The sadness of Alan Johnson’s resignation

As my experience with Paddy Ashdown taught me, politics needs people with messy lives.

By Olly Grender Published 21 January 2011 13:55

Sometimes I wish we were French. I wish that we were not raised on the false morality of Carry On Camping. Instead, I wish we lived in a country where someone deeply human like Alan Johnson didn't feel he had to resign because of sex. Where William Hague doesn't have to write about infertility and where marriage remains a strictly private matter between two individuals.

The first really difficult media issue I ever dealt with was when Paddy Ashdown spoke publicly about his extramarital affair in 1992. At the time, as a naive press officer, I was genuinely surprised when journalists asked me whether or not he was going to resign. It just hadn't occurred to me that he needed to. For me, his politics had not changed, his leadership had not changed.

All the senior men in the party hid, quite literally, in their offices. We were getting slaughtered on air with no one to talk for the party. I sent a grovelling message to the elderly Baroness Nancy Seear, Economist, Titan, Good Egg, who stormed into the press office and announced loudly, in her best Margaret Rutherford tones: "My dear, I have a past and I don't know many people who don't. Now, which studio do you want me to go into first?"

No doubt the Sunday papers will be full to the brim with the kind of stuff that belongs in Coronation Street and EastEnders, rather than parliament. But there will be few revelations that would convince me that Johnson had to go.

If, on the other hand, this was the moment, he felt, to get away from the poison whispering campaign regarding his competence on the economy from his own side, well, that I would understand.

I think people have messy lives; many journalists, many politicians and many voters. Politics needs people with messy lives, politics needs people like Nancy Seear and Alan Johnson. No one should have to resign because of that.

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25 comments

Sun, 2011-01-23 18:35 — Mrs.Josephine Hyde-Hartley (not verified)

Once, I too might have been surprised should this question ie whether or not events happening in one's private life should lead one to resign.

But I'm not really surprised now. I suppose at the moment it may well be cheaper and more efficient for one to deal with things like this completely retrospectively and with true privacy and autonomy ie without the burdens associated with one's normal job.

Thu, 2011-01-27 09:25 — @writehandmedia (not verified)

I think Lou rather said it all. Olly Grender's article does seem to be an odd one. Johnson made clear the reason for his resignation and no one, journalist or otherwise, appears to be making political capital out of his wife's affair. The premise of the article is spurious.

Thu, 2011-01-27 23:12 — David Vinter (not verified)

I was always told--'He who courts the public fancy, courts a fickle master'. So it seems, and life is not fair!

Sat, 2011-01-22 18:17 — Bernard Travers

Please explain "the false morality of Carry on Camping".

I'm serious, I have no idea what this means.

Really I am, I've being thinking about it for a day now and still don't know what you mean. Please help.

Fri, 2011-01-21 18:32 — Stephen (not verified)

How about maybe his wife shouldn't have cheated on him?Seems like a more reasonable thing to wish for.

Sat, 2011-01-22 18:49 — John B (not verified)

This is an odd blog post. Alan Johnson resigned because HE felt his 'messy life', was a hindrance to his ability to do the job. And anyway, it wasn't him that caused the mess by the looks of it. I get the point being made, that human beings are not perfect and therefore people in high office should not be measured by standards of perfection. But really, I don't think NOT having an affair should be portrayed as an impossible or perfect. If politicians are so stupid to embark on scandals when they know full well the consequences, and when they demonstrate such a flippant attitude to trustworthiness and loyalty, then they deserve to go. Not that Alan Johnson fits into this category, but all those players who this blog appears to be feeling sorry for.

Sat, 2011-01-22 19:19 — Caroline (not verified)

This piece seems merely to be an opportunity to make the rather snide comment "this was the moment, he felt, to get away from the poison whispering campaign regarding his competence on the economy from his own side". The comment may be wrapped in a veneer of sympathy and moralising about why politicians who are found to be less than perfect resign, and the fairness of this, but since the only evidence I have seen of a "whispering campaign" about how he was performing in the shad chanc role was not coming from his own side, but rather from the press (and their masters), I can only assume that your sorrow at the Alan's very personal and emotional troubles is just crocodile tears.

