# When is it okay for a minister to tell their assistant to buy sex toys? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 29, 2017, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134 "2017-10-29T12:25:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/41 "2017-11-02T22:42:10Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Eh? Please explain -are you lumping in … If you’re familiar with Quartz’s contributions you’ll know this is a very tall order. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/42 "2017-11-02T23:01:52Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > If you’re familiar with Quartz’s contributions you’ll know this is a very tall order. _sigh_ I know, I know. But I remain an optimist. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/43 "2017-11-02T23:05:00Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > And I’m trying to think of a proper British safe word. Mine is “crumpet” ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/44 "2017-11-03T00:11:35Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Eh? Please explain -are you lumping in together all the 1997 intake or something? Margaret Moran was my MP in Luton South. Read about her shenanigans [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Moran). > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Margaret Moran (born 24 April 1955) is a disgraced former Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. Moran was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Luton South from the 1997 general election to 2010. In November 2012, jurors at Southwark Crown Court ruled that she had falsified her parliamentary expenses; she had been unable to stand trial because of mental health issues, but the case was nevertheless heard without her.[1] Her fraudulent claims totalled more than £53,000, the highest amount by any MP in the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal. I’ve mentioned her a number of times hereabouts: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18920018&highlight=moran#post18920018](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18920018&highlight=moran#post18920018) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13072023&highlight=moran#post13072023](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13072023&highlight=moran#post13072023) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12339972&highlight=moran#post12339972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12339972&highlight=moran#post12339972) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12315199&highlight=moran#post12315199](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12315199&highlight=moran#post12315199) etc. Indeed, I first mentioned my dislike of her [a decade ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8931313&highlight=moran#post8931313). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/45 "2017-11-03T00:12:39Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > If you’re familiar with Quartz’s contributions you’ll know this is a very tall order. I think an apology is in order. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/46 "2017-11-03T13:38:23Z")
Well you can fuck off. Don’t forget to report this post, it would be a shame to change the habit of your online life. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/47 "2017-11-03T14:32:56Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Well you can fuck off. Don’t forget to report this post, it would be a shame to change the habit of your online life. As you may recall from the other thread the only posts I reported were maybe a spammer and perhaps one of my own; none of yours. But pray continue in your lies. One day they’ll catch you out in a more serious situation. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/48 "2017-11-03T15:49:55Z")
Coherence never was your strong suit. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/49 "2017-11-03T16:21:00Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Coherence never was your strong suit. There you go again. If you go back to that thread you will see that the mods explicitly tell you that you are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/50 "2017-11-03T22:29:51Z")
Tory MP Charlie Elphicke has had the party whip suspended, and Labour MP Clive Lewis has been accused of groping a woman. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/51 "2017-11-04T16:34:49Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > > [@Filbert](#): > > > > I’m trying to work out some sort of Conservative whip/BDSM joke here… > > And I’m trying to think of a proper British safe word. “Mrs. Peel, that’s a very fine black leather catsuit you’re wearing. In Her Majesty’s service of course.” It’s kinda hard to say through a gag order, but it works. [http://thatsnotmyage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/emma-peel-03.jpg](http://thatsnotmyage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/emma-peel-03.jpg) for folks who don’t get the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/52 "2017-11-04T23:34:23Z")
Local [SNP MSP Mark McDonald](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-41872427) has also stepped down and admitted being naughty. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/53 "2017-11-05T00:16:18Z")
The Sunday papers seem to be wading in brutally. The Deputy PM isn’t having a good evening I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/54 "2017-11-05T00:20:48Z")
Good. There’s no excuse for this behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/55 "2017-11-05T00:41:34Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Coherence never was your strong suit. There is nothing incoherent about any of his posts in this thread. One guy asked him about something, because they hadn’t read his previous posts on a subject. So he explained. You just seem to have a particular hate-boner for him (which I’d get if he was still whining about how Trump is treated on this board. But he’s not). You, on the other hand, seem to be more focused on attacking him than defending your earlier position. Does that mean you’ve taken it back? Do you now see what is inappropriate about having your employee go buy you sex toys? Do you now see why it was an obvious sexual act, given he could have gotten the toys completely privately online? That the “wife” part was a transparent ruse? Or do you still want to call **Quartz** stupid for saying the same thing as the rest of us? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/56 "2017-11-05T02:20:05Z")
Oh, chill, **BigT**. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/57 "2017-11-05T02:29:02Z")
Jesus, do we need to bring a scratching post in here or something? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/58 "2017-11-05T23:44:40Z")
Tory whip [Chris Pincher](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/05/conservative-mp-dan-poulter-investigated-by-party-over-allegations) is the latest casualty. And two more MPs are being investigated. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/59 "2017-11-07T20:12:33Z")
A link to Quartz’s second thread on the isse, this time in another forum: [The UK political sex scandal takes a grim turn](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=841112) I presume this thread is for people not provoked into suicide and the second for those who have. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134/60 "2017-11-09T10:37:29Z")
Seems it was two friends who went shopping: > [@](#): > > “It is right that the public expect high standards of behaviour from their elected representatives, and I apologise to my constituents that this situation has occurred,” Mr Garnier said. "The events of 2010 concerning myself and a former member of staff have been reported outside the context and circumstances in which they occurred. > > “At the time we were friends, and I want to be clear that I did not force or pressure her into doing anything.” > [@Quartz](#): > > So, resign already! Fuck you. Thankfully the media hounding didn’t lead to another suicide. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-for-a-minister-to-tell-their-assistant-to-buy-sex-toys/800134.md?page=4)