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September 28, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 9:12pm

Bloomberg producer ‘100 per cent sure’ about Cherie’s ‘lie’ remark

By Press Gazette

The Bloomberg TV producer who said she overheard Cherie Blair accuse Chancellor Gordon Brown of lying has told Press Gazette she was definitely within sight of the Prime Minister's wife when the alleged comments were made.

This is despite a denial from Downing Street and an off-air statement that the reporter was not one of only four people near Mrs Blair at the time the alleged comment would have been made.

Bloomberg producer Carolin Lotter said she overheard Mrs Blair's comment and then passed it on to a political reporter for the agency.

Bloomberg reported that at the point in Brown's speech on Monday when he said: "It's been a privilege for me to work with, and for, the most successful ever Labour leader", Mrs Blair walked past a monitor showing the speech and said: "Well, that's a lie."

The story immediately overshadowed the media impact of Brown's speech and made several national newspaper front pages the following day.

On Monday night, Mrs Blair told reporters: "Honestly guys, I hate to spoil your story, but I didn't say it and I don't believe it either."

Downing Street also issued a denial claiming that none of the four people with Blair at the time of the alleged comment had heard her say anything.

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But Lotter told Press Gazette: "We always stood by our story and I was always 100 per cent sure what I heard. The four people she was talking about were her security staff."

Asked if this meant Cherie Blair did not see her, Lotter said: "You'd have to ask her. I was definitely within view of her, I had to step out of her way."

The following day, Tony Blair joked about his wife in his conference speech, saying: "At least I don't have to worry about her running off with the bloke next door."

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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