BRITAIN: Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Menzies Campbell yesterday tried to rally his shell-shocked party, calling on them to show unity and purpose after the resignation of Mark Oaten.
The 41-year-old married father of two dramatically quit last night as the party's home affairs spokesman following newspaper disclosures that he had made secret visits to a rent boy.
The announcement was another major setback for a party already reeling from the ousting just two weeks ago of Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy after he admitted a long-rumoured drink problem.
Until last Thursday, when he dropped out of the contest, Mr Oaten - seen as one of the party's rising stars - had been in the running to succeed him.
Sir Menzies, who is also a candidate for the leadership, said that it was essential that the party was not deflected by the latest controversy.
"The task is to draw the party together and move forward," he told Sky News. "No party is entirely subject to what happens to any one individual. The party is much bigger than that. My task as acting leader is to secure a sense of unity and purpose," Sir Menzies said.
Mr Oaten's resignation came after reporters from the News of the World confronted him at his home in his Winchester constituency with evidence of the relationship with the male prostitute.
According to the paper, Mr Oaten first contacted the unnamed man - then aged 23 - in 2004 through a gay website, and they met regularly over a six month period.
On one occasion, a second male prostitute was said to have been involved.
The man told the paper: "Oaten was a regular punter for six months . . . He's a very troubled man living a very dangerous double life."
In a statement, Mr Oaten said: "I would like to apologise for errors of judgment in personal behaviour and for the embarrassment caused, firstly to my family but also to my friends, my constituents and my party.
"I will not be commenting further at this time and would now ask for some space and personal privacy for me and my family."
A party spokesman said Mr Oaten's deputy, Alistair Carmichael, would temporarily assume overall responsibility for the home affairs brief.
The disclosures about Mr Oaten's private life were greeted with stunned disbelief in his constituency, but among MPs at Westminster sympathy was more muted, with some feeling that he was the author of his own downfall.
Lib Dem leadership contender Chris Huhne said Mr Oaten's resignation was an "extremely regrettable" loss to the party.
He added however: "If you are in public life and you are an MP and you take a high profile role, then I'm afraid you are going to be subject to scrutiny".
His comments were echoed by Sir Menzies who said: "Those of us who enter public life realise that we are going to be subject to a higher degree of scrutiny than those who don't".