LibDems on Greg

"Probably, not the one that many thought.

"His constituents have a right to know what sort of person he is, not as a matter of salacious gossip, but so that they have an honest picture of the man who represents Bexhill and Battle in the House, and who, we assume, will be asking for their vote again before very long.

"The national press and indeed the Observer has taken the opportunity to carry reports and air their views, although your leader comment reads as if it could be something dictated by Conservative central office.

"As to the plea for privacy Gregory Barker has chosen a life in the public eye. Of the 46,834 who voted in 2005, 24,629 chose to trust this man to speak for them, largely on the basis of his political persuasion, but additionally on the information fed to them in his election address and in the media.

"Greg Barker is a committed MP and we treat each other with great respect but that is not in question here. Just take a look at the Hansard recordings to see a history of voting for one thing and then doing something else.

"'When I recently asked him why as a Shadow Environment Minister he had to travel to the Arctic or deepest Africa, the response was that you had to see these things for yourself.

"Surely for one really concerned for the environment the evidence provided by real experts is sufficient evidence, not an excuse to make more polluting voyages."