UK News 04-02-2005 who: Former culture secretary Chris Smith what: Says he has been HIV positive for 17 years when: Sunday snippet: Britain`s first openly gay MP, who outed himself 20 years ago, admits he kept his condition a secret from the Labour leadership. But following Nelson Mandela`s moving words on the death of his son from AIDS last month, Mr Smith says he was moved to speak out in an effort to end the stigma of HIV. Not so, according to this week`s Private Eye, which alleges that Smith was in fact tipped off by The Mail On Sunday that they planned to break the story if he didn`t. [... more]

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