When did Edwina Currie have an affair with John Major and what’s she said about the MPs sex scandal?
She sparked headlines in 2002 when she admitted having an affair with John Major - who went on to become Prime Minister
EDWINA Currie has been an outspoken figure on Westminster politics both during and after her time as a Member of Parliament.
She sparked sensational headlines in 2002 when she admitted having an extra-marital affair with John Major - who went on to become Prime Minister.
Who is Edwina Currie?
Edwina Currie was born in Liverpool and went to the Liverpool Institute High School for Girls in the Canning area of the city.
She went on to study PPE at Oxford and economic history at the London School of Economics.
Currie served as a Conservative MP for 14 years between 1983 and 1997.
She was a Junior Health Minister for two years between 1986 and 1988 but resigned following a scandal about salmonella in eggs in which she was claimed to have overstated the threat of infection and sent poultry sales plummeting.
During that time she also appointed Jimmy Savile to head up a task force to run Broadmoor psychiatric hospital - where the TV presenter and prolific sex offender subjected patients to repeated attacks.
Since losing her seat in the 1997 general election she has carved a new career as a novelist and broadcaster.
When did she have an affair with John Major?
In 2002, Currie published her diaries written during her time in government between 1987 and 1992.
She revealed she had a four-year affair with John Major - who went on to become Prime Minister - between 1984 and 1988 while both were married to other people.
Currie said she stopped the affair when they became more senior in the party and it became impractical due to the presence of bodyguards.
She admitted to being in love with him for years after and described him as the "love of her life".
After publication of the diaries, John Major released a statement saying he was ashamed of the affair and had previously privately confessed to his wife.
Weeks later, Currie appeared to change tact and described him as being "one of the less competent prime ministers" and that he sidelined female and black politicians.
What's she said about the Westminster sex scandal?
Following revelations of sexual assault and harassment within Westminster, she has said you can't 'ban' people from making passes in the workplace.
She said: "The workplace these days is where people meet, where many romances and liaisons develop. You can’t ban it for the workplace.
“Someone making a pass at you is not necessarily a power play. It might just be that they like you, and they would like to know if you would like to have a meal with them, they would like to know if you might be open to something more.
“It happened to me and it was very, very welcome.
"You have to learn the language of making the approach and you have to learn the language of repelling it without upsetting people and without creating an atmosphere."
