London
British Home Secretary David Blunkett faced calls for his resignation this week after his married ex-lover accused him of pulling strings for her and her family. Kimberly Quinn, the American-born publisher of London’s Spectator magazine, was furious that Blunkett, in an apparent bid to win her back, made public the results of a DNA test proving that he, and not her husband, had fathered her 2-year-old son. She struck back by accusing the top Cabinet official of abusing his office during their affair, by helping her get a visa for her Philippine nanny and using government drivers to ferry her around. Blunkett, who is divorced, denied the accusations and ordered an independent inquiry. As home secretary, or interior minister, Blunkett is responsible for law enforcement, domestic intelligence, and counterterrorism policies.
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