Quinn may leave hospital tomorrow

The pregnant former lover of David Blunkett who has been receiving treatment for stress-related complications may be released from hospital tomorrow, according to her husband.

The pregnant former lover of David Blunkett who has been receiving treatment for stress-related complications may be released from hospital tomorrow, according to her husband.

During the final chapter of the downfall of Mr Blunkett, Kimberly Quinn, 44, who is seven months pregnant, was admitted to St Mary's hospital in Paddington, central London, after collapsing at her Mayfair home.

It was from her hospital bed that she awoke yesterday to a rash of newspaper headlines proclaiming the demise of her former lover in political and private terms.

Yesterday, her husband, Stephen Quinn, the 60-year-old multi-millionaire Condé Nast publisher, spoke for the first time since Mr Blunkett's resignation about his wife's condition and how he was hopeful she would be home by the weekend.

"I want her home and she wants to be well enough to get home and look after our son," Mr Quinn told The Daily Telegraph. "Her medical team asked her to walk round the hospital gardens to get her strength up. She had her first outing last Saturday after nearly a week in hospital. Kimberly sat on a bench in Regent's Park watching while I played with our son.

"I have to say that she was looking a bit wan after half an hour, so we took her back. But we got her out again the other day." He added: "I'm hoping and praying she can be home some time over the weekend. We won't know for sure until her specialist sees her tomorrow."

But despite the apparent improvement in her health, it is clear that her woes are not behind her. As well as preparing for the birth of her second child, she is also facing what promises to be a fresh round of her legal battle with Mr Blunkett, who is claiming paternity of her two-year-old son.

While Mr Quinn refused to comment on the resignation of Mr Blunkett, he acknowledged that the couple were stealing themselves for the next step in a continuing legal battle. "The core thing is that Kimblerly and I have to work out how to manage our future as a family. Once she's home, we can start living normally," he said.

Although Mr Justice Ryder rejected her attempt to delay legal proceedings over access to the child until April when she will have recovered from giving birth, she is expected to continue to fight the former Cabinet minister at every step.

It is believed that Mrs Quinn will be summoned to a closed session of the High Court's Family Division in the new year. A mediator, appointed by the court, is expected to sit in on a secret session where representatives from both parties will seek to thrash out a deal.

According to friends of the Quinns there is no feeling of jubilation at the events. One is reported as saying: "I do not think [Stephen] has any triumphant feeling about Blunkett."