‘Tony was the better politician. I am a good barrister’

Cherie Blair is an accomplished woman in her own right. She is a successful barrister, who earned more than her husband, Tony Blair, who served a record 10 years as prime minister of Britain. Cherie did not compete for attention. She tried to be out the way. Post-Downing Street, she has been quite busy. She has done a candid autobiography, “Speaking For Myself” (Hachette India), and she is setting up a foundation to connect women in the industrialized world with their counterparts in the developing world. On a brief to vsisit to New Delhi, she spoke to Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr over phone from her hotel room.

You are setting up a foundation to connect women in the industrialized world with those in the developing countries. What will it do?
It will connect groups of women from the industrialised countries to help women in India and other countries. I plan to do a conference in India at the end of next year as part of the work of the foundation.

Are you suffering from Downing Street blues?
There are both positive and negative effects. The positive thing is that I am able to do things that I have wanted to do. The negative is that Tony (Blair) has become busier than ever. While in Downing Street, it was different.

Do you think that in a post-feminist world, things are very different and the old ideological battles are over?
World Economic Forum has recently published a report on gender gap, and India is at 117 out of 130 countries. The differences are still there.

You are from a working class background in Liverpool. Do you think that the class divisions and snobbery in England is still a barrier?
It was a barrier but there were more opportunities, of access to good education.My mother was a woman from a working class background and she struggled to bring us up, and so did my paternal grandmother. The position is the same for me except that we have better financial resources unlike my mother.

Do you think that the class system in England is similar to the caste system in India?
Each country has its own social background and traditions. But conditions have changed in the 20th century.

Due to two mishaps —she lost the first time she contested an election, and the second time she was down with injuries — you were not able to pursue your political career. Do you want to get back to it now like Hillary Clinton?
I have been a wife of a politician for 24 years. I want to do other things like working on gender issues. Tony was the better politician. I am a good barrister.

Is the writing of your autobiography, “Speaking For Myself” an act of catharsis?
It is. As a matter of fact, that is the word I used in my book.

Do you think that Hillary Clinton losing a presidential nomination shows that it is still difficult for a woman to reach the top position?
Hillary Clinton has shown that a woman can run for the presidency. In the future, when a woman becomes the president of the US, she may not acknowledge Hillary, but she has made that possible.

You are from a working class background. Are you convinced of the New Labour which your husband has created?
It is not just Tony, but Gordon Brown and many others who have created the New Labour. It was an essential development.

What is it being a Catholic in an Anglican England?
When I was growing up, I was acutely aware of belonging to a Catholic minority. My children who are Catholics too do not feel it. England has changed, where people of every persuasion can live and work together.

You are presenting a programme on Christianity on Channel 4. Do you think religion is still relevant in a secularized, modern world?
Religion is very important. The spiritual needs of the people cannot be ignored. The state should be secular and there should be personal space for individuals to profess faith of their choice.

You are fond of Indian food?
Yes. Indeed. The chicken masala tikka is the national favourite in Britain. But I cannot find that chicken masala tikka in India. It is a tribute to the way Indian food has become popular in Britain.