Seventy-four per cent of PinkPaper.com readers believe that Matthew Parris' outing of Peter Mandelson was wrong, according to our latest online poll.
The ballot, which ran for two weeks and closed over the
weekend, asked readers if the columnist was right or wrong to out the MP in 1998.
During an episode of Newsnight, Parris – who was recently
scolded for attempting to swim across the Thames – told Jeremy Paxman:
"[there are] two gay members of the Cabinet at least... Chris Smith is
openly gay and Peter Mandelson is certainly gay".
Paxman immediately responded: "Ah, I think we'll just move on from there, I'm not quite sure where he is on that."
Although 74 per cent believe that Parris was wrong, 26 per cent claim he was right to discuss Mandelson's sexuality on television.