The Goldfish Bowl

Contemporary Review, April, 2005

The Goldfish Bowl: Married to the Prime Minister 1955-1997. Cherie Booth and Cate Haste. Chatto and Windus. [pounds sterling]18.99. 256 pages. ISBN 0-7011-7676-8. This survey covers the period from Clarissa, Lady Eden to Norma Major. Cherie Booth, a.k.a. Mrs Blair is a human rights lawyer, landlady, lecturer on lucrative foreign speaking tours and New Labour's 'First Lady'.

Cate Haste, is in real life Lady Bragg and her husband is one of the leading figures in the new Blairite Establishment. Those now accustomed to the more strident tones of modern Prime Ministers' wives might find the lives of ladies such as Lady Eden, Mary Wilson or Lady Home a refreshing change. Sir Dennis Thatcher, of course, stood apart in every way. The authors put their own Labour politics aside and are quite fair in their treatment of people such as Sir Dennis with whom they would have had little in common. The book is based on published materials and a wide range of interviews and appears to have been mainly written by Lady Bragg with Mrs Blair penning the conclusion. (E.B.)