Sarah Wollaston: Blogger Off

A prominent Tory backbencher has hit out at “aggressive male bloggers” who, she claims, target female MPs.

Sarah Wollaston said that certain parts of the political blogosphere were “quite aggressive in their approach towards women”, particularly when discussing sexual violence or gender. “If you stick your head above the parapet you can expect some quarters of the aggressive blogging community to go for you,” she said.

Dr Wollaston, the Totnes MP, faced a barrage of criticism last week after Nigel Evans, the deputy speaker, was cleared of a string of sex charges. One of the alleged victims was in a Westminster bar with the former GP when an “off-the-cuff” remark about an alleged assault triggered a sequence of events that led to the court case. Dr Wollaston was contacted by a second man — a friend of the first — who alleged that he had been raped.

The MP listened to their complaints and took them to John Bercow, the Speaker, who said that he could not help. She then passed on police contact details to the alleged victims, who contacted the officers, prompting the arrest last year of Mr Evans.

The acquittal of the MP for Ribble Valley led to accusations that Dr Wollaston had put pressure on the accusers to complain. She responded with an article entitled “Why am I being blamed for Nigel Evans sex case?” in which she argued that she had an ethical duty to take their claims seriously...

She singled out The Daily Telegraph writer Dan Hodges, the libertarian blog Guido Fawkes, and the Tory publisher and writer Iain Dale, saying that she had been reading their “really quite aggressive attacks” about her handling of the allegations...

The Times.

Let's have a look at what those really quite aggressive bullying male bloggers wrote...

YEAH! AND ALL THAT!'
Poor lay-out though.
OR  N?

Iain Dale, Conservative Home “She no doubt felt she was exercising a duty of care towards the man who cried rape. She clearly believed his story, but today she must also be asking herself if she acted properly throughout this sorry saga.”

Dan Hodges, The Daily Telegraph “Partly because of her actions, a wholly innocent man had his reputation destroyed and his career ruined and now faces crippling debts to cover the cost of his legal fees”

Paul Staines, Guido Fawkes “Did she, as Evans implies, have an ulterior motive? [She said:] ‘I reject that idea entirely.’ Many of Wollaston’s colleagues disagree...”

NB Out of these three men at least two are gay and two are Tories. Just putting that out there...