Sexting, depression and ambition – Brooks Newmark MP in his own words
As you walk through the imposing front door of Brooks Newmark’s rented house in Essex, there’s a poignant reminder of the life he’s left behind: a red ministerial box with his title – “Minister for Civil Society” – beautifully engraved on it.
Newmark decided to quit his ministerial role last year after being caught in a newspaper sting, sending explicit texts to a reporter he thought was a political activist.
This week, his time as an MP will draw to a close. He’ll give a valedictory Commons speech tomorrow.
I went to talk to him, in his first interview since his dramatic and humiliating fall from grace. Ironically, given the recent spate of politicians making fascinating disclosures in their kitchens, we sat next to the Aga in his Braintree home.
In a kind of political Aga saga, Newmark was remarkably frank about the events which led to his demise.
Last summer, he’d just landed a job as a minister – the pinnacle of his career. But he, as he puts it, pressed the “self-destruct button” because he’s become so accustomed to striving for one job after another, one ambition after another, that once he achieved his dream, “it didn’t feel good enough”.
Newmark reveals he’s suffered from depression since the age of six, when his father died. He also suggests a tough upbringing contributed to his woes.
And while some may sympathise, others perhaps may suspect him of seeking a pathological explanation for what he freely admits was a “crazy thing to do”.
He is adamant he’s not looking for excuses, but accepts “full responsibility”.
He’s been having therapy for months to help him deal with what he believes became an “online addiction” – obsessively tweeting, emailing, texting, and, as we now know, sexting.
And he looks remarkably happy. Because although his world – both personal and professional – has imploded, he feels confident that in starting to deal with his demons he’ll be able to forge a healthier relationship with his wife and five kids.
Newmark will also be doing voluntary work, in Rwanda, where he’s built a school, and he’s going to be helping homeless charities, particularly on mental health issues.
So he’s found a kind of peace, though I’m not sure I’m wholly convinced the smile on his face tells the whole story. As he acknowledges, his mind is not fully healed just yet.
Read more: “I have to live with the consequences“