Mark Oaten's Conservative leanings

These interviews for the Politics Show with MPs who are standing down have been more revealing than I expected. We called the series "Parting Shots" more in hope than in expectation, but it seems the prospect of moving on really does help loosen the tongue.

I thought it was worth posting the full version of Mark Oaten's comments on why he favours a coalition with the Conservatives if Lib Dems hold the balance of power after the election. Bear in mind he has written a book about coalitions and still talks regularily to the party's high command.

OATEN: I would be reluctant to prop up a fourth term Labour government, I'd need a lot of convincing that they had new, fresh ideas and not just leave our country dithering. MY QUESTION: Gordon Brown is offering PR, wouldn't that convince a few Liberal Democrats? OATEN: I think it would be foolish to decide who you support on electoral reform. In the end you've got to do it on whether this government can lead for the next four years. If, for example, you did a deal with Labour on PR and then you prop them up for a fourth term and they prove, as I think they would do, to be a very unpopular government for four years, then you're going to get the blame for everything during that period of time... I don't think Nick's in the business of doing that kind of deal. He's acutely aware that there will be a big responsibility to get the party that is right to govern.

Mark Oaten was shown weeping on TV when he had to re-visit the scandal over his visits to a rent boy, as he took part in the TV experiment "Tower Block of Commons" curently being shown on Channel 4.

The MP for Winchester is standing down at the next election. His local party are struggling to hold the seat as the constituency is divided into two with boundary changes.

It was also interesting to reflect on the suspicion, long held within the wider party, that his ideas on "Tough Liberalism" were just a front for a right-wing agenda.

I remember following senior Tory Michael Ancram around Winchester on the campaign trail at the last election. Apart from from giving me some great tips on interesting novels Ancram was happy to suggest that he wasn't trying too hard that day - that Mark Oaten was really "one of us".

Mark still feels bitter about the suspicion he found in the wider Lib Dem world. "People thought I was a public schoolboy, but I went to a comprehensive. They thought I had a silver spoon, my Granddad was a communist."

But he's now also ready to describe how close he came to picking up the phone to David Cameron when he took over the party.

OATEN: I had a difficult relationship with the Party, they were suspicious of me, and there was a time when I was frustrated by their lack of ambition. I was frustrated that what I was arguing for as a Liberal was just not coming through. I saw what I perceived to be a change in the way that the Conservatives were developing and yes, I was tempted to think; was I in the right party? Should I be picking up the phone to David Cameron and switching? It would have hit a few headlines at the time but was it the right thing? No it wasn't. It took a few a people around me talking about the party and what I really cared about to make me realise.

You can watch the interview as transmitted on the iPlayer for the rest of this week

You need to slide the slider along to 47'30 to jump to the start of the interview.

I'd be interested to hear what you think about his comments. Is he yesterday's man? Or do his thoughts add something to the debate about coalition government?

What does it say about Lib Dem support in the South that he came so close to switching to the Conservatives? It was interesting that he never named the two candidates, Martin Tod and Liz Leffman, that succeed him in trying to win your votes in South Hampshire.

We talked about "all political careers ending in failure" but Mark Oaten is leaving us with lots to think about.

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