Biggest Political Affairs In Britain

On Friday 25th June Brits woke up to a headline that shocked us all. I think that we can all agree the words Matt Hancock and Sex scandal could never have been predicted to be stated within the same sentence but I guess it's 2021, anything can happen. 

Over the past 50 or so years the press has revealed countless affairs however, the true gems are when our political leaders are involved. Many times these politicians use their power to get away with or to even have the affair. Upon release they are gloriously scandalous. Leakes lead to resignations, total shame and devastation with the parties involved. Ruining public and private lives. To celebrate yet another politicians affair, I am going to relive the most outrageous moments, selfishly for our sheer entertainment.

 The Profumo Affair.

John Profumo was born in 1912, he was the typical posh boy his father Albert was an Italian Baron, he went to Harrow and Oxford so you are kinda getting the whole posh gist. Whilst at Harrow he got involved In Training Corps and got a good name for himself so when war broke out in September 1939 he was a perfect candidate to become a second lieutenant. He fought across North Africa even landed on D-day; to be fair to him he was a great asset the war effort. Profumo received am OBE the whole lot. His respect in the upper classes grew for his bravery in the war. 

His political career began in 1940 when he became an MP for the conservatives (which just makes the story even better). Profumo was esteemed within the tory party. Throughout the 1950's he climbed the ladder by performing various cabinet roles and It seemed he would be receiving more and more power in the years to come.

In 1954 he "settles down" with Valerie Hobson a divorced actress with two children which now sounds like nothing out of the ordinary however in 1954 that was a bit spicy for a well to do politician. Hobson's father was a captain in the navy so the whole divorced actress mother thing could perhaps have been balanced out a bit. Hobson was actually pretty famous she was in great expectations and the bride of Frankenstein so she wasn't with Profumo for the clout, although shortly after the marriage her acting career came to a conclusion.

Now onto Christine Keeler at the time of the affair she was only 19. Having lived through a rather traumatic childhood where she was sexually assaulted and abandoned she began working at a cabaret in London. As she was working as a topless showgirl she met Stephen Ward he knew fabulous people whom he introduced Christine to. Ward supposedly had links to M15 and the KGB, obvs super too faced. 

Basically in 1961 Keeler met Profumo they began dipping and doing as you do. The security services then told Profumo to back away from Stephen ward due to his Soviet connection (also to add it was 1961 full blown Cold War so these boys had to be careful) and due to Keelers affair with a Russian spy called Yevgeny Ivanov bit of a tongue twister.

In 1962 Keeler got herself into a bit of bother in a shoot out in London which led  the police to investigate her. They then discovered the affair, the police didn't leak that coverage in hopes to respect the private lives of politicians, the sun wasn't yet founded. The George Wigg a Labour Mp got a wiff of the affair claiming Profumo used his power and all of that to keep it under wraps which lets be honest he did. So Profumo lied to the house then admitted to lying then resigned. Rather anti-climatic ending.

Profumo and Hobson stayed together and in 1989 the movie Scandal told to story all over again.

Profumo to the left and Keeler on the right, think we can all agree he's majorly punching.

 A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL

If you have seen the 2018 BBC mini series on the affair involving MP Jeremy Thorp and Norman Scott then you can skip onto the next one. Again the series explores the story in greater detail it is dark yet rather comical.

Let's get onto it then, Jeremy Thorp was an Eton educated MP. He rose to prominence when he became elected as the leader of the Liberal party in 1967 he stuck out from the rest of the leaders he was young and appealing to the British public. His initial years as leader were turbulent although everything started to calm down after he resigned as leader in 1974... not for long.

Norman Scott attempted to expose the affair several times one of them being in 1961 when m15 held an inquiry against Thorpe adding the homosexual relationship to his file however no protection took place assumably due to his political career and social position. Scott continuously claimed an affair happened this led to Thorpe always having that fear of the affair being exposed on his shoulder. Thorp was once quoted saying "he would never be safe with that man around." Sadly in 1970 Thorpe wife was killed in a car crash leaving a son called Rupert, this lead to Thorpe receiving much public sympathy for a man to be widowed with a young son, such sympathy helped initially in the court case which followed several years later.

