hughes personal life

[stitch]

who cares if he had gay relationships? if they were consensual, does it matter?
really annoying how media time is being used up like this.

The Bermondsey issue was all a bit tricky - the "Straight Choice" headline was a frequent one for Liberal candidates in by-elections at the time without any sexual reference being intended (it meant that there wasn't a meaningful three-party contest in the seat in question and that voters faced a simple two-way choice between the Liberals and whichever the incumbent party was), and it's not clear whether Hughes himself had anything to do with the smear campaign run by some members of the local Liberal party (and by the local Labour party - the guy who'd lost out to Tatchell on being selected as the Labour candidate did his best to ruin Tatchell's chances himself).

Apparently Peter Tatchell has said that if he were a Liberal Democrat he'd vote for Simon Hughes, whatever one is to make of that.

ok I'm going to rephrase that in case anyone thinks I'd ever vote for Bush - never never never, I like my politicians with intellect intact.

I just think its interesting that he as a recovering alcholic is ok (no media circus) while poor Charlie isn't.

Bleedin'eck, didn't know that about Bush - I understand that in fact he hasn't done the 12 steps and is that dangerous thing a 'white-knuckle drunk' (think that was according to John Mullan, recovering alcoholic and academic who writes for the Guardian).

I think even if the Libs were using 'straight choice' in other contexts its connotations were pretty darn obvious in the Bermondsey one.

I'm actually not sure about what confidence I have in prominent closeted politicians. I think I stop short of a Tatch-style 'outing' but I do think it backs up the idea that being gay/bi is something to be kept quiet.

Honestly I think if CK had shown any evidence of actually, voluntarily trying to get over his problem, he would have been OK. It was the fact that he was lying and lying, constantly incapable through drink and not even attempting to stop that made his associates lose patience. They didn't know they'd unleash hell though!

there was something on bbc4 last night about drinky politicians. was v interesting but can I remember a single name? nope.

oh except squiffy might come from Asquith who was apparently squiffy quite often,

"He apologised for misleading people when he recently denied being gay - saying he had not intended to do so."

"Mr Hughes recently denied he was gay, saying he had "often" thought about getting married but had not been "as successful as I would have liked".

Asked by the Independent whether he was gay, he replied: "No, I'm not. But it absolutely should not matter if I was."

But he told Thursday's Sun it had been a mistake to be "defensive" on the issue. "

"Mr Hughes was elected to Parliament in 1983 in a bitter by-election battle in Bermondsey against gay Labour candidate Peter Tatchell.

In one election leaflet, the Liberals presented him as the "straight choice" and Mr Hughes this month said he hoped there would never be a campaign of that type again.

He told BBC Newsnight: "I have never been comfortable about the whole of that campaign, as Peter knows, and I said that to him in the past... Where there were things that were inappropriate or wrong, I apologise for that." "

(All from the BBC)

mi - yes, I think SH has said that under the circumstances he acknowledges that it was at best an inappropriate choice of headline.

Strange thing about Tatch is that he was out before he became the candidate, then the Labour party persuaded him to 'in' himself again - like that was ever going to work.

'Mister Asquith says, in a voice sweet and calm
"Another little drink won't do us any harm".'

Popular music hall song of the time, apparently.

(I do wonder, sometimes, just how many pointlessly entertaining factoids I know.)

Simon H is a committed Christian. It's relatively common to 'battle' with your sexuality in those sort of circles (especially if you're of the evangelical persuasion)He's spent ages trying to convince himself that he's not gay because he didn't want to be gay.
At least he didn't marry some poor woman and have a family while simultaneously having gay affairs. There's noone sitting at home now with their life totally wrecked.

honestly its so ridiculous. if everyone who was gay had to leave the church -[roman or anglican]the Christian population would halve over night. Almost.

The CK drinking was known by all the political journalists (think it was hard to miss to be honest) but every time one of them wanted to write the story, CK's camp would threaten them with legal action and remember, it's hard to prove that someone's an alcoholic just because you see them drink/think they are drunk at a meeting. The only reason it came out is that Daisy McAndrew/Sampson outed him - I imagine because she was coerced into doing so for her new job on ITN (as this is who broke the story).

The Hughes thing wouldn't really matter if it wasn't for the Tatchell thing (reprehensible really). It's a shame because I always thought he had a tiny, little something going for him (even though he appears slimy) especially after he helped out in that dreadful stabbing of Jamie Robe.

I honestly thought he'd been out of the closet for years. Until I saw a report the other day saying he wasn't gay just a batchelor.

NO surpise to me at all clearly!

I see no problem. I do understand how covering ones sexuality in that instance might have allowed him a career in politics. I don't see as it is really a public matter who he fanices.

Mark Oaten however thats a different kettle of fish. Again I don't care who he sleeps with or how depraved he is in bed. What disturbs me is that if he is unable to keep a vow to the one of the people dearest to him, then how capable is he of keeping promises to the nameless faceless memebrs of his constituency.