Fri, 2011-01-21 18:10 — Jen (not verified)

What a weird article.
Alan Johnson has made it clear that he resigned because he wanted to concentrate on his family and felt he couldn't do that whilst continuing in the demanding role of Shadow Chancellor. It's got absolutely nothing to do with being forced out because of sex as Grender implies. In fact I would have thought that given his particular situation that any journalist, commentator or opposition MP who tried to make political capital and hound him out of office would have been viewed as a particularly nasty piece of work.

Whether this is because of a change of attitude since 1992 or a reflection on the different circumstances is difficult to tell.

Tue, 2011-01-25 12:22 — Union Steve

Not up to the job

Sat, 2011-01-22 22:33 — Apster Hack (not verified)

I wonder, should we be feeling sorry for Lord Strathclyde as well right now??

Fri, 2011-01-21 20:52 — Simon (not verified)

Ashdown could stand at the garden gate (and not on his own) and say it was history when it got to journalists' attention.

It seems Johnson was not going to have that luxury, and did the clever thing for a UK politician and a dignified thing for anyone who understands the culture they live in- I wish him luck.

Fri, 2011-01-21 21:14 — Kipling (not verified)

Usual story - Labour politicians caught with their hands in the till Tories with their trousers down.
Does this mean Johnson is a closet Tory?

Sun, 2011-01-23 08:02 — Reginald-Fah-fah

I'm going to miss the 'Wallace and Grommit comments' from the'Prime Minster David Cameron.

Nevermind, Ed Balls should make PMQs a fantastic battleground.

At my club, we have made a new cheer for Ed Balls!

'When the economy falls you got balls!'

Shout our marvellous cheer out at the top of you voice! Again! A bit louder!!!

Fri, 2011-01-21 21:59 — Bernard Travers

Please explain "the false morality of Carry on Camping".
I'm serious, I have no idea what this means.

Fri, 2011-01-21 22:22 — Richard Smith (not verified)

@Kipling: Alan Johnson hasn't been caught with his pants down - quite the reverse. Consider developing an interest in current affairs.

Sun, 2011-01-23 12:01 — Ray (not verified)

kippling

Shit cakes shit observation

Tue, 2011-01-25 18:22 — Bernard Travers

A personal plea to Olly Grender, please explain "the false morality of Carry on Camping". I am aware I'm going on but I genuinely need to know.

Sat, 2011-01-29 19:46 — Olly Grender (not verified)

Dear Bernard - meaning a sort of giggling titter ye not approach to sex with the ludicrous prurience that comes with it, it lacks the rather more direct, accepting and sophisticated approach of some of our continental cousins. A blog shld be able to put across a point in 300 words my apologies to you for the torture this has caused in terms of explanation.

Caroline, I was about to post the blog when I spoke to someone in the Labour Party who told me that Johnson had been getting fed up with internal sniping - I felt I had to reflect that - I think it was a legitimate reason to feel like giving up. My sadness about his departure is entirely genuinely - I do not know him directly but know people who have worked closely with him I have a great deal of respect for him and the senior roles he fulfilled in the last government.

Tue, 2011-02-08 22:29 — Bernard Travers

Thanks.

Fri, 2011-01-21 14:18 — Bernard Travers

Please explain "the false morality of Carry on Camping".

Tue, 2011-01-25 22:20 — ozzy boys (not verified)

Our mothers taught us to "clean up as we go". Politicians can learn from Carry On Films : "Infamy, infamy...they've all got it in for me"

Fri, 2011-01-21 15:00 — Lou (not verified)

Maybe he is resigning because his marriage is in crisis and he wants to work at saving it with a ten year old to consider as well?

Maybe he thinks he can't devote enough time to that priority whilst holding high office and the particular demands of his ministerial brief?

Maybe he's a decent bloke doing his utmost to keep his family together, you know - that family unit the coalition are so fond of?

Maybe it's nothing to do with the sex or the ministerial position at all - maybe it's just about what's right for him and his family?

Maybe if - just for once - these journalists you speak of who lead messy lives would stop speculating, hypothesising and now laying bear the salacious details of other people's messy lives for all the world to read whilst increasing their own coffers, then there wouldn't be any need for this resignation?

However, if he hadn't, those same journalists and politicans with messy lives would have hounded him into resignation anyway.

Tue, 2011-01-25 22:59 — Lou (not verified)

@Jon Bernstein

Very witty.