Mark Oaten, a former Liberal Democrat frontbencher who resigned amid scandal, is looking to make his electoral return in the upcoming local elections. The Lib Dems’ former Home Affairs spokesman, who made it into Guido’s A-Z of Lib Dem scandal, was forced to resign after he was exposed for his three-in-a-bed rent boy sessions. The News of the World reported he made requests “too revolting to describe”. Guido did think it would take longer to find a candidate with sexual proclivities so exotic as to rival Chris Mawby.
Oaten intends to stand in Severn Vale ward in South Gloucestershire – a seat where the Lib Dems came second in 2019. It’s certainly a result to watch on election night, though not everyone is excited for Mark’s comeback. As a local co-conspirator puts it, he is “truly an unflushable turd”.
UPDATE: Mark Oaten emails…
Hi team,
I get you need content. But I do ask you consider the following. What happened to me was 20’years ago. The news of the world issued a full apology. They admitted to hacking my phone. They paid a compensation. The guys that wrote the story went to jail. I made mistakes for sure. But do you not think it’s time to let me move on??
All the best
The Liberal Democrats have today released their latest PR stunt – a creative A-Z list of Conservative sleaze and scandal. So, Guido has taken the opportunity to provide a bit of balance to the debate by compiling one for the Lib Dems. Strap in…
- A is for Arson: When Nick Clegg admitted he wasn’t proud of setting fire to a German cactus collection in the 80s.
- B is for Boris death threats. In 2019 a Lib Dem candidate was axed for calling for Tory ministers to be hanged.
- C is for Cyril Smith: the self-confessed paedophile.
- D is for Davey’s dodgy tax returns.
- E is for Expenses. This extends from Nick Clegg’s £1,400 gardening costs to lavish second home refurbishments.
- F is for Forgery. In 2019 their head of press, Rosy Cobb, was suspended for forgery.
- G is for GDPR Breach. In 2018 the party launched an “urgent investigation” after they exposed the personal information of Lewisham voters.
- H is for Hinkley Point. In 2017, the National Audit Office blasted Ed Davey’s “risky and expensive” Hinkley Point deal.
- I is for Internal Polling Breaches. The Lib Dems briefed internal polling based on postal votes – despite electoral rules against it.
- J is for Jeremy Thorpe. Co-conspirators will of course be familiar with this case. The former Lib Dem leader was tried for conspiracy to murder and has the blood of great dane Rinka on his hands.
- K is for Khalid Fezan. The most recent addition to this list, Fezan is Guido’s “cocktail of hatred” candidate, suspended ahead of upcoming local elections.
- L is for Laws. David Laws resigned from cabinet over expenses after “a series of serious breaches of the rules, over a considerable period of time”.
- M is for Michael Brown: the pin-striped donor who stole millions for the Lib Dems.
- N is for Nick named in Bribery case. Nick Clegg was recently named “inadvertently“ in an OnlyFans bribery scheme case implicating Meta execs.
- O is for Oaten. Mark Oaten resigned from the Lib Dem front bench in 2006 when he was exposed for having a threesome with rent boys. The News of the World described one of his requests as “too revolting to describe”.
- P is for Paddy Pantsdown. The former leader famously had an affair with secretary Patricia Howard.
- Q is for Quizzed by Police. In 2018 the Met said Sarah Olney committed a criminal offence over election spending.
- R is for Rennard: the Lib Dems’ answer to Harvey Weinstein.
- R is also for Rinka the dog. Killed as a result of Jeremy Thorpe’s lovers tiff.
- S is for Steel. Former leader David Steel was forced to retire from public life over his cover-up of Cyril Smith’s paedophilia.
- T is for Tuition fees. No explanation needed.
- U is for Undeclared spending.
- V is for Vicky Pryce, wife of Chris Huhne. In 2013 both were sentenced to jail for perverting the court of justice, after she took speeding points for the former Lib Dem Energy Secretary.
- W is for Welsh Wizard. Like all Liberals, David Lloyd-George wasn’t without his scandals. The Liberal Prime Minister awarded cash for honours and was implicated in the Marconi scandal.
- X is for X-rated antisemite. In 2022, Guido revealed a Lib Dem candidate was a porn star. She was then suspended for antisemitism.
- Y is for Young Lib Dem’s Wetherspoons Meltdown. In 2018, activists clashed after some young liberals compared visiting Spoons to supporting apartheid.
- Z is for Zoot. On the campaign trail in 2019, Jo Swinson admitted: I inhaled, and I liked it.
There is enough scandal material over the years to do the alphabet twice over…
Party conference memorabilia doesn’t come more crap…
Disgraced LibDem MP Mark Oaten tells the Press Gazette that the News of the Screws had known of his activities for three years but had chosen to wait until he was better known to report his use of rent-boys. He claims:
“They had my story for three years I think, but hung on to it and never did anything with it. They could have made that public interest argument at any point in the three years. I had always been a Member of Parliament, but they waited until it could sell most newspapers, at the point at which I became well-known and at my most famous…. What annoys me is when they essentially expose people’s private lives and pretend they’re doing society a great service.”
In response to Oaten’s claims, a News of the World spokesman said: “The allegations were proven true… Mr Oaten is correct that we are indeed in the business of selling papers, however we chose not to print details of his grubby activities on the front page of a family newspaper… With that in mind, perhaps it is the married MP who paid rent boys for kinky sex who should consider a more ‘upfront and honest’ approach.”
The question which arises in Guido’s mind is that if as Mark Oaten reckons the Screws had known about his rent-boy frolics for three-years, doesn’t that contradict his original excuses? He claimed that it was the sudden onset of male pattern baldness that unbalanced him. Sudden? Journalists knew for over three years?
Hat-tip : Pink News
“Well I think when you go through an experience like that, when it is, literally, splattered all over the tabloids…”
On BBC Radio Four “Women’s hour”
Picture credit : Jamie DIf you have unresolved sexual identity problems it is an interesting choice as a place to spend your wedding anniversary. “Just nipping out for a minute darling…”
