The Minister, the Mistress, the Husband and the Pregnancy or Peyton Place, London W1

While I was in temporary retirement, as I said below, strange things were in the news. This, of course, is the other big story in the UK for the past couple of weeks. In fact, much bigger than the fall from grace of the Sikhs, one of Britain's most respected minority communities. For those who live in outer space, or the US, the story thus far:

• Home Secretary David Blunkett is exposed as having had an affair with a married woman, Kimberley Quinn, just as it falls, very messily, apart.


• Blunkett initiates a paternity suit to prove that Quinn's two year old son and unborn child are both his.


• When the simple fact of adultery is not proving salacious enough to end a brilliant career, allegations of special favours through his office for the Quinn's nanny begin to surface . . .


• . . . and allegations of Mrs. Quinn being transported by rail at government expense under the guise of being Home Secretary's spouse(-to-be, according to him).


• PM stands by Blunkett. (No link necessary; he always does that.)


• Oh, did I mention that the lover was pregnant when all this started to unravel?


• With exquisitely poor timing, Blunkett's biography is published, in which he rips holes out of almost every one of his cabinet colleagues, thus leaving himself more friendless, precisely when he most needs support.


• Government starts investigation of Nanny-gate and train ticket scandals


• Multi-millionaire husband of Quinn defends her as she is taken into hospital suffering from stress.


• Blunkett resigns, claiming he is willing to sacrifice all "for the sake of that little lad".


• Blunkett's defenders say he is a working-class victim of a cabal of rich people.
  
• Oh, did I mention that Kimberley Quinn is the publisher of prominent Conservative magazine? Yes, that's the opposition party, e.g., "sleeping with the enemy" with bells on.


• By a few days ago, many could not decide whose behaviour was most disgusting, Mr. Blunkett's or Mrs. Quinn's.


• Political columnist and radio host is revealed to be also a lover of Mrs. Quinn, along with possibly a mysterious "fourth man".


• Mrs. Quinn has apparently kept a detailed diary of the whole affair.

Do you think I am capable of making stuff like this up?