Rosalind Gibb

Last updated 11:35, Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Is it just me or is there something uncomfortable about Cherie Blair revealing all in her memoirs? Remember when she left Number 10 nearly a year ago? After posing for photos with her family she announced sniffily to the waiting press: “I don’t think we’ll miss you lot.”

Fast forward less than a year and she’s happy to have extracts from her book serialised in The Times and the Sun, guaranteeing plenty of publicity.

There are several unappetising aspects to the book, not least her criticism of Gordon Brown.

For example she writes about how furious she was when he vetoed a 26 per cent pay rise for MPs after Labour came to power in 1997, saying: “How dare Gordon do that? What did he know about financial commitments? He was a bachelor living on his own in a flat with a small mortgage”.

There are also question marks over her like of Sarah Brown, with catty comments like: “I wish I could have avoided the spotlight as she has managed to...Sarah, I’m so pleased, because this is one of the things I wanted, has more support. She has four people working for her, whilst I had two.”

The publication date of Cherie’s book was scheduled for this autumn so it’s interesting it’s been brought forward, to a time when Gordon Brown is having crisis after crisis. This book is only going to damage his image further – but then Cherie will have known that.

It also comes hot on the heels of books by John Prescott and Lord Levy, who both criticise Gordon Brown.

Their opinions have made headline news, and are therefore free promotion for the other political parties.

And though their books are essentially one person’s memories and personal opinion, they’re now being used as ammunition with which to shoot Gordon Brown and New Labour down.

I am not a particular fan of Gordon Brown, but talk about kicking someone when they’re down...