Cherie Blair

I feel very strongly about contraception even though I know people say that, as a good Catholic girl, I shouldn't. But I disagree because I think one of the keys to women's progression in the 20th century is being able to control their fertility. ”

When I was 14, I told all the girls in my class that I wanted to be the first woman prime minister. Someone else beat me to that! ”

The longest journeys start with the smallest steps. ”

Britain is still seen as a beacon for decency, for democracy, for vigorous judges upholding the rule of law and, dare I say it, a free press. I respect the press in theory, but when you see some of the things it writes about you, it's not exactly a happy relationship. ”

I'm an incurable optimist, and I'm a great believer in never looking back. Life is too short, and new challenges are exciting. ”

I think I'm one of life's copers. And picking myself up and dusting myself off and starting all over again is one of my mottoes, actually. ”

I am not Superwoman. The reality of my daily life is that I'm juggling a lot of balls in the air trying to be a good wife and mother, trying to be the prime-ministerial consort at home and abroad, barrister and charity worker, and sometimes one of the balls gets dropped. ”

For many women, becoming a widow does not just mean the heartache of losing a husband, but often losing everything else as well. ”

I suppose the first big shift in my life was when, at the age of 8, my father left my mother, leaving her alone with two daughters to bring up. That taught me the importance of women being financially independent. You never know what might happen. ”

As a Catholic, I am proud of the social mission of the church and its concerns for the poor and dispossessed, but I still personally would support women priests. ”