Product Description

Homes for Votes, three cemeteries at five pence apiece, the missing Tesco millions and a gold toilet seat - plus a procession of camels, pay-as-you-go toilets and a large plastic bin called Mr Clean-Up. The hallmarks of Shirley Porter's regime at Westminster City Council are as well known as they are farcical. The story of the Tesco's heiress who shot to power and notoriety in the 1980s has never been told before. The fall-out from her reign in Westminster united opposition from all corners of public life, from Ken Livingstone to Margaret Thatcher, Nigella Lawson to the Queen of Holland, Westminster refuse workers to the Billy Fury fan club. The gerrymandering scandal at the heart of her policies eventually lead to Dame Shirley being found guilty of corruption and ordered to pay a surcharge of GBP 21million. In a highly entertaining account of one of the strangest episodes in British political history, Andrew Hosken tells of Shirley Porter's wealthy upbringing as the daughter of Jack Cohen, the founder of Tesco; her rise to power in Westminster; and about the scandal and its aftermath. He has interviewed most of the individuals involved in a story that is colourful, shocking and stranger than fiction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #190199 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Evening Standard
‘A superbly researched, elegantly written mix of investigative journalism and political biography...an entertaining read’

The Independent
‘The unauthorised account of arguably the greatest political corruption scandal in recent British history’

The Times
‘Delivers a vicious indictment of the former politician’

Customer Reviews

utterly absorbing account of corruption in the capital city
Andrew Hosken was the BBC reporter who discovered where Shirley Porter's missing millions were, a feat that had eluded Westminster Council for years. Now, in this immensely readable and well-researched page-turner, Mr Hosken shows how Shirley Porter, a rather dim but immensely wealthy housewife, managed to grab control of Westminster Council and then abuse her powers to commit some of the most grotesque acts of political corruption in the history of UK democracy. Putting young vulnerable families into asbestos-ridden tower-blocks demonstrates the morally bankruptcy of the Porter regime. Hosken also shows how "Dame Shirley" used her "businessman" son John Porter to hide her inherited fortune. It is not clear whether there will be a sequel. So far Shirley Porter has only paid back £12 million; so there is another £31 million owed. Also, she signed a sworn affidavit to say that she was only worth £300,000. As Mr Hosken reveals, this was yet another lie from a woman who revelled in her own mendacity - but he does not make it clear whether or not she will face prosecution for this. In a sad and sordid tale, some heroes do emerge: Cliff Stanford, the business genius who created Demon Internet; outspoken Labour Councillor Paul Dimoldenburg; and Patricia Kirwen, a courageous Conservative who took on the Porter machine. Victims of the Porters can draw one small grain of comfort: Cliff Stanford describes the inept John Porter as a "serial destroyer of other people's money". Amongst those "other people", as Andrew Hosken reveals, were none other than Shirley and her late husband Leslie. At least Tesco shareholders benefitted from Porter's career in local government. They will want to send garlands of flowers to Lord Maclaurin who prevented Shirley and her equally inept son John from getting on to the board of the supermarket giant.

Gripping story of pride and downfall during the High Tory period
If you love to be outraged by corrupt Tories, you will love this book. This tightly-written story of Porter's rise to power, the unbelievable actions she took in pursuit of her dodgy policies make an enthralling political page-turner.

Normally, an account of anyone's career in local politics would stand out only for its dullness. Not so here.

Hoskens was on to a winner from the outset, given the outrages and scandals of the Porter administration of Westminster. I was broadly familiar with the events described, yet still found this to be enjoyable and comprehensive. Explanations of how the finances and electoral system function are necessary, and provided but at no point do these details burden the story, or stop the flow.

It should be stressed that this book is no mere personal attack on Porter, who had become a figure of hate in London well before all the facts came out, as those who were around at the time will remember. In fact he charts her early years with some sympathy, when instead of receiving the necessary training, Porter was shut out of the family businesses. In addition, he gives Porter credit for standing up to the porn pedlers of Soho, amongs other things.

Many will judge her actions to have been immoral and criminal. But Hoskens shows that others were also to blame. In addition to those who went along with her policies for personal gain - professional and pecunary - Hoskins makes a convincing condemnation of the political system that was unable to assert the rule of law, and a Conservative party, unable to contain its ambitious rising star, hungry for power, despite the widespread misgivings.

However, the focus of this story must be the Homes for Votes scandal, and Porter's subsequent attempts to evade justice, to the point of exiling herself from Britain. Porters ability to rationalise The pure inhumane wickedness of consigning poor people to live in dangerous accommodation, almost certainly harmful to their health was, in my opinion, a significant wake-up call. It caused many people who were not politically engaged to reject the Tories in London.

Apparently, Porter is still unable to admit any wrongdoing, at least in public, preferring to exile herself than accept the judgement of the courts and district auditors. However those who read this book will be in no doubt of her responsibility, and will breathe a sigh of relief that this period is over.

Doing the unthinkable.
In this book, Andrew Hosken does the unthinkable - he makes local government interesting.
Though councillors and wards and district auditors may people off normally, this book is a fascinating, detailed and - in parts - amusing biography of Dame Shirley Porter.
Only one word word sum up this book, and - indeed - the scandals it illustrates: "riveting"