The Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has said he intends to divorce his estranged wife Margaret and marry his secretary Gaynor Regan, the woman for whom he brought his 28-year-old marriage to an end.

Robin Cook: "I love Gaynor" (Dur: 0-14)

Mr Cook made plain his intentions on arriving at Edinburgh Airport, where reporters questioned him about allegations that he had had a string of extra-marital affairs.

Mr Cook, who was accompanied by Ms Regan, said: "The only relationship I have is with the woman I love and with the woman I will marry.

"And I am going to get married as soon as I get divorced."

Mr Cook's declaration came only hours after the Prime Minister Tony Blair defended his colleague, insisting his job was safe and praising him for doing a "tremendous job" on the international stage.

Total support from Prime Minister

Mr Blair spoke out as the Foreign Secretary faced a new wave of publicity about the break-up of his marriage. Asked if the latest claims about Mr Cook's private life changed in any way the 100% support he gave to his close colleague when news of his marital break-up first broke in August, Mr Blair replied: "No."

Tony Blair: "Full support" (Dur: 0-14)

Mr Blair said: "If you take Robin Cook for example on the international stage he has made a huge reputation for himself. That guy is doing a tremendous job."

Mr Blair, giving an interview with BBC TV's Breakfast with Frost on day three of his five-day visit to Tokyo, did admit to being irritated when the publicity generated by such matters distracted attention from the government's own news agenda.

'No warning' of divorce

Margaret Cook said her husband had not warned her in advance that he was going to declare publicly that they are to be divorced - or that he intends to marry Ms Regan.

Mrs Cook confirmed that they had discussed the question of divorce, but said she had not heard about her husband's latest comments on the affair.

She said: "We have been discussing divorce for quite a while. I have not heard of any specific comments and will not comment until I do so. Even then I may not say anything."

Full public support for Mr Cook as a "first rate MP" has been given by his local party in Livingston. After arriving in Edinburgh Mr Cook went to his constituency where for nearly three hours he held a fortnightly constituency surgery in a community hall in the Craigshill district.

Constituency support

Gaynor Regan, captured by amateur video

After the surgery Mr Cook stayed in the building for a monthly meeting of his local party.

An hour after that began and while it was still in progress, local party chairman Bristow Muldoon emerged to voice public backing for Mr Cook in a statement which he said had been unanimously backed.

"The general committee of Livingston Labour Party has affirmed its full confidence in Robin Cook both as a first rate constituency MP and as an excellent Foreign Secretary," he said.

"The general committee views private matters as being no concern of theirs and that they have no bearing on Robin's outstanding commitment to his public duties."

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