounds.

First the press came out with the news that immigration officials were trying to speed up Foster’s extradition process. And before that could be denied, it came to light that Mrs Blair, who, by the way, is a civil-rights lawyer, had telephoned Foster to discuss his case.

The matter was finally settled after Mrs Blair confessed that she had initially tried to brush the matter under the carpet in a vain attempt to save her family and save the Labour government from possible embarrassment. Also, Foster came clean when he denied any grand plan to get close to the Blair family. It was all a ‘chance’ meeting. But both of them denied any wrongdoing and said that they will be more careful in the future.

The scandal also had a techno twist to it. Details of the deal were revealed after the press got hold of email correspondence between Mrs Blair and Foster. So, the next time you are about to send an email, better think what you are typing. Someone could be reading it and later hold it against you!