Blair used baby's death for Iraq war spin, Cherie reveals

Published on Monday 12 May 2008 10:46

CHERIE Blair revealed today how her husband made public the fact she had lost the baby she was carrying in order not to cause a panic over Iraq.

In her autobiography, serialised in The Times and The Sun, she describes how Tony Blair and press chief Alastair Campbell insisted the press were informed almost immediately in 2002.

She said Mr Blair had feared that if they had cancelled a holiday without explanation, it could have triggered false speculation that an invasion of Iraq was imminent.

After Mrs Blair told her husband the hospital scan had found that the baby was dead, he broke the news to the rest of the family, before informing Mr Campbell.

Shortly afterwards Mr Blair and Mr Campbell rang back to say the best thing was to tell the press.

"I couldn't believe it," she wrote. "I was bleeding, and they were talking about what was going to be the line to the press. I put down the receiver and lay there staring at the ceiling as the pain began to grip."