Report on Major 'untrue'

An article based on two-year- old gossip about John Major's private life, published in New Statesman & Society magazine, was last night dismissed by Downing Street.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'The suggestions covered in the article, that there might be an association between the Prime Minister and the lady in question, are completely untrue.' The comments were echoed by Mr Major's press secretary who is accompanying him on his tour of India.

That denial was used by some newspapers as the pretext for running the unsubstantiated rumours. The Commons is to debate tomorrow the second reading of Freedom and Responsibility of the Press Bill, a Private Member's Bill which would set up a statutory body with power to enforce publication of newspaper corrections.