When Cate Haste and Cherie Booth co-wrote The Goldfish Bowl (2004) about how the spouses of several generations of prime ministers had dealt with life in No 10, the two women took great care to ensure that there was nothing in the book to cause embarrassment to the incumbent at the time, Tony Blair.
However, a week before publication, Haste’s husband, the Labour peer Lord (Melvyn) Bragg, whom Blair had ennobled, made some indiscreet remarks suggesting that his friend had recently considered stepping down as prime minister because of “personal and family” issues.
Blair was forced to issue a public denial and went on to serve another three years. Yet as Haste and the prime minister’s wife embarked on the promotional round for their book,