 Mrs Blair says she was the first in her family to go to university |
Cherie Blair says she would have ended up working in a shop if she had not had a free university education. The prime minister's wife, who is a top barrister and part-time judge, made the remarks as the government extends university tuition fees in England.
Her husband's government abolished free university education in 1998.
A Downing Street spokeswoman says Mrs Blair supports changes to university funding, which include reintroducing grants for poor students.
Self-funded
In this month's edition of barrister's magazine Counsel, Mrs Blair remarked: "The truth is if I hadn't had the funding from the state to go to university I would have worked in a shop."
She said she was the first in her family to go to university and had funded herself through an unpaid barrister's pupillage by lecturing at the former Central London Polytechnic.
Under Labour, tuition fees, currently fixed at a rate of �1,175, can be varied from next year, up to �3,000.
Undergraduate fees will be funded by a loan, repayable once students graduate, and have an income of more than �15,000 per year.
About 30,000 more students applied to university this year in what was seen as a rush to secure places before top-up fees are introduced.
'Terrible tragedy'
Responding to Mrs Blair's comments, Ed Davey, the Lib Dems education spokesman, said: "I warmly welcome Cherie Blair's recognition that a free university education was vital for her and, by implication, vital for tens of thousands like her.
"It's a terrible tragedy that her husband has decided to pull up the ladder of opportunity behind him.
"The prime minister seems to be an ever more isolated figure.
"It is no longer just his Cabinet colleagues and Labour backbenchers who are increasingly critical of this government's policies, the growing sense of disillusionment is also clearly felt by his wife."
Remarks 'misinterpreted'
Kat Fletcher, president of the National Union of Students, said: "Like many people of her generation, Cherie Blair had the chance to access education and change her life because of a free and fully-funded education system.
"Unfortunately her husband's government have decided to take that opportunity away.
"How many potentially brilliant human rights lawyers will never enjoy a successful career like Cherie Blair's as a result of this government's regrettable policies?"
But a Downing Street spokeswoman said people were "misinterpreting" Mrs Blair's remarks.
She added: "She believes poorer students need support from the state, which is what they will have under the new, fairer system."
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The prime minister seems to be an ever more isolated figure ... the growing sense of disillusionment is also clearly felt by his wife
