The acting leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat party will try to steady his party's nerves as MPs assess the damage caused by the weekend's shock resignation of home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten.
The disclosure at the weekend that Mr Oaten (41), a married father-of-two, had been making secret visits to a male prostitute could hardly have come at a worse time for the Lib Dems, who were was still reeling from the acrimonious ousting of Charles Kennedy as leader.
Acting leader Sir Menzies Campbell is beginning a regional tour to promote his own bid to succeed Mr Kennedy.
He has tried to rally members, urging them to show "unity and purpose" and not to be deflected by the turmoil around them.
But with opinion polls already showing a sharp drop in support in the wake of the toppling of Mr Kennedy, MPs and activists will be concerned about the long-term damage to their electoral prospects.
In his resignation statement Mr Oaten apologised to his family and his party for the embarrassment caused by his "errors of judgment".
He quit after being confronted by reporters from the News of the Worldat his home in his Winchester constituency with evidence of the relationship with the male prostitute.
According to the paper, Mr Oaten first contacted the unnamed man - then aged 23 - in 2004 through a gay website, and they met regularly over a six-month period.
On Thursday, Mr Oaten finally pulled out as a candidate in the leadership race after admitting that he lacked sufficient support among MPs to mount a credible bid.