THE Labour front bench MP, Ms Clare Short, has appeared in public for the first time with the son she had while a student 31 years ago and put up for adoption.
The pair met for the first time four weeks ago after Mr Toby Graham decided to trace his natural mother following the birth of his own two daughters.
Yesterday they faced the media at Westminster, beaming with joy and seemingly unable to let each other go.
Even with the inevitable chaos that accompanies such events, with photographers, television cameramen and reporters vying for pictures and words, the occasion was overwhelmingly happy and good natured.
Ms Short (50), the shadow overseas aid minister, said Mr Graham (31), a City lawyer, was "lovely".
He said he found his new found fame "all a bit bewildering". But he declared: "I'm just incredibly happy."
Mr Graham told reporters he was a one nation Tory, but was already being won over to the ideas of the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, before he knew that his mother was a member of the shadow cabinet.