A very English Scandal

Interview with Norman Scott on the BBC website.
The murderer may not be dead but living under a false name.
Why the cover-up?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44336859

I don't exactly feel sorry for Thorpe. I doubt if he needed my pity. I do feel angry, though, that a first-rate politician saw his career being potentially ruined by a sexual indiscretion, because of the backward law and backward social attitudes. Because he was extremely ambitious, he was apparently driven to extremes - and none of it would have needed to happen had society and the law been just a little further advanced. What a waste of talent.

I don’t like to see this tragedy treated almost as a joke. Obviously it had farcical elements., but amusing it was not.

Has anyone read the interview (Mail on line 6th May) with Norman Scott, and his take on the drama, for which apparently he had some input. Very enlightening.....

I was shocked and upset when this all emerged Grandma70s - however, I don't remember Thorpe, as a human rights supporter, campaigning for the legalisation of homosexuality.
What a strain it must have been for him and so many others who were in the public eye to have to deny their true selves because of the law and attitudes of the time - perhaps his ambition was greater than his moral courage.

There’s an old BBC documentary about the Thorpe scandal on tonight at ten o’clock BBC4. Recorded 40 years ago but never shown before.
Might be interesting.

Whilst I still think this was not the serious drama it could have been, it was certainly an acting tour de force. Ben Wishaw was amazing as Norman Scott, and Hugh Grant was quite simply stunning. What was so impressive also was the incredibly high quality of the supporting cast - Adrian Scarborough as George Carman, David Bamber as Lord Arran, Alex Jennings as Peter Bessell, etc. - all outstandingly good.

How sad that the enlightened times we now (thank heavens) live in didn't come so much sooner.

I have set it to record mostlyh.

It was excellent but I found that it was the rather jaunty music jarred with the seriousness of the subject.

omitted a 'which' in above post

why on earth would anyone feel sorry for Thorpe / I personally now men who were and are gay in those years ..some married and had families ,some were discreet and had gay relaionships.Some were just themselves.NONE of them tried to get a former lover murdered .In doing so thorpe showed his true colours ,a weasel of a man who only thought about himself .
for "British justice" what a farce !

He was found not guilty paddyann

Well there you go - whilst ordinary men were being entrapped in public toilets and sent to prison, the well connected rich and powerful were protected not just from the consequences of their homosexuality but from their conspiracy to murder. What a stench

Yes Jal that was the verdict but not the truth - the Judge was a piece of work wasn’t he?

I’d not watched until tonight’s final episode and found it chilling. Some politicians, their families and friends, will stoop to anything to protect their public images and power. Worrying how complicit authority figures were.
Who now in power will be exposed in decades to come?

He got lampooned afterwards - yes, his 'summing up' was a verdict.

Elrel did you watch the programme on BBC4 straight afterwards as well - even worse.

Agree with you entirely MaryEliza a giant stinking cover up from the police , the establishment and the law.

It was, I think, an extremely well made drama.

It was quite shocking to see what transpired in the eventual criminal trial which was manipulated in such a way as to make the not guilty verdict - to the very serious allegations of incitement and conspiracy to murder - an inevitability. Thorpe did not take the stand and so was never questioned on any of the issues. That was, of course, his prerogative but what was almost difficult to comprehend was the way in which the Judge got away with, in effect, rigorously advocating on behalf of Thorpe.

I think it was pretty clear from the documentary that followed the dramatisation that the establishment certainly closed ranks and hid information in order to protect one of its own. Being a homosexual or engaging in any other sexual activities that at that time were considered improper, did pose security risks. This had already been demonstrated in other cases (eg Vassell being blackmailed to spy for Russia) and so people like the Home Secretary were, it appears, in dereliction of their duty.

Shocking how things are covered up. Not surprising though. We all know how corrupt those in power are.
I have to say I really enjoyed it. The acting was superb. Best thing I've seen Hugh Grant do. I felt sorry for Norman Scott. He was a pathetic figure.

They were all bent !

From the police upwards .

And he never got his National Insurance card

I seem to recall an episode of Call the Midwife which dealt with entrapment in public toilets. I do have to say that having watched the TM programme, the idea of a cover up of a Westminster peodophile ring doesn’t seem quite so fanciful anymore does it?

www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/call-midwife-homophobia-storyline-moves-5090733

I too thought it was a well made drama and the following documentary was enlightening.

One thing struck me and that was my perception of Jeremy Thorpe. All those years ago I saw him as a rather grey, hunched personality with barely any charisma. Watching footage of his campaigning made me realise how wrong I was.

Black and white TV had a lot to answer for

What a great production. Sad, funny, shocking..it had all the elements. What a miscarriage of justice. Good that Norman Scott still alive and looking after dogs.

I thought it was an excellent drama I really really enjoyed it I thought the acting was brilliant and after turning over and watching BBC4 afterwards I m absolutely astounded by how the actors all looked and sounded so like their character Brilliant
How anyone can say they feel sorry ( even slightly sorry) for that man I cannot understand he was an absolute weasel who would go to any lengths to save himself and his reputation The judge was an abomination (I thought they had to be neutral in their summing up) and the main reason that Thorpe walked free in triumphant gosh how poor Norman must have felt when he saw the fawning cheering crowds and him kissing his poor wife
I hope they do reopen the case and vindicate Norman before his life ends
I thought the acting and the portrayal which kept closely to the true story was brilliant ( and no problem with the music)
Well done to them all and good luck to Norman