If you missed Oaten pumping iron yesterday on the Daily Politics, you could have seen him last night doing a psycho-babble piece of dubious honesty and self-awareneness on Newsnight [link may change]. He seemed to Guido to basically be claiming that the reason he liked to be ****** whilst being ****** *** was because of the pressures of parliament. Mrs Fawkes exclaimed at this point “if he had time enough to go renting boys he had time enough to go home to his wife”.

Some will have particularly relished his Portcullis House cry on the shoulder with Oona King, where she regaled us with the tale of her begging the whips to be allowed to go home to see her partner once a week. No really. Could these two ex-MPs* be bidding to replace Abbot and Portillo as politico-media tarts?

At the end of Oaten’s piece Paxman’s face was a tribute to self-control and shows that he is a professional worth every penny of the million quid that those of you stupid enough to pay in TV licence fees pay him. Even so Paxo’s eyes betrayed his inner feelings.

UPDATE : Yes, the Oaten competition result is overdue. Patience – got a new t-shirt design coming.
*He will be.