That’s Fife!

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Got into Lib Dem HQ after a speedy, pricey and unimpressive Continental breakfast (no scope for a big plate), and before the start of Woman’s Hour, I was back out of the car delivering Dunfermline’s own Wisteria Lane. New houses of the upper end of the Barrat variety, some of which were huge! Three storeys, at least four bedrooms facing the street and probably more over the garden. Balconies, appliances in the garages, sheds with verandas, gorgeous gardens, including one with a Scottish cross in snowdrops across the front lawn.

The leaflet is an 8 page glossy woman’s-magazine-alike, called That’s Fife (groan) with cartoons, a column by Clare Raynor, photo-diaries, etc.

P6270015

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Firstly anyone who has sex with men AND women ISN’T, strictly speaking, gay. But there’s no way he should have said what he said when he says he wasn’t gay. It’s just obvious he was setting himself up for this.

And secondly, the Tatchell thing. You can see the by-election literature youself here — and it does include the phrase ‘A straight choice’. BUT — was straight, meaning not gay, common parlance in 1983? I don’t know, I was 5! (And at 5, I thought it was great to be gay — after all, the Famous Five were. And the Famous Five taught me to read, because my parents couldn’t read it aloud with a, erm, straight face). AND we also used the phrase two years later in Brecon — it’s part of the technique we call ‘third party squeeze’. These days, it manifests itself as barcharts and ‘two horse race’ metaphors.

You can try and see how STV will work for the Lib Dem leadership election here, with a working online poll that lets you rank the candidates in order.

At 2.57am, my vote means that Chris Huhne wins after Simon’s second preferences propel him above Ming.

Don’t forget, dear Lib Dem Reader, if anyone asks you who you’re voting for, this is one of the few occasions in a public election when you can legitimately answer:

“All of them.”

A special edition of Radio 4’s Any Questions with the three remaining Lib Dem candidates for leadership, started a few minutes ago.

I’ll be at my computer for all the time it’s on.

Of course, the other thing affecting how many hits I’m getting at the moment, is an unfortunate combination of phrases in a certain post below that means you get a listing for me if you’re one of the scores of people Googling “oaten shit.” Despite the fact that I don’t link the two together anywhere here, the Google page reference makes it look like I’m dishing some very specific dirt on Mr Oaten.

There is a general frenzy going on to try and discover the details of Mr Oaten’s liaisons with male prostitutes since the Screws was vague on two salient details:

1. What exactly was the sex act that the News of the World felt was too disgusting to name?

And much more importantly,

2. Exactly which football strip did Mark like to dress up in?

RecessMonkey tells us that members’ gossip in the tearoom is largely scatalogical, with the occasional fist and hamster reference thrown in.

But news has yet to reach Recess as to the football strip involved. There’s a ten quid prize in it, he reports in a posting entitled Defacation of character.

Nicholas over on livejournal is keeping tabs on who’s declared for whom amongst the Lib Dem blogs.

It is now (24 January) 12 (and two leaning) for Campbell; 14 (and one leaning) for Hughes; and 17 (and one leaning) for Huhne.

Nominations not closed yet, and we still have everything to play for.

I get quoted on Iain Dale’s blog (not something I read regularly. Maybe I should.)

My hits go up by about 100 for yesterday. I’d never have thought Iain was that widely read. Despite his owning a bookshop.

Edit: tech question in the comments, techie readers please note.

Well, the shock revelations about Oaten in the last few hours have been interesting.

I’m surprised he feels that a relationship with a rent-boy is reason enough to quit his spokesmanship.

The investigation reveals Mr Oaten had a lengthy relationship with a rent boy then aged 23.

The carefully worded news-articles don’t seem to imply this was a paid-for relationship. And there’s no indication of when it was (although “*then* aged 23” with no mention of how old he is now) — was it an adulterous[1] relationship, or one that ended before he got married?

Either way, the justification from the Screws about why they are running the story at all is pathetic:

Keith Gladdis, Whitehall editor of the News of the World, justified the paper’s story.

He said: “Mark Oaten is an MP, an MP who has been elected on a platform of being a family man.

“He’s also an MP who’s a front bench spokesman – a front bench spokesman who then went on to stand as a potential leader of the Liberal Democrat party. That is someone who quite clearly has a public life.” (From this BBC story)

Guido points the finger at Oaten making hypocritical remarks about prostitution when the issue was debated this week. But Mark’s press release on the subject is measured.

Guido and the Monkey seem to have set it all off with a salacious podcast last week. I’d be interested in a copy if it’s doing the rounds.

Trouble comes in threes. People have been postulating that we’ve had Kennedy with drink problem, Tom McNally confessing to having been an alcoholic in the 80s and now Oaten’s dalliance.

I don’t think that’s it. Tom McNally’s news (I’ve been an alcoholic but I’m fine now) wasn’t much of a bombshell.

Popbitch carried a Lib Dem quickie this week:

Which Lib Dem wannabe leader used to be a regular visitor to a brothel in Paddington where he used to pay girls to shit in their knickers for him, and would then put the dirty pants in his briefcase and take them home?

Given that those are girls, and the Oaten story is about a boy, maybe these words from Stephen Tall tonight

But I am left scratching my head in utter bewilderment that he could have considered standing for the leadership of the party – to succeed a man who was forced to resign because of personal problems – when this story was lingering in the shadows.

are going to end up sounding prophetic by this time next week.

Check out this on Iain Dale’s blog (hold your nose if you need to):

I can’t believe what the newsreader on Sky […] has just said – “My instant reaction was when I heard about this was that it was someone else, but let’s not go there.”

What a sorry mess. There are skeletons hammering on the inside of closet doors tonight.

[1] In googling to try and work out how you spell adulterous, I came across this charming little website that tells you whether you can get divorced or not, with handy yes/no questions about the state of your relationship. Believe marriage irretrievably broken down, but still living together? Reconsider!