Former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair was told to repay thousands of pounds in discounts he had received on designer clothes, according to newly-released files.
The official papers, released to the National Archives, show that Blair saved more than £7,600 on clothes from Nicole Farhi and Paul Smith, while his wife Cherie received discounts of about £28,000 from several designers between July 2001 to December 2002.
The discounts were negotiated by his wife Cherie’s friend and style adviser, Carole Caplin.
She told No 10 officials she bought the clothes wholesale, enabling her to secure discounts of up to 60%.
But officials were concerned that such large discounts would not be available to members of the public.
Mr and Mrs Blair spent just over £8,000 on clothes at Nicole Farhi, which were worth almost £21,000.
“We are not arguing that anything has been done wrong, indeed nothing has, No 10 official Clare Sumner wrote in the letter advising Mr Blair to pay back the savings he had received.
“The issue is one of public perception.”
Mrs Blair was advised to repay half of the savings she had received, but after discussions with the cabinet secretary, Sir Andrew Turnbull, it was agreed she did not receive any “preferential or beneficial treatment” in her role as prime minister’s wife.
It prompted a change requiring suppliers to sign “confidentiality agreements”, ensuring there was no incentive to provide cheaper goods.
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