Mark Oaten, the former Liberal Democrat leadership challenger, dramatically quit frontline politics last night over revelations of an affair with a rent boy.
The married father of two daughters, who dropped out of the leadership contest only a few days ago after admitting that he did not have enough support from MPs, said the affair had been an 'error of judgment' and apologised for the embarrassment to his family.

The startling disclosure of a six-month relationship with a 23-year-old male prostitute whom he met online is the second shockwave to hit the Lib Dems in as many weeks, following Charles Kennedy's dramatic resignation over his alcohol problem. Oaten had been at Kennedy's side when he quit, and the outgoing leader helped persuade him to enter the leadership race.

[ 22 January 2006: Message edited by: Screaming Lord Byron ]

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Only days after a leading Liberal Democrat was outed a second LDP Member of Parliament says he too is gay.

Simon Hughes, a contender for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, ended years of speculation and told the Sun newspaper that he now regrets not coming forward sooner.

"I am perfectly willing to say that I have had both homosexual and heterosexual relationships in the past," Hughes told the Sun. 

He also told the paper that he is not the only closeted gay MP.

"It is not just me. There are lots of people who have tried to keep their private lives private. I wasn't just doing it for me but for many others who are in the same boat," the 54-year old bachelor said.

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...Hughes statements now are a far cry from those of twenty-three years ago when he was involved in a bitter by-election battle with British LGBT rights advocate Peter Tatchell.

The campaign was marked by frequent homophobia with Hughes running on the slogan he was "the straight choice" candidate. Tachell, who ran for the Labor Party lost.

"The Lib Dems ran a very dirty campaign which stirred up a lot of homophobia against me. Simon benefited from these dirty tricks, but that was 23 years ago - I don't hold a grudge," Tatchell said on Thursday.

"Based on information (my campaign) received we had a very strong suspicion that Simon was gay despite the homophobic campaign against me."

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"If the nation's political leaders feel they need to lead double lives to hide their sexuality, then parliament is clearly not doing enough to combat the social homophobia that keeps so many gay men and lesbians in the closet," said Tatchell.

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[ 27 January 2006: Message edited by: Hephaestion ]

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Mark Oaten won't be the last, and sexual self-destruction is not confined to the Liberal Democrats - or to politics. We are not talking serious crimes here; we are almost solely preoccupied with the shocking difference between the way men present themselves externally and what they are like on the inside. So; what is the attraction of sexual self-destruction?

The answer is that men not only seek a shag, but they want sex with someone who at the very least is guaranteed not to criticise them. They may admit to being lonely and frustrated, but nearly all of them are looking for a certain quality of experience. Prostitutes uniformly report today that many clients would rather talk than perform a sex act. Ironically, the modern prostitute's top-selling product is now called the GFE - the "girlfriend experience". Its principal attractions include "cuddling" and "deep French kissing".

But, fake love aside, commercial sex also sells on risk. High adrenalin turns men on. Studies confirm that, in general, more men than women enjoy fast cars, extreme sports and high-stakes gambling. In the sexual world, more men seek multiple partners, have affairs, enjoy sexual deviations and patronise prostitutes than women.

As men enter their mid-life zone, with waning testosterone levels and more fragile sexual responses, they tend to seek out increasingly extreme sexual experiences. There's even a reported association between experimenting with first or renewed homosexual experience after the death of a man's father. But sex with other men is not just about homosexuality. Many gay men would not allow Michael Portillo to share the badge of gay identity just because he admitted to certain youthful adventures: "It's rather more difficult to be gay than that," is the view.

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