Tony Blair wins $1m but no prize for Cherie

As if he needed another excuse to be feel smug, Tony Blair has been awarded a $1m prize for his "morally courageous" leadership on the world stage. And some of that leadership expertise has obviously rubbed off on Cherie Blair - or so she thinks. The wife of the former PM has sent Michelle Obama "an open letter" with tips on how to be a good wife to an inspirational world leader.

Blair's $1m comes courtesy of the Dan David Foundation and is awarded for the former British Prime Minister’s "exceptional leadership and steadfast determination in helping to engineer agreements and forge lasting solutions to areas in conflict".

According to the Tel Aviv-based foundation, Blair - now working as the Quartet's Middle East envoy - is "one of the most outstanding statesman of our era". Significantly, the citation praises his "steadfast determination" in Kosovo and Northern Ireland, but makes no mention of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

A condition of the prize is that 10 per cent of the cash is used to fund graduate students. A spokesman for Blair said the rest will be donated to the Tony Blair Faith Foundation Fund, his charity for religious understanding.

Meanwhile, in Cherie’s helpful note to the First Lady, published in the American magazine More, she observes that "Michelle's primary role is to give her husband support and succour". Despite her Harvard education, Michelle should "never" look as if she has any power or influence over her husband.

"Once upon a time you could say: 'Well, he's got his views, and I've got my views,'" added Mrs Blair. "But when he's elected its almost like you cannot afford to express any separate views," she said.

Whether the most popular First Lady since Jackie Kennedy needs this sort of advice is questionable. Only weeks into the Obama presidency, she has already said: "I don't view myself as being in a position where I'm twiddling my thumbs and wondering, 'How am I going to get through the day?'"
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