Being illegitimate 'left its mark' - a South Yorkshire MP has admitted

A South Yorkshire MP has admitted it took her years to come to terms with the fact she was born out of wedlock.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th Jan 2018, 19:50 BST

Updated 30th Jan 2018, 19:55 BST

Labour MP Caroline Flint, the representative for Don Valley revealed she was born to a 17-year-old single mother and has never known who her father is.

In an interview with the Radio Times she said: "I know that, for me, illegitimacy left a mark. For years, even as an MP, I wouldn't talk about it.

"So many MPs appeared to come from perfect homes, with impressive connections and endless confidence. For years, I kept my story to myself."

Ms Flint, aged 56, spoke about her childhood as part of a BBC documentary on illegitimacy.

Ms Flint said she found out she was illegitimate by accident when she was ten.

Her mother had married when she was two and Ms Flint discovered a certificate under a bed which stated that the man she thought was her father had in fact adopted her.

Ms Flint said times had changed and there was no longer a stigma attached to being illegitimate.