'I WASN'T Cherie's lover': Judge named as Mrs Blair's ex-boyfriend in her book denies they had a relationship

John Higham QC was named in Mrs Blair's memoirs as a fellow Liverpudlian she went out with after meeting him at law school.

She referred to him 11 times, detailing their relationship and break-up, around the time she met Tony in 1975, and saying he was one of two men she was seeing at the same time.

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Mistake: John Higham QC (left) was named as an ex-lover in Cherie's book, she has since apologised for the error

But Mr Higham said: "It's a mistake. I've never been out with Mrs Blair. She's referring to someone else."

Mrs Blair apologised for his having been wrongly named. The error arose when references on the same page to both the John Higham she met at law school and the John she was dating were confused.

Cherie proof-read the book, but failed to spot the mistake

The boyfriend is not given a surname, but the references were attributed to Mr Higham when publisher Little, Brown drew up the index.

Mrs Blair proof-read the book, but failed to spot the mistake.

She told yesterday in an extract from the book, Speaking For Myself, how she first slept with Tony Blair after they travelled home from a lawyers' dinner on a No74 bus, though she had been seeing two other boyfriends.

The book had already caused controversy over the inclusion of revealing details on public figures.

Senior lawyers have hinted it could damage Mrs Blair's chances of becoming a High Court Judge.

Former judge Gerald Butler QC said: "If she wants to make money by outrageous comments that is up to her.

"But I don't think this is a job for a judge. It shows a complete lack of decency."

But Mrs Blair refused to resign. Speaking on Radio 4 she said: "I have enjoyed the law and I intend to continue practising."