Named and unashamed

The otherwise obscure Liberal Democrat MP who grabbed the headlines by exposing the publicity-shy through parliamentary privilege stands accused of being unfit for public office.

Member for Birmingham Yardley John Hemming endeared himself to news editors when he outed Fred Goodwin and Ryan Giggs in the Commons in order to overcome super injunctions that restricted reporting of embarrassing extra-marital involvements. Many understood Hemming’s personal motivation at the time, having had his own financial dealings and a series of affairs splashed in the press a while earlier. There was also the matter of his wife appearing in court charged with stealing a cat that belonged to the other woman.

However, a fellow MP has now written to the Speaker saying that Hemming should be made to quit Parliament after a woman whose cause he championed was accused by a judge of being a liar. John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, accused the Lib Dem of being "foolhardy and irresponsible" and of having a "macho attitude" towards the courts.

Hemming – known as “Haemorrhoid” by parliamentary colleagues who consider him something of a pain in the arse – also annoyed the hell out of South Wales NHS bosses for unwisely highlighting restrictive court injunctions taken out against a self-styled serial whistle-blower.

Speaker John Bercow is known to be exasperated by Hemming’s outbursts. Several MPs expect him to warn that further ill-considered naming of individuals with impunity will impede Parliament’s ability to introduce legislation aimed at curbing the media’s future ability to invade personal privacy whilst safeguarding public interest.

Based on available evidence however, Hemming is unlikely to care too much about such a possibility. He clearly enjoys being the only name in town.