Shameless!

No I'm not referring to the new series of the Channel Four comedy drama about the family from Manchester, rather another family who currently hail from London but who would certainly give the Gallaghers a run for their money.

The Human Rights Act, the modern day criminal and terrorists charter, does in fact appear to provide more than just a cover to prevent photographs of escaped prisoners being published, or terrorists and illegal immigrants from being deported.

And who better to exploit the provisions of her husbands, sorry, Her Majesty's Governments legislation than one of the top Human Rights Lawyers in the land.

"Cherie Blair accused Britain’s top civil servant of violating her human rights as he tried to rein in her fondness for freebies, it was claimed yesterday.
She left the Cabinet Secretary ‘gobsmacked’ by claiming she was entitled to cut-price designer clothes under the Human Rights Act.
And she repeatedly argued with officials over claims that she tried to exploit her position to make money. "

Although the revelations have been dismissed by a Downing Street spokesman as mostly untrue or widely exaggerated tittle-tattle, it does appear that as with most things Blair (or Nu Labour) there are more questions than answers.

"Among the clothes Mrs Blair is said to have acquired was a £10,000 red and gold brocade dress by Lindka Cierach which she wore to an awards ceremony in October 2003 and again at a dinner in Nigeria the following month.
When Sir Andrew criticised her over the discounts, she reportedly told him he was infringing her rights ‘under Article 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights on an individual’s right to do as they like with their own property’. "

In all the confusion over gifts, holidays and the like, it might be useful if extra assistance was made available on the day that the Blairs move out of No 10. After all, it might have only taken one removal truck to move them in, but who knows how many it will take to move them out?

Blair's right to freebies