In recent years, we’ve become accustomed to parliamentary scandals about almost anything from almost anyone in the House of Commons. But is this a newly emerging pattern? Well, according to Matthew Parris, maybe not.
Great Parliamentary Scandals – Four Centuries of Calamity, Smear & Innuendo takes us on a tour of four centuries of parliamentary scandals, between its modern inception and the mid 1990s, from lesser-known events to some of the most infamous, including the Profumo affair and John Stonehouse’s faked death. The book covers the events as we know them, the reactions of politicians and the public alike, but also the press’ roles in reporting on these events, including the sly methods reporters have stretched to in search of a good scoop.
The book is quite entertaining. Being able to read back through centuries of scandal and sleaze in one of the most respected parliaments in the world is definitely a shocking but generally light-hearted look at the politicians of the past. Seeing the weird and the wonderful of parliamentary scandal through the years is insightful and deeply informative, in a way that would be difficult to find in any other publication that wasn’t focused on the scandals. As it was written by a former Conservative MP, it gives an insight that few others would be able to get!
My only criticism is not the fault of the book itself, but as it was published 25 years ago, the vast majority of names and circumstances are no longer familiar faces, with many having passed away. It makes relating the names to actual people very difficult and sometimes made understanding more difficult.
This book is quite a simple, entertaining read, especially if politicians in peril is something that interests you!
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Great Parliamentary Scandals – Four Centuries of Calamity, Smear & Innuendo (ISBN: 1-86105-061-5) was published in 1998
