Cherie Blair - Inspirational Speaker

Cherie Blair is one of the UK’s top lawyers, specialising in the resolution of trade disputes. She is also the wife of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and therefore spent ten years living in Number 10, Downing Street. Just before half term, the whole of Year 13 went to hear Mrs Blair speak in Harrow School’s famous Speech Room where Winston Churchill learnt to debate.

Mrs Blair’s message was an inspiring one: hard work and dedication can deliver your dreams. As the grand daughter of a miner, she was the first in her family to attend university (The London School of Economics and Political Science) where she studied Law. As such, Mrs Blair now promotes the transformative effects of education and campaigns for equality.

In her early career Mrs Blair lectured at Westminster University and when she was called to the bar, less than 10% of barristers were female; now it is 50%. However, according to the World Economic Forum it will be 202 years before there is full gender equality in the world.

What was acknowledged as the best question of the event was asked by our own Koray Altindal, who asked what Mrs Blair’s views are of single sex education. Given her location in the single sex Harrow School, Mrs Blair gave a reasoned answer and closed with a comment that she hoped that equality had progressed to the extent that one of the boys from Harrow School might also get the chance to marry a Prime Minister!

Mr Richards
Assistant Headteacher/Head of Sixth Form