Scott then went to the House of Commons in attempts to receive acknowledgement  about the affair which took place in the earlier 1960's. Thorpe then admitted to a friendship rather than a sexual relationship. A naive move in my opinion a friendship is notoriously a cover up for a hook up come on now Jeremy. Scott wanted a new national insurance number Thorpe gave him it to shut him up again... not for long. Scott began causing bother again and the next bit well this is the very English part. Thorpe hired an Andrew Newton to shoot Scott bit extreme if you ask me. Newton couldn't find it within himself to shoot Scott instead shooting the dog. A second-rate hitman. Andrew Newton then went to prison for possession of a fire arm. Newton must have been raging he's behind bars whilst Jeremy trotting about town.

In a chance at revenge Newton told the Daily mirror he was Paid £5,000 to kill Scott. This resulted in Thorpe and two mates being charged with conspiracy to murder. The jury sided with Thorpe the judge even saying that Scott was "a hysterical, warped personality… a neurotic, spineless creature, addicted to hysteria and self-advertisement." thats him told I guess. Anyways non-guilted they pled, the trial was one of the biggest of the century the entire country awaiting updates on the daily. 

The affair has resulted in numerous books from each parties all telling polar stories and a TV series. You can watch a very English scandal on BBC iplayer Hugh Grant starting in it worth the watch for sure.

Hypocritical Hancock

Best one yet. On Friday 25th June we awoke to a phrase I never thought id hear   Matt Hancock and affair ? Hancock who is known for his social awkwardness which has resulted in countless online memes mocking his social skills, made the news even more unbelievable. 

Hancock who was the health secretary as we know far far too well is married to Martha Hancock an osteopath, who comes from aristocratic background with a Baron and a few Lords in there. They met as Oxford yet again posh folk. Guess who else was at Oxford with them your woman's Gina Colangelo. They have been married for 15 years Martha supposedly though her marriage was "happy and stable" bless, they have 3 children together which just makes this even worse. The couple lived in Little Thurlow in Suffolk. Poor Martha I really feel for her she contracted COVID19 which was passed on by her husband, this has led for her to suffer from long covid meaning she has shown ongoing symptoms although no longer having the virus. So first off her gives her rona then leaves, rude. 

What supposedly happened was the Sun newspaper got access to CCTV footage of the pair kissing in the office at work on 6 May a video that is in-printed in the mind of many for the wrong reasons. Hancock got word that these images and video was going to be released, he then appartently went home that Thursday night and told Martha that he was leaving her for Gina. Martha as well didn't have any idea of the affair and simply thought the were work colleagues. I have a whole lot to say on this so I'm gonna get started first of all, how embarrassing for Martha the lack of respect shown by Matt is awful. In his resignation video he doesn't even apologise for the harm he has caused her. Martha is now hounded by the press her shield being her oversized sunglasses assuming in attempts cover her blood shocked eyes. She still looks chic and put together so pop off sis you can do better than a cheating husband with no respect.

Gina Colangelo is a millionaire lobbyist her husband Oliver Tress is the founder of Oliver Bonus making them very wealthy living in a lovely £4,000,000 house with a live in nanny whole nine yards like , which makes me believe there wasn't gold digger motive, which I think several people believed initially due to Hancocks position in cabinet but Colangelo has more money than Hancock so I blast that rumour out. The length of the affair has yet to be confirmed many thinking it was only a month and that it is "serious". Hancock has been said to have left his wife the same can't be said for Colangelo which makes me believe that she will perhaps stay with her husband and Mr Hancock was slightly led on  which would make sense with his naive vibe.

Mr Hancock resigned from his role on Saturday, he had to at this point. Already he has been pushed to resign for lying to the house and now for telling the nation what to do and for him not to do it he was left with no option. I think its a sad ending for many obviously for his wife although Matt Hancock is still in his earlier 40's he has already peaked in his career lost his wife and family, why what was the point, we don't know. I'm sure the truth with arise and this story was have any ending soon. All I'm gonna say is I hope Martha Hancock comes out with a tell all book spilling everything. 

The various memes that have overloaded the internet have been fantastic I have laughed far too much but I can't help myself, here's a few to enjoy.