Blunkett wins first round of battle over child in High Court

BRITAIN : British Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett, accused of abusing his position to help a former lover, won a preliminary…

BRITAIN: British Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett, accused of abusing his position to help a former lover, won a preliminary legal skirmish with her yesterday.

Mr Blunkett wants to settle access arrangements to the son US-born Ms Kimberly Quinn bore two years ago during a three-year affair with the blind minister. The issue is a key part of the scandal surrounding Mr Blunkett, who faces an inquiry into whether he intervened to fast-track a UK residence visa for Ms Quinn's Filipino nanny.

Yesterday, a High Court judge refused Ms Quinn's application to delay until April the hearing in which Mr Blunkett seeks "contact" and "parental responsibility" orders in respect of the child. Judge Ernest Ryder said that despite claims the pregnant Ms Quinn's physical and mental health would be put at risk by a hearing, he was rejecting her bid. "Delay would be damaging to the relationship between Mr Blunkett and the child," he said.

Mr Blunkett's lawyers had argued it was in the interest of the child to have his parentage decided at the earliest opportunity. Mr Blunkett said in a statement afterwards: "I'm naturally relieved at today's judgment, so I can continue my attempts to gain access to my son.

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"I have never wanted anything about my private life and [ the boy's] paternity to be in the public domain and would never have gone to the courts if there were another way of getting informal access to him."

Most people questioned for a poll yesterday in the Daily Telegraph about the affair between married, 44-year-old Ms Quinn, publisher of the Spectator, and the divorced Mr Blunkett (57), thought Mr Blunkett probably did speed through the nanny's visa. However, fewer than half thought it was a resigning matter.

"Neither of the principal actors comes out of this drama very well but neither do they emerge particularly badly," said commentator Stephen Glover in the Spectator.

"Like all tragedies, though, it seems bound to end in tears." - (Reuters)