Celebrities dominate Chequers guest list

Published on Thursday 26 July 2007 00:10

POP-CULTURE celebrities dominated the list of guests invited to Chequers during Tony Blair's final months in office, it was revealed yesterday.

Singer Charlotte Church and her rugby star partner, Gavin Henson, were among those wined and dined at the prime minister's country retreat.

Mr Blair and his wife Cherie also entertained daytime TV luminaries Fiona Phillips, Lorraine Kelly and Richard Madeley, as well as T4 host June Sarpong and DJ Chris Evans.

The list of gifts Mr Blair and his ministers were presented with during his final year in office was also published - including an iPod from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He had a total of four rugs presented to him by Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, plus silverware, wine, coins and a tea-set.

However, he was not tempted enough by any of them to fork out his own cash to pay to keep them - presents worth up to 140 can be kept and are not published on the list; more valuable gifts should be given to the department for disposal.

However, the minister can pay full price for any gift, less the initial 140.

Among those who bought gifts were then foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, who paid for a jewellery box from Korea.