As if often the case in British scandals it is not an indiscretion which brings down a government official or Member of Parliament but the lies told afterwards.
Such was the case in a scandal involving Jeffrey Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-Super-Mare, and former chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party.
Archer had been accused by a British Sunday newspaper of being person who frequented prostitutes. His aide Michael Stacpoole, a former PR for Walls Ice Cream, was photographed by a newspaper handing a pay-off to prostitute Monica Coghlan in Victoria Station, London.
Archer set on a course of suing newspapers in Britain, the first of which had to pay up was the Daily Star. Meanwhile he had paid off Stacpoole and told him to disappear…..Stacpoole was a liability.
But eventually Archer’s lies were exposed. He had perjured himself while giving evidence of an alibi. The hunt was on for Mr. Stacpoole, one of the few men who knew the truth.
Andrew Drummond tracked down Archer’s bagman to Pattaya, eastern Thailand where he was content to dally with the girls of the resort’s infamous entertainment business, and perhaps having run up some high expenses himself, Stacpoole took the view that he had got a raw deal from the soon to be disgraced Lord, and poured out his heart.
Archer was in the running to be the Lord Mayor of London when the scandal blew.
He was later jailed for perjury and sent to prison instead.
Stacpoole enjoying the high life in Pattaya
Andrew worked on the Archer enquiry with BBC journalist and author Michael Crick, and Paul Henderson. Andy Chant provided the picture coverage.