Even Maggie Thatcher wouldn't shove it in our faces as much as these two hypocrites.

They way they praise Britain's multicultural paradise you'd think they'd be living in a rented house in Brixton or Handsworth though, we wonder why they've chosen boring Wotton Underwood?

What recession? Cherie Blair spends £250,000 on antique furniture for her opulent country pile

Cherie Blair has spent more than £250,000 buying antiques from Christie’s and Sotheby’s for her £5.75million country mansion.

The former Prime Minister’s wife has spent the past 18 months buying Georgian and Regency furniture for the seven-bedroom 18th Century South Pavilion at Wotton Underwood, near Chequers.

Lavish: Mrs Blair's opulent country pile in Wotton Underwood

A senior figure at Christie's said of her new property: 'It has a lot of space to fill. Cherie did not inherit much, so she's building a historical hinterland of the future.'

He added: 'Between the two auction houses, I would think she has spent a quarter of a million - and that would be very conservative.'

Although her husband championed contemporary British art while in power, Cherie – who grew up in a poor Liverpool family sharing her grandmother’s bed – has opted for the finer things in life.

Furniture fan: Mrs Blair has reportedly spent in excess of £250,000 on antique furnishings for her new home

Last year, Mrs Blair attended a private viewing of antiques and artworks owned by Charles Plante, a US art dealer.

She was said to have taken a keen interest in Regency and William IV period furniture, including a £25,000 pair of rosewood bergere chairs. She bought seven lots in June last year.

Mr Plante said: 'I escorted her around the galleries for about 45 minutes. We were drinking champagne. Tony didn't come - Cherie told me he was in the Middle East.

'She was obviously buying to furnish her house. She was interested in lots of things. When I walked her round she seemed to the Napoleonic period best.

He added: I was pleasantly surprised by how much she knew about art and decorative art.'

The human rights and employment law QC has been a regular visitor
to the private views at Christie’s interiors sales and is said to have frequently engaged the help of the client services department, which advises buyers on potential purchases.

In February, she attended the Christie’s Style And Spirit auction, where she looked at a George III mahogany table with an estimated value of of £700 to £1,000.

Mrs Blair’s spokesman confirmed she bought the seven lots from Mr Plante but refused to give further details.