Over the last week we've been running a poll on this blog on whether Mark Oaten should stand down as MP for Winchester. 345 people voted, and the result is...Yes, he should stand down 49%
No, he shouldn't 51%
Bearing in mind that we get quite a few LibDem visitors to this site I would say that is too close for comfort. I would have predicted a 33-67 result.
Bearing in mind that you get a few Lib Dem visitors? Surely it would be more appropriate to bear in mind that you get more than a few Tories?
ReplyDeleteAt some stage the details of Oaten's exact predeliction will reach enough of the electorate to ensure that his Candidacy becomes the unelectable in pursuit of the unspeakable (or should that be inedible?).
ReplyDeleteI would assume that all those voting in the poll for Oaten to stand again were Tories while Liberals must be praying that Oaten stands down to spend more time with his rent boys and thus polling that he should not stand.
However committed to affirmative action Lib Dem activists are (how long before my local council hires an outreach officer to encourage those with Oaten's hobby to be proud about it?) they must surely realise that Oaten standing as an MP would leave a bad taste in the mouth with much of the electorate (and not just in Winchester)
Anonymous is right, but what is making me slightly angry about all this is that, out of prudishness or otherwise on the part of the media, the public is not really being told the truth about what has gone on here.
ReplyDeleteIt's all very well the Screws talking about something "too revolting to describe," but what you then end up with is a situation where the public only gets half the story and is hence not able to make an informed judgement about whether they want someone to represent them.
In this instance, the nature of the "revolting" act IS the story, because it is that - rather than the fact that he used rent boys - which would persuade large numbers of people not to vote for him if it were more widely known.