David Blunkett under fire over ‘secret’ NoW pay-off

FORMER home secretary David Blunkett has been criticised by a fellow Labour politician after accepting a “substantial” pay-off in a secret deal after his mobile phone was hacked by the News of the World.

Mr Blunkett came to the agreement in May, soon after News International reached a similar agreement with actress Sienna Miller, for the hacking of his phone when he was at the Home Office between 2001 and 2004, according to newspaper reports yesterday.

However, Labour MP Tom Watson criticised the decision. “If true, it is extremely disappointing that David Blunkett, as both an MP and a former home secretary, would choose to do a secret deal rather than give comfort to victims who don’t have his power to come forward at the time parliament was chipping away at this scandal,” he said.

“His testimony would have been helpful in shedding light on the company’s attempts to keep the lid on it all.

“Rather than fulfilling a public duty to speak out, it makes you wonder why he would do it like this. I would definitely like to know when Mr Blunkett was aware that he might have been a victim of hacking as his evidence would have been very useful.”

Mr Blunkett resigned as home secretary after the News of the World revealed he was having an affair with a married woman, Kimberly Fortier, now known as Ms Quinn, and suggestions emerged that he had used his position to speed up a visa application for her nanny.

A spokeswoman for the former home secretary said: “Mr Blunkett was the subject of intrusion into his private life throughout 2004-5 and gross damage to his family and immediate friends.

“Since then, he has endeavoured to protect his private life as he was the victim, not the perpetrator, of such intrusion. He is certainly not going to start now allowing some mischief-maker to start another round of harassment and intrusion.

“Protecting his private life and those he cares about involves not answering questions, which are entirely his business, and which have no bearing on any other individuals.

“Any relationship to what happened in 2004-5 is a matter for the police investigation and of course everyone with anything to contribute is expected to provide maximum co-operation.

“Mr Blunkett has commented on matters relating to the ongoing inquiries, but at no time about himself or his family, and he does not intend to do so now.”

News International declined to comment. The News of the World first revealed details of Mr Blunkett’s affair in August 2004.

It was subsequently reported that Ms Quinn was several months pregnant with her second child. She then claimed that she had medical evidence that proved Mr Blunkett was not the father of her first child.

In December, he won a court battle with Ms Quinn over access to her two-year-old son.

Prior to this, the Press Complaints Commission rejected a complaint by Ms Quinn that she had been harassed and her privacy had been intruded on by the Sunday Mirror in relation to a photograph of her that was published in the newspaper.

• Big names to appear before Leveson Inquiry

THIS week will see a number of significant former News of the World (NoW) employees giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry.

Today, undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, known as the “Fake Sheikh”, will appear, as well as Neville Thurlbeck, a former news editor and chief reporter at the newspaper, and Neil Wallis, who was executive editor of the paper until 2009.

On Tuesday, Lawrence Abramson, managing partner of the solicitors Harbottle & Lewis, will come before the Leveson Inquiry, along with NoW lawyer Tom Crone and Julian Pike, a partner at law firm Farrer and Co.

On Wednesday, John Chapman, former head of legal affairs at News International, and Colin Myler, editor of the NoW when it was shut down in July, are set to appear.

Thursday will see former NoW reporter Daniel Sanderson and private investigator David Webb appear before the inquiry.