WINCHESTER MP Mark Oaten's wife Belinda has given her first public indication that the couple are looking forward to the future together, in the wake of his much-publicised fling with a male prostitute last year.

In an interview with the Hampshire Chronicle, Mrs Oaten, 39, said their strong family bond has seen them through the difficult times, and she is confident they have a long-term future.

Mrs Oaten, who revealed she will be studying for a BA in graphic design at the Winchester School of Art this September, spoke of how she was approached to appear on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, but declined the offer.

Mr Oaten, meanwhile, decided not to take up the challenge of joining the Celebrity Big Brother household, either.

"It was a series of quite peculiar months, and I was amazed by the continued interest of the press," she said of the aftermath of the scandal breaking.

She did, however, appear in celebrity magazine Hello, to "take control of the situation," she said.

"We are not looking back any more, we are looking forward," said Mrs Oaten.

"We are 15 months on, and we are just really focused on the family and our commitments with jobs, careers, courses and all those sort of things."

She said her husband - who has decided not to contest the Winchester seat at the next General Election - still hasn't decided what he will do after he leaves Westminster.

He will, however, be embarking upon a lecture tour of the USA, where he will speak on the subject of Anglo-American relations.

He is currently putting the finishing touches to his book, The People and Personalities of Coalition, which is due out in September.

For the full interview, see this week's Hampshire Chronicle.