When Mark Oaten nudged Edward Heath

There is a review of Greg Hurst's biography of Charles Kennedy on the Social Affairs Unit website. It includes a quotation from the book which reveals a hitherto unremarked service rendered to Kennedy by the member for Winchester:

Lib Dem MP Mark Oaten emerges as a Kennedy loyalist. This extended to an important role at Prime Minister's Question Time. Kennedy's performances were hesitant but his team:

became aware that the somnolent posture of Edward Heath beside him made the visual impression still worse. Each week thereafter Mark Oaten made a point of squeezing onto the bench next to Edward Heath and giving the former Prime Minister a vigorous nudge just before Charles Kennedy rose to speak.