Tearful Cherie Blair bids to explain fraudster’s role in flats purchase
Mrs Blair said she did not know the full details of Mr Foster's background "until a couple of weeks ago when the police alerted us that a newspaper was trying to set me up in a meeting with him".
She defiantly stood by her controversial friend and confidante Carole Caplin, saying she had been "a great help" to her when she suddenly found herself the wife of the Labour leader and future prime minister.
Mrs Blair, speaking at a Department for Education Awards night, broke down with emotion as she defended her role in the controversy.
She said: "I now realise I made two mistakes. My immediate instinct when faced with the questions from the Mail on Sunday 10 days ago was to protect my family's privacy and particularly my son in his first term at university living away from home."
She sobbed as she continued: "This instinct, which I think any mother would have, and my desire not to open myself up to any and every question which the press should choose to ask me led to this misunderstanding in the press office and I think they know I did not in any way set out to mislead them."
Mrs Blair went on: "The second mistake I made was to allow someone I barely knew, and had not then met, to get involved in my family's affairs."
"I am sorry if I have embarrassed anyone but the people who know me well know that I would never want to harm anyone least of all Tony, the children or the Labour Government or misuse my position in any way." She added: "Sometimes I feel I would like to crawl away and hide but I will not."
Mrs Blair also defended her conduct in telephoning Mr Foster's solicitors, with Ms Caplin, to ask about her deportation proceedings.
She said this had led to allegations "effectively suggesting that I tried to influence a judge."
"I phoned Mr Foster's solicitor simply to put her mind at rest. I emphatically did not try to influence this one way or another."
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