Now everyone is entitled to hold their own views and opinions and just because some of these might be controversial it doesn't mean a person should be prevented from public positions.  This is a free society for speech and thought and this makes for variety in politics.  You have to question, however, whether people who are in the public eye and in particular, in public office, should really be there if they believe they can keep their private lives and views completely separate just because they come from a private email address.

There has rightly been public anger in Calderdale to a councillor sending abusive emails to a campaign group. http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/councillor-s-email-sparks-huge-reaction-1-4969934  Now I would never expect all people in public office to be robots of view and how dull would political life be if they were, but really!  I would at least expect them to have half a brain when it comes to presenting themselves.  I am a big believer in Brand You.  While you can have a persona for work or public life, in the 24 hour online world that persona has to be consistent as there is nowhere to hide; especially when you are representing the wider populous.  Think about who might see it and who it impacts on before pressing send.