The claims and counter-claims that encourage the feeding frenzy around 10 Downing Street

Charge: Tony Blair was aware of the purchase of two flats in Bristol, and that money from the family's blind trust was used.

Evidence: It seems incredible that the Prime Minister, as claimed by Downing Street sources, was unaware that property purchases worth more than £500,000 had been made by his wife until the story was investigated by the newspapers. Money was taken from the couple's blind trust, apparently after Cherie consulted the trustees without her husband's knowledge.

Mrs Blair appeared to hint in her statement that it was a joint decision. "When we bought the flats we were advised that the blind trust would be the safest way of keeping the Blair family name off the Land Registry for security reasons," she said.

Defence: Downing Street sources claim Mr Blair was unaware of the purchases until No 10 was contacted by a newspaper. He also did not know that his wife had contacted the trustees about using the money from the blind trust. This meant that the code which prevents a minister from knowing how the money in a blind trust was invested was not breached. Downing Street said that Mrs Blair was referring to her financial adviser when she said "we" in her statement.

Verdict: Not proven. But it seems highly unusual that Mrs Blair did not discuss the purchase of the flats – the biggest financial decision the family has made since the sale of their Islington home – with her husband.

Charge: That Mrs Blair lied over how well she knew Mr Foster and his background.

Evidence: It is unthinkable that her attention would not have been drawn to the criminal record of a fraudster with convictions in three countries.

Defence: Mrs Blair said Carole Caplin told her that her new boyfriend had "been in trouble for what he said were trading standards offences" and she did not know the "full story until a couple of weeks ago". She said she had only met him once briefly.

Verdict: Not proven. But e-mails obtained by the Daily Mail show that Mrs Blair was in touch with him for six weeks, despite her efforts to play down the significance of the relationship. Given that she was speaking to Ms Caplin on 22 November about the threatened deportation, it is surprising that she did not ask any questions about his background.

Furthermore, were not the security services or Downing Street advisers alert to the man who had breached the Blairs' inner circle?

Charge: That Mrs Blair – or Downing Street – lied about the extent of her involvement with Foster.

Evidence: Foster negotiated a handsome discount on her behalf on two luxury flats in Bristol. Downing Street initially denied the charge flatly, only for this to be contradicted by the series of e-mails detailing their correspondence.

Defence: Mrs Blair reasserted this week: "He was not my financial adviser." But she admitted: "I should not have allowed a situation to develop where Tony's spokesman said he played no part in the negotiations."

Verdict: Mrs Blair is playing with semantics. Mr Foster may not have been her sole, or usual, financial adviser. But she allowed herself to be advised by him over six weeks – and thanked him profusely for his efforts.

Charge: Mrs Blair examined papers relating to Mr Foster's deportation on 22 November.

Evidence: According to The Scotsman, Carole Caplin arrived at No 10 with a clutch of deportation and Treasury Solicitor papers on the case. Three pages were missing and she asked them to be faxed to her there.

Mrs Blair looked at the documents and after reviewing them rang Janes Solicitors, Mr Foster's lawyers, to discuss their contents.

Defence: Three days ago No 10 said: "Mrs Blair had not asked for or read the papers." Downing Street flatly denied the implication of the fresh allegations in The Scotsman yesterday, which the paper attributes to unnamed "legal sources".

Downing Street accepts that a fax was sent to Mrs Blair's office but, together with Janes and Ms Caplin, maintains that she at no point read its contents and refused when asked to do so by Ms Caplin.

It confirms Mrs Blair made a call to Janes, but said it was solely about the "process" of the case and not its detail.

Verdict: Again, case not proven. Janes said: "We have no knowledge of the origin of the allegation we faxed papers to Cherie Booth QC, but for the avoidance of doubt, the story has obviously not emanated from this firm."

Charge: Mrs Blair told Mr Foster to use his girlfriend's pregnancy to avoid deportation.

Evidence: The Scotsman alleged that the Prime Minister's wife, a human rights barrister, suggested to Mr Foster in September that his girlfriend's pregnancy could bolster his case under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Defence: Downing Street dismissed the claim, asserting that Mrs Blair only knew of Ms Caplin's pregnancy in October.

Verdict: Apparently no substance to the charge (although Foster did use the human rights argument, which was dismissed by the judge).

Charge: Mrs Blair gave Carole Caplin information about the judge sitting on the Foster proceedings.

Evidence: Mrs Blair advised her friend that the change of judge was "no great loss", according to The Scotsman, and described Mr Justice Cooke, who was taking over, as "conservative and cautious".

Defence: Mrs Blair admitted on Tuesday examining the publicly available court lists, but said that was not improper behaviour. Yesterday Downing Street said she did not know Mr Justice Cooke or "anything about this judge". Asked if she had make the remarks about the judge, the Prime Minister's spokesman said that he was not aware that she had.

Verdict: No one seriously suggests the Prime Minister's wife tried to "nobble" the judge. The checking of the court lists remains odd, though, and it has not been fully explained why Mrs Blair needed to do that simply to ensure the "process' of the case was being properly followed.

Charge: Mrs Blair's legal chambers, Matrix, was asked to represent Mr Foster in his deportation case.

Evidence: On 22 November David Janes, Mr Foster's solicitor, allegedly contacted Matrix to ask that the media barrister Heather Rogers represent him.

Defence: This is strongly denied by Downing Street, which referred to yesterday's statement by Janes, which said: "We have neither sought nor been given or offered any advice, assistance or influence whatsoever by Cherie Booth QC and any suggestion to the contrary is unfounded."

Verdict: Not proven. It seems somewhat coincidental, however, that 22 November was the day on which Mrs Blair had a conference with the solicitors to discuss the "process" of the Foster case.