Simon Hughes on sex scandals

And in other news, Simon Hughes gladdens my heart by doing what I was recommending to the next MP faced with a sex scandal (or potential sex scandal):

“I am perfectly willing to say that I have had both homosexual and heterosexual relationships in the past... I hope that does not disqualify me from doing a good job in public life and I propose to carry on doing that with the usual enthusiasm and determination... I am very happy to make a clear statement about the issue... I have always taken the view that somebody’s sexuality should not be of great significance in the public domain... It is a private matter... It should not be significant in terms of people standing for public office..."

And on the BBC website :

"I believe that people have a right to a private life, providing that their private life does not impinge upon their public responsibilities... I have always maintained that someone's sexual orientation should not be a barrier to public life in modern Britain... I strongly believe that people should have a right to personal privacy... I do not believe that anything that I have done has impinged upon my capacity to serve my constituents or fulfil any of the roles that I have sought, undertaken or am seeking for the future."

If just he'd done it the first time around and before circumstances forced him too...