The Key Players
David Blunkett: The former Home Secretary has been at the centre of the New Labour project and a key ally of Prime Minister Tony Blair in the Cabinet since 1997.
The blind former leader of Sheffield Council (57) resigned on December 15th after being told that evidence had been found proving his office intervened in the visa application of ex-lover Kimberly Quinn's nanny, though he denies personally doing anything wrong.
His departure was a blow to Mr Blair, who is hoping to place security affairs at the centre of Labour's campaign for re-election, and there is widespread speculation that he will return to the frontbenches after the general election expected in the spring.
Kimberly Quinn: American 44-year-old publisher of the Spectator magazine, who began an affair with Mr Blunkett within weeks of her marriage to Condé Nast executive Stephen Quinn in 2001.
Mr Blunkett is taking legal action to prove he is the father of Ms Quinn's two-year-old son William and her unborn child, due in February.
After she broke off their affair in the summer, a series of allegations appeared in newspapers, including the "fast-tracking" of the visa and claims that Mr Blunkett allowed her to use an official car and an MP's rail warrant and ordered police to be stationed outside her door during a riot.
Stephen Quinn: The 60-year-old Co Kilkenny-born founder of GQ magazine has sworn to stand by his wife, and has stated publicly he forgives her for her affair with Mr Blunkett.
Mr Quinn has won widespread sympathy through his dignified bearing, as he appealed for his heavily-pregnant wife to be given some peace and quiet.
Leoncia Casalme: Filipina former nanny to Ms Quinn's young son, whose application for permanent residency status in the UK in the spring of 2003 was the immediate trigger for Mr Blunkett's resignation.
He initially denied having done anything more than check over the application form, but it later emerged that officials from his office had forwarded it to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), which then dealt with it within 19 days rather than the 12 months expected. An email from the IND said the request had been handled with "no favours, but slightly quicker".
Simon Hoggart: Parliamentary sketch writer with the Guardian newspaper and wine writer for the Spectator, a weekly political magazine sympathetic to the Conservative Party, who confirmed on December 19th that he too had had an affair with Ms Quinn at the same time as Mr Blunkett.
Mr Hoggart, who initially denied press reports of a fling, said it was "impossible" that he was the father of either of her children. Not central to the Budd investigation but a colourful addition to the scandal.
Attended yesterday's publication of the report for his newspaper, looking very uncomfortable. - (Reuters)