Blunkett and the married woman - is this the first time that having an affair has ever improved a politician's image?

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Because right now I'm having trouble thinking of any similar situation in the past, especially as any other Labour minister would be being pilloried right now. Is this solely down to a media sympathy vote?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:26 (twenty-one years ago)

What about Steve Norris, being nicknamed "Shagger" certainly did him no harm

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Major/Currie?

(That's Norma Major and Nick Currie, obv.)

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Of course when Tories do it, they're being "raffish"

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Did The Sun really use the headline "Love At First Sight", or was somenbody pulling my leg?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

How about Paddy "Pantsdown" Ashdown, who's poll rating shot up after the infamous Sun front page.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

The Tories were destroyed by all sections of the press in the mid-90s over sleaze allegations, though - it completely undermined public confidence in them which Blair and friends then exploited. Shagger Norris was a minor player against a backdrop like that.

Good call on Ashdown, mind.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Ramsay Macdonald's fondness for upper class ladies was much muttered about in Labour Party ranks, I imagine it probably endeared him to Tories however

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:37 (twenty-one years ago)

The other thing about the Blunkett story is that the woman in question is the publisher of the ultra right-wing Spectator. I know this is Blunkett we're talking about and not exactly a cuddly liberal but really, what would Boris say?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:39 (twenty-one years ago)

omg i didn't know that! spectator is obviously a shag palace. is she american? if it's who i think it is, then she's said she votes labour actually.

― ENRG (Enrique), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:44 (twenty-one years ago)

wasn't blunkey quite a liberal, in the olden days?

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

He was a communist!

― ENRG (Enrique), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Boris is not exactly a saint either. Blunkett was more than a liberal, he was and out and out lefty

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah it was Kimberly Fortier.

I don't think the Major thing really improved his standing. If anything the reaction ranged from "hahahahahaha!!!!" to "John Major has had sex?! Weird." Personally, I was annoyed it knocked the previous day's anti-war demo right off the front pages.

John Major, love machine

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Alan Clarke's entire life?

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I read an interview with her a few months ago (dunnowhy) and she seemed okay. He is a looney nazi but you can imagine numerous Spectator readers choking on their cornflakes.

― ENRG (Enrique), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Venison sausages and faux-boarding school breakfast, surely?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Yums. I think it's cos he's unmarried that 'it's okay'. Also it makes him seem less of a robot. My g/f said 'ooh it's like in 'A Very British Coup' when it happened, but this was not at all the case as things turned out.

― ENRG (Enrique), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

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