David Blunkett to marry his local GP

Given the turbulence of David Blunkett's romantic past - his affair with the former publisher of the Spectator, Kimberley Quinn, and the love child that followed garnered lurid headlines and contributed to his eventual resignation from the Cabinet in 2004 - you would think the former Home Secretary would be wary of relationships. Not a bit of it. He announced yesterday that he was to marry again.

The lucky lady is Dr Margaret Williams, a GP who works at 61-year-old politician's local medical centre. Blunkett and Williams have been together for about three years and made the announcement at a party to mark her 50th birthday.

Among the well-wishers were two of Blunkett's four sons, and Dr Williams's three teenage daughters from an earlier marriage. His son by Kimberly Quinn, William, was not present. Said Blunkett: "We're looking to the future, but have not yet arranged a date. We're very pleased to be setting out on a new and happy journey together."

Blunkett’s first marriage ended in divorce in 1990. His decision to start seeing the married Kimberly Quinn, sometimes known by her former married name, Fortier, ended in bitter rancour, along with accusations that he had abused his position as Home Secretary by helping to fast track a visa renewal application for Quinn's Filipino nanny. An inquiry subsequently cleared him of any wrongdoing, but he resigned from the Cabinet anyway. Blunkett later developed a close friendship with 29-year-old estate agent Sally Anderson, who then sold her story to the media. ·