Cherie Blair, wife of former Prime Minister Tony, has been criticised for her “sneering” attack on stay-at-home mums.

Mrs Blair – a millionaire barrister – said it is dangerous for mothers to rely on their husbands.

She warned that children could lack a sense of independence if they are raised by stay-at-home mums.

Danger

And she criticised women who “put all their effort into their children” instead of working.

But Kevin Maher, a writer at The Times, criticised “Cherie Blair’s sneering description of stay-at-home mums as a danger to the goals of self-sufficiency and independence that define the modern, working woman.”

He added: “Now, the defensive rhetorical trick to the speech was that Mrs Blair was apparently targeting only wealthy Yummies, and not all stay-at-home mums.

“However, the phraseology employed (note the wince of disgust in ‘put all their effort into their children’)… has left few in doubt as to the fundamental subtext contained therein: stay-at-home mums = bad; working mums = fabulous”.

Crucial

And Telegraph commentator Cristina Odone said: “Alpha feminists want to be free to do as they please – shine professionally, stick two fingers up at marriage, whatever; but they quash other women’s freedom of choice – there is one way, and it’s their way.”

She added: “This is unfair; not all work is exciting and remunerative, and not all stay-at-homes spend their day at TriYoga or Starbucks.

“Many crucial if unpaid jobs are carried out by so-called yummy mummies: they volunteer to help children with special needs, they organise the school book fair, they are tireless Sunday school teachers.”