Who is the author of A Very English Scandal?

John Preston is the author of A Very English Scandal.

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A Very English Scandal summary

Name: A Very English Scandal
Rating: 3.9 (49 reviews)
Author: John Preston

John Preston

Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment

3.9 (49 ratings)

13 mins

Brief summary

A Very English Scandal by John Preston is a true story of a British political scandal in which Jeremy Thorpe, former leader of the Liberal Party, was accused of conspiracy to murder his ex-lover. It's a gripping and witty account of a sordid affair that rocked the political establishment.

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A Very English Scandal
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Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Learn how the British Establishment got away with (attempted) murder.

According to many British politicians, the country’s judicial system is the envy of the world. Its strength, they claim, is its fairness. Whether a lord or commoner, a person will receive the same treatment before the court. After all, English courts even tried and convicted a ruling monarch!

But is this claim of fairness true? These blinks show you that the British judicial system is not as impartial as many claim it to be.

The story of Jeremy Thorpe, a Liberal Party politician educated at both Eton and Oxford, is a telling tale. In these blinks, you’ll find out how through Thorpe’s connections with the “Establishment,” or British elite, he was able to dodge accusations of attempted murder.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

how money donated for “electoral reform” was used for murder;
why police changed a statement from a key witness; and
which other crimes the Establishment have tried to cover up.

Jeremy Thorpe was a powerful yet arrogant politician with a secret: he was a closeted homosexual.

British politician Jeremy Thorpe was a man whose charm and cunning helped him climb the ranks of the elite. Leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976, he had a spotless public image.

But he also had a secret.

Thorpe was homosexual, a fact he kept hidden for fear of damaging his political career.

Yet Thorpe was also reckless when it came to his affairs. Many felt Thorpe was an arrogant man; Thorpe certainly knew that with his charm and the help of influential friends, he could escape any sticky situation.

One particular relationship, however, changed this.

In the early 1960s, Thorpe met a young and emotionally unstable man named Norman Scott. The two made their acquaintance through one of Thorpe’s friends who was Scott’s employer at the time.

Thorpe took a shine to the young dressage rider and suggested that Scott get in touch with him should he ever need a “favor.”

Scott was unaware of the politician’s real intentions. Shortly after their meeting, Thorpe initiated a sexual relationship that Scott claims at first wasn’t consensual, saying that Thorpe raped him during their first sexual encounter.

Scott later moved to Ireland but kept in touch with Thorpe. He was determined to have Thorpe help him in securing a National Insurance card, which he needed to get a job.

Gradually Scott’s obsession turned into behavior that threatened to expose Thorpe. As Scott traveled, he would share stories of his affair with the prominent politician. Homosexuality was still illegal at the time, and, desperate and depressed, Scott went so far as to show the police letters Thorpe had sent him. At one point, Scott even contacted Thorpe’s mother, asking her for money.

Feeling threatened, Thorpe realized he needed outside help to keep Scott’s mouth shut about their relationship.

Two of Thorpe’s loyal friends agreed to help the politician sort out his sordid affair with Scott.

All too aware of the risks Scott’s loose mouth posed to his political career, Thorpe called on two loyal friends – David Holmes and Peter Bessell – to help him figure out what to do.

Holmes was openly homosexual and a close friend of Thorpe’s since their student years at Oxford. Bessell was a member of Parliament with the Liberal Party as well as a failing businessman known for his love of gossip. While it’s unknown whether Holmes and Thorpe had ever had a relationship, they were said to have shared sexual partners. Either way, Holmes was unwaveringly loyal to Thorpe.

Funds intended for a political campaign were used to hire Scott’s assassin.

By this time, Thorpe had been elected as the leader of the Liberal Party. He’d made many sacrifices to get to the top and refused to let his affair with Scott ruin his career.

In 1975, Thorpe asked for a donation of £17,000 from Jack Hayward to help fund his “lobby for electoral reform.” Thorpe requested that £10,000 of the total £17,000 be deposited into an account separate from the official Liberal Party account.

After the botched assassination, Thorpe was called to court to stand trial for attempted murder.

In 1979, Thorpe became the first and only member of Parliament to stand trial for attempted murder in British history.

The undeniable links between Holmes and Newton were certainly incriminating. When Bessel also agreed to give testimony against Thorpe, the politician could no longer avoid criminal charges.

The British Establishment may have had a hand in securing Thorpe’s freedom.

While Carman fought ferociously in the courtroom, other forces behind the scenes were at work to ensure Thorpe didn’t end up behind bars.

A friend of Thorpe’s named Lord Elwyn-Jones chose the judge for the criminal trial. The judge in question was Joseph Cantley, a man rumored to have abstained from sex up until the age of 56. Chaste and puritanical, Judge Cantley could hardly imagine that a well-to-do political figure such as Thorpe would ever be involved in such a sordid affair.

The Thorpe case is just one example of the British Establishment putting reputation over justice.

Authorities have worked furiously for decades to mask and minimize the blunders and potential crimes of politicians.

One example is the case of Cyril Smith. Smith was a former Liberal member of Parliament and, as was revealed after his death, a serial child molester. In 2014, it was discovered that there were over 114 complaints against Smith from boys as young as eight.

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What is A Very English Scandal about?

A Very English Scandal (2016) tells the story of former British politician Jeremy Thorpe’s affair with Norman Scott. From a botched assassination to a biased murder trial, the story of this scandal shines a harsh light on the petty yet powerful relationships within the British Establishment and how those ties work to silence justice and protect reputations.

A Very English Scandal Review

A Very English Scandal (2016) is a fascinating account of a political scandal that gripped Britain in the 1970s. Here's why this book is worth reading:

It unveils the extraordinary true story of a prominent politician's downfall due to a secret affair and a conspiracy to silence him.
With its detailed research and interviews, the book offers an in-depth exploration of the scandal's political and social implications.
The author's engaging narrative style and knack for capturing the essence of the era makes this book both informative and entertaining.

Who should read A Very English Scandal?

Readers fascinated by political scandals
Students curious about British insider politics
Those fascinated by major media events

About the Author

John Preston is the former arts editor for newspapers the Evening Standard and the Sunday Telegraph. For ten years he was the Sunday Telegraph’s television critic. He published a novel, The Dig, in 2007.

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