The Downing Street chef Clare Latimer, who was falsely accused of having an affair with John Major, believes that she was used as a decoy for his affair with Edwina Currie.

Speaking for the first time about the allegation, Latimer said: “In the autumn of 2002 the whole story blew up again when Edwina Currie revealed she had had an affair with John Major. I felt terribly relieved. The truth will always out in the end, and in my case it took ten years for it to do so.

“On reflection, I believe I was used as a decoy. It was convenient for John Major that the press turned their attention towards me, instead of discovering the real identity of his mistress. I was a useful smokescreen.”