They haven't 'self-destructed'. It would be more accurate to say that individuals have been subjected to the usual dirt-digging and trial-by-newspaper that we get in the UK every time there's any sort of selection/election process going on. I strongly suspect that the majority of voters care far more about the candidates' politics and whether he'll do a good job of representing them than they do about whether he's a fudge-ferret.

Homosexuality and alcoholism have always been around in political circles, nothing new or remarkable about that.

Simon Hughes' response to questions from snivelling dirt-digging journalists about his sexual preferences should have been "None of your business", and he should have stuck to that. That, at least, is the truth, and giving a different answer was his only error.