Cherie Blair was born in Bury in 1954 but moved when very young to Liverpool where she grew up. The first member of her family to go to university, she studied law at the London School of Economics. Called to the Bar in 1976, she became a Queens Counsel in 1995 and is a founder member of Matrix Chambers. She sits as a part-time judge, as Recorders are known, and is also an accredited mediator. Her fellow trainee at her first chambers was Tony Blair. The couple married in 1980 and have four children – the youngest, Leo, being the first child born to a serving Prime Minister for over a century.
As well as fighting for human rights in her professional career, Cherie Blair is an active campaigner on equality and human rights issues. She has spoken across the world on both issues and also on the need for improved work/life balance for both women and men. Mrs Blair is closely involved with over 20 charities with a special emphasis on those working with women, with children, and with those based on Merseyside. She is Honorary Vice President of Barnados, President of the Loomba Trust, Ambassador for Scope and and Patron of a number of charities, including Breast Cancer Care. She was an Ambassador for London 2012. Cherie Blair has been a member of the Labour Party since she was 16. Mrs Blair recently published her autobiography: ‘Speaking for Myself ‘ Little, Brown 2008
In 2006, Cherie Blair was invited to address the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at their plenary session focusing on children and young people, after which she was invited to an impromptu private audience with the Pope .
Other Information:
*Chancellor Emeritus and Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University
* Governor and Honorary Fellow of the LSE and the Open University
* LLD (Hons) University of Liverpool (2003); Hon DLitt UMIST (2003), LLD (Hons) University of Westminster.
* Doctor of Laws honoris causa, Roehampton University (2008) for her contribution to human rights.
* Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and a Fellow of the International Society of Lawyers for Public Service.
* Member of the Global Task Force for UNICEF.
* Arbitrator for ACAS.
* Freeman of the City of London. Publications:
* The Goldfish Bowl (with Cate Haste), Chatto & Windus 2004
* The Negligence Liability of Public Authorities (with Dan Squires), OUP 2006
* Speaking for Myself, Little, Brown 2008