A very English Scandal

Thorpe (and Scott to a lesser extent) were victims of the backward anti-gay laws of the early 60s and equally backward social attitudes. All this subterfuge shouldn’t have been necessary. This hasn’t been made clear enough so far. I feel sorry for them.

BlueBelle, when the affair came to light during the trial period, the impression was that it was indeed 'farcical', unbelievable though it may seem at this distance. There is nothing farcical about Hugh Grant's portrayal of Thorpe as an unscrupulous politician fighting for his career.

the same men are still there Varian they just cover their tracks better or get Ms May to "lose" the details of their crimes
That's a rather strange remark as I don't believe that JT was a Tory

Annodomini you have completely misread my post I have not in anyway said there is anything farcical about Grants portrayal in fact if you read my previous posts you will see I was praising him and the drama I also lived through the real event and know as well as you that there was nothing farcical about the actual events....... but I do feel last nights ‘killer’ scene became a bit silly and obviously it was to others as they have answered my post too

I m not belittling the real life story, the acting or the drama just that ‘killer’ actor and that particular scene which seemed a bit slapstick

JT was leader of the Liberal Party.

The women were victims of the laws of the time too Grandma70s - many homosexual men married as a 'cover' and consequently made their wives' lives a misery.

I do remember when it all unfolded and how disappointed I was in JT as I was always a Liberal voter.

Hugh Grant is playing an excellent part and all the acting is good.

The 'floppy rom-com' parts he portrayed were, of course, well acted too, as they would seem to be nothing like the real Hugh Grant.
The part he played in Paddington 2 was a brilliant send-up - a different film altogether, of course, but excellent.

Jeremy Thorpe was very good MP, a good leader and a reformer - but a flawed character who will always be remember for this scandal.

Mrs May supposedly "lost" ALL the files with details of peadophiles who work IN Westminster and past members of parliament .Not just JT ....many from a variety of parties .Google it .

Jalima1108 Some homosexual men had happy marriages to women, though no doubt many didn’t, but how appalling that they should feel it to be necessary.

I remember the events, too, and I remember seeing JT and his lovely second wife Marion. (I wasn’t impressed with the portrayal of Marion last night.) I didn’t feel disappointed in him, though obviously I was shocked by the way things happened. I felt angry at society, still do but am very glad things have changed.

paddyann Are you implying JT was a paedophile? There was no suggestion of that. Norman Scott was an adult in his early twenties at the time of their ‘affair’. He’s the same age as me. Of course, a relationship between any males was illegal at the time, absurdly.

I thought the tragic deaths of the two wives/girlfriends involved was a bit glossed over. It was all about the feelings of the men! Perhaps the situation of homosexuals in public life in that period needed to be made clearer for younger audiences.

Excellent acting again though.

Merlotgran to answer you question Norman’s welsh girlfriend was found in a Very hot room where she had committed suicide and they made something of the smell, well they would wouldn’t they? The actress was the lovely leading lady from Keeping Faith. I think her name is Eve Myles.

* Paddyann* are you suggesting that because JT was gay, it was likely that he was also a paedophile? That is a very old fashioned and prejudiced view. There is no evidence I know of to support the view that gay people are more likely to be paedophiles than straight people.

I think her name is Eve Myles. Of course. I was trying to think where I had seen her before and she was in Torchwood!

paddyann I think that is a pretty despicable thing to infer.

I feel sorry for the dog.

It's a good actor.

But it was the silly way the shooting was carried out that made the whole thing so unbelievable at the time. The idea of a murder plot involving a party leader seemed so far fetched and then to have someone shoot the dog instead of the man sounded very amateur. Norman Scott just sounded like a complete fantasist. But of course we did take it for granted that a married man with a child couldn't be gay.

There is one thing that has puzzled me about this story, and I am assuming everything happened as described.

Why did Norman Scott find it so difficult to get another NI card? In the 60s we all had physical cards, which had stamps stuck in them or were stamped and when you left a job the card was given to you with your P45. Now, I am sure there were plenty of people, who, for good reason or bad managed to lose their cards before they started a new job and contacted NI office in Newcastle directlyfor a duplicate card. The NI office would have all the details on their files. There must have been a system to deal with this. I am sure you did not need to approach your past employer or an MP to sort this out.

I just do not understand why this was such an issue for Norman Scott.

I didn't suggest anything of the sort ,just that the network in Westminster was still around hiding the crimes of the "honourable" members .FACT .Its well documented that Mrs May "lost" all the documentation pertaining to paedophiles ,just like MI5 sticking details of JT in a safe where it wouldn't be seen again

Monica I have no issues with gay people ,my cousin my neice several family friends are all gay I've worked with gay men and women since the 70's some who like JT tried to cover it by marrying and having a family but most who were and are happy to be who thay are.JT was a vile man,he arranged to murder someone to cover up his real sexuality .He may have been a good constituency MP but not a good man .

I started work in the 60s and had worked at Saturday and holiday jobs and never had a NI card as you describe but I did have a number. I was sent a plastic NI card when I was in my 50s. DH knows his number off by heart.

I wondered about that too, M0nica
DHA said - 'oh, just get him another NI card for goodness' sake. It would save a lot of trouble'. Did Scott leave the card with his previous employer and then leave in a hurry?

It was a criminal act in those days paddyann and most men would cover up the fact that they were gay, particularly those in public life.

DH not DHA!

Still not got around to watching it. I think I might as well give up trying. It obviously sends me to sleep.

Even if Scott had left his NI card with his employer, when he did a bunk with the letters (Episode 1), I am sure if he contacted the NI office a couple of years later, he could have got a replacement card.

I was working then, but never lost my card, so had no reason to know what the system was then.