Baroness Liar, Lady Blackmail, Cherie Blair

Cherie Blair seems to be lined up to enter the Lords as a Baroness. That her title will be Baroness Liar has not been confirmed either. To find someone receiving the same kind of honour, we have to look back to Clementine Churchill who was made a Dame in 1946 and a Baroness with a seat in the Lords in 1965. Comparison of the two husbands, Winston Churchill and Tony Blair, will not speak in favour of Cherie and will even raise widespread criticism.

By tradition, Prime Ministers or their spouses are ennobled after they leave office. This tradition was started to thank retiring Prime Ministers for the good work they did for the country. Since the Second World War and with exception of Winston Churchill, Prime Ministers received the honour when finally being exposed as failures, probably in the hope of shutting them up. In this later light of ennoblement, Cherie should be lined up for the title of a Duchess.

Cherie’s supporters (don’t look surprised, even she has one or two) claim she should receive the honour because Sarah Brown will be made a Dame when leaving Downing Street. As Sarah only spent a quarter of Cherie’s time there, it would be fitting that she receives a more resonant honour. As this argument sums up the achievements of Cherie Blair any honour seems to be too much to ask for.

Incapability Brown on the other hand has the problem that he can’t refuse her the honour if he wants Tony Blair’s support in the coming elections. Receiving a title on grounds of blackmail seems somehow fitting for Cherie. To be remembered by history as Lady Blackmail and wife of a war criminal must be every girl’s dream.

The main problem for Cherie though is the fact she is sticking out like a red dog from such an honours list. Maybe her title could be made more palatable to the public if she was joined by other equally deserving females on the list. Apart from Laura bush though, these ennoblements would e accorded posthumously. Eva Braun comes to mind; Nadezhda Krupskaya, Nadezhda Alliluyeva, Natalia Sedova, and Rachele Mussolini might all make the choice more palatable to the public and put both Laura and Cherie in the proper historical context.

Short range I would advise our dear leader Incapability Brown not to bother opposing the move. Nobody will remember him for it anyhow; he will be remembered as a failure for so much else. Long term I wouldn’t bother over it either. Cherie looks already more decrepit than the housewife (Baroness Thatcher) and will complement the house of senile sleazes admirably. And she won’t live forever either and be completely forgotten for all she’s worth.