Spink Spanked

It's not every day that you turn to The Thunderer for the latest salacious news from the back benches. But Greg Hurst, political correspondent of The Times, has excelled himself in tomorrow's paper.

Ashleigh Sharp

In An affair, a feud, an e-mail — and another Tory MP bites the dust, Greg reveals that the resignation of my successful Tory opponent at the 2005 General Election in Castle Point lies in his sexual, financial and pugilistic activities, rather than in his political ones. The story would have done Jackie Collins proud. According to The Times, the bust-up (oh, what an appropriate term!) originated in Spink's feud with local Tories over his affair with a former Conservative councillor, Gail Boland — the long-term partner of the local Conservative Association's deputy chairman Bill Sharp — herself sacked by the local Party in April 2006. In an arrangement clearly drawing on some of my own Party's most cunning stunts in recent times, Spink uses his Commons staffing allowance to employ both his ex-wife Janet — who works from Dorset 150 miles from his constituency — and his lover's student daughter, Ashleigh Sharp (who's Bebo entry reports her as having "not much to say"). He also employs his own daughter, Charlotte. Since Spink started his relationship with Ms Boland, he and Sharp are said to have been involved in a bitter feud. Sharp reported Spink to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, while Spink has formally complained to the police about Sharp's "criminal harassment" and sought injunctions to restrain him. According to Hurst, in one incident — which also ended in a complaint to police — the MP complained that his adversary tried to trap him in a room while Sharp, who ended up on the floor, claimed that Spink had "decked him". Although Bob's politics are very right wing, he is at least motivated by political ideology rather than self-interest. He is also motivated by sex, greed and violence - allegedly. And, apparently, by long-distance running, pottery and UKIP. What a spanker!