Attorney general admits to affair

The 57-year-old said, in a statement as a national newspaper named the woman he had an affair with, it was "all in the past" and that his wife knew about it.

Lord Goldsmith, who is the chief legal adviser to the government, said that it was a "private matter".

Tony Blair told the BBC he had not known about the affair at the time Lord Goldsmith said the Iraq war was legal.

Asked by Andrew Marr on Sunday AM if he had known about affair at the time Lord Goldsmith gave his controversial advice that the Iraq war was legal on the eve of the invasion, Mr Blair said he had not known.

He added that it would not have made any difference if he had known at the time.

Lord Goldsmith "does a fantastic job as the attorney general and is someone we are very lucky to have in government", he added.

Four children

Earlier, in his statement Lord Goldsmith said: "My wife knows all about this and has done for some time.

"It is all in the past and we are both very happy. This is a private matter and my wife and I have no further comment to make."

Lord Goldsmith has been married to wife Joy since 1974 and they have three sons and one daughter.

He has recently been in the headlines for refusing to give up his role in decisions over prosecutions in the cash-for-honours inquiry.

Lord Goldsmith was appointed by Tony Blair and is a close ally of the prime minister.

His advice on the legality of the Iraq war proved controversial because it went against the view of some senior Foreign Office lawyers.

It also appeared he only came to a firm conclusion an invasion would be legal during the week before the war began.

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