Sarah Vine wrote sensitively in a national newspaper about the difficulties faced by political marriages following the coverage of Matt Hancock’s affair, only for the announcement of the end of her own marriage to Michael Gove to follow shortly thereafter.
All the true circumstances that lead to divorce will only ever be known by the couples involved, and it is always dangerous to draw general conclusions. I am not sure that the marriages of politicians are more prone to end in divorce than they are in any other profession. Clearly however, physical separation doesn’t help. If you have to be in Westminster and order your affairs so that your spouse is at a distance in your constituency home, then an additional stress has been placed on the relationship, and additional opportunities for the Tempter.
When I was selected to be the Conservative Candidate to fight New Forest West before the 1997 election, a member of the selection committee told me that they had chosen my wife too: We were considered to be a team (such processes are now considered beyond the pale and candidates cannot even say if they have spouses, let alone be accompanied by them to interviews and selection hustings).
Equally, when I arrived at Westminster I was advised by professional staff at the Commons to employ my wife as a member of my staff as such an arrangement would ensure that she was involved in my work as part of the team, so acting as a powerful corrective to any sense of isolation, and even possibly temptation.
After the expenses scandal of 2009 the newly created Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority announced that it was minded to end the practice of allowing MPs to employ their wives. Following a public consultation they changed course and accepted that the practice had significant advantages. Unfortunately, they changed their mind again a few years later, since when new Members have been unable employ their spouses.
Some 15 years ago I recall the telephone ringing one Friday evening as I was rushing to get out in time to attend a voluntary organisation’s Summer barbeque in Ringwood. On the line was a well-known journalist from a Sunday newspaper telephoning to warn me that they were going to publish a story about an affair I’d been having and that– when I’d sought to end it- my lover, in an act of vengeance, had leaked embarrassing emails.
It was with some relief that I was able to say that whilst I had on a number of occasions met the woman that he had named, also that I was confident that I had always done so accompanied by a member of my staff (my wife!).
The story never appeared. Alas, the emails however, filled many column inches. Though embarrassing, mercifully they were of a political, rather than a sexual nature.
As to how the emails had leaked, it wasn’t a jilted lover: I had left myself logged into a computer in the library, then I had gone out to take a phone call without logging-off.
I think they call it ‘user error’.
Sir Desmond Swayne TD
