Good Old Boy #37

There are some MPs who are quite liked even by activists from other political parties. Dr Evan Harris most certainly isn't one of those - he's one who you find yourself sometimes gritting your teeth even when he is saying something that you agree with.

But the kicking that he got from the Daily Mail in their profile of him should be enough to raise any decent person's opinion of him. It was a 'no smear left behind' piece, headlined 'Meet Dr Death, who backs embryo experiments, euthanasia and freer abortions'. It went on to describe Evan as 'zealous, obsessive, and self-righteous', 'a difficult loner' on account of his 'fanaticism and lack of social grace', and 'a near cardboard parody of a Leftwinger, still spouting the gospel of student days, demanding more immigration, a soft line on asylum seekers, greater taxation, higher public spending and more gay rights'. For readers who hadn't got the point, there were also nudge-nudge references to him being 'unmarried and without children', to his immigrant parents, and jewish background.

The reason for this profile? Because he publicly opposes the Daily Mail line on abortion. Tory MP Nadine Dorries claims that, "He wants to ignore or distort the evidence to maintain his point of view." And Dorries would know all about that, being an expert in the field of ignoring and distorting evidence about abortion.

So Good Old Boy of the Day, somewhat unexpectedly, goes to Dr Evan Harris.