My first active involvement with politics was when I was still at school. I offered my canvassing services to Sir Harry Legge-Bourke, and ended up doing the menial task of posting flyers through letter boxes. Sir Harry later bought me a pint of beer as thanks for my invaluable assistance!
In 1973 Sir Harry died, and a by-election was called. Ely (where I'd been at school) had been a staunchly Conservative town since Adam, and from my home in France I'd imagined that another Conservative would quite naturally replace him.
However, dog food celeb' Clement Freud (above) stood as the Liberal candidate; and won the seat. I was genuinely shocked.
It was only then that I realised how fickle people can be, especially when it comes to politics. The idea of having a 'celebrity' as their MP had swayed the voters away from their natural convictions en masse.
I am only writing this because of yesterday's shocking 'alleged' revelations that Mr Freud was both a paedophile and a rapist. He now joins fellow paedophile fat-boy Cyril Smith, and snappy-dresser Jeremy Thorpe (who was tried in 1979 for attempted murder) in that exclusive Liberal MP's Club of criminal perverts and odd-balls.
Freud died back in 2009; it might have been better if his victims had spoken-out earlier.
Too late now!
If he'd been an artist like his brother he'd have got away with it. He could have had plenty more then, or perhaps he did.
ReplyDeleteThey'll all be coming out of the woodwork now; the real and the faux.
DeleteAs Littlejohn in The Mail will probably say…." and Clement Freud is still dead" ! They could lock his wife up though…it seems she may (allegedly )have been complicit in some of his dirty deeds!
ReplyDeleteYes, I've not quite got my head around her exploits, but I think there may be enquiries.
DeleteIt's what they used to call "an open marriage" in the 1970s. Jill was giving sex education to 16 year old Will Self's brother. No law against that.
DeleteSex education wasn't like that when I was that age; in fact it was non-existent. I don't imagine he complained!
DeleteI'm being naïve I know, but I am at a loss to understand any woman who is involved in such things.
DeleteWhat a family. It's the offspring and in-laws that I pity. Clement took winning on 'Just a Minute' very seriously indeed, which must have been a bad sign, retrospectively.
ReplyDeleteHe was a strange man; even the way he spoke was odd.
DeleteI remember with affection his JUST A MINUTE days
ReplyDeleteHis was the hay-day of the show, with Kenneth Williams et al.
DeleteIt is all so far beyond my comprehension. The scale of it seems unreal. I was going to say a lot more but I've decided against it.
ReplyDeleteAll very baffling, and unexpected.
DeleteThere used to be a British maxim 'That you must not speak ill of the dead' all of that seems to have been swept away these days.
ReplyDeleteNowadays it's 'You mustn't speak ill of the living'.
DeleteThere is scum on both sides of the aisle. We have politicians, both conservative and liberal, who have been brought down by one scandal or another? Our former, conservative Speaker of the house, was just convicted of pedophilia from his days as a wrestling coach. He got the position of SOH after the man before him had to step down because of a sex scandal and the next person nominated had to do the same. All put them out there as good, Christian, men and got elected because of their oh so moral image.
ReplyDeleteI didn't want to imply that this is limited to Liberals; it's equally spread between all parties, at least it is in the UK. What a bloody bunch.
DeleteOur under age child was targeted by a sex gang. Our family were gagged in order to suppress all information. http://bit.ly/ourNZexperience
ReplyDeleteOur under age child was targeted by a sex gang. Our family were gagged in order to suppress all information. http://bit.ly/ourNZexperience
ReplyDeleteWe are learning how common sexual abuse is. Of course we only hear about celebrities and those in power (including clerics) because no one is interested in Uncle John who abused his nieces and nephews, but clearly it is and has been widespread. How do we process this knowledge? How will it change our understanding of sexuality and power? Of social history?
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