JEREMY THORPE STORY: A CLASSIC GREEK TRAGEDY
Only the British could think of this! A three-part prime time series on the attempted murder of the homosexual lover of a leading British politician. And it’s not fiction. It’s a true story. The series is riveting and it has Britain captivated.
Called A Very English Scandal, it’s the story of one of the most fascinating and, in the 1960s and ’70s, one of the most important politicians, the Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe. Its climax, in the late ’70s, was a riveting court case, splashed across the front pages and television screens for weeks. It shattered Thorpe’s career and left one of the most ebullient and witty politicians in the country, a sad and lonely man.
Thorpe met his lover, Norman Scott, during a weekend visit to a friend’s country estate. Scott was a stablehand. Attracted by his wanton lanky looks, Thorpe invited Scott to visit him in London. When he did, the love affair that followed, clandestine and usually conducted in cheap digs, lasted for a decade and a half.
Thorpe knew he was playing with fire but still found Scott irresistible. He thought he could have his lover and also hide the secret from the world. He even took Scott to his mother’s home and the series shows how, under her roof, their relationship was first consummated. Years later, when the scandal broke, the newspapers spoke of Vaseline and towels. They’re all too visible on the screen. Later, as part of his cover, Thorpe also got married and had a child.
The problem was that Scott was unstable and a drug addict. This insecurity was a threat but Thorpe thought he could handle it. Only when Scott began talking loosely of their relationship and blackmailed him, did Thorpe realise it had gone too far. Whilst Scott lived his career would always be at risk. But if Scott were eliminated his star could shine. Thorpe now planned to do away with him. That’s when the murder was plotted. A friend, David Holmes, procured the services of an assassin, Andrew Newton, and paid him £10,000.
Unfortunately, Newton bungled. He ended up killing Scott’s Great Dane, Rinka, and then, when he aimed at Scott, the pistol jammed. What Thorpe panies, a good benchmark of overall profitability for the corporate sector, rose at an annual average (CAGR) of 18% between 2004 and 2019 and at 10% between 2009 and 2014, the two best periods of the last 20 years. In the first four years of the Modi government, GDP growth has averaged 7.3% and Nifty earnings growth 1%.
Any economic analyst examining this data would be quick to point out that economic growth, corporate profitability and market returns in the coalition years benefitted from strong global tailwinds and other supportive factors that had little to do with government policy impetus. That is precisely the point. Today, India is joined at the hip with a global economic cycle. Within that overall global framework, its own consumer demand patterns, savings and capital investment cycles, and macroeconomic balance determines the outcome of our economy, companies and markets. The Indian penchant for larger than life heroes, while apt in its myths and lores, is entirely out of had hoped would be a quiet successful murder transformed into a messy police case and a memorable trial. The details held Britain in thrall.
In the end Thorpe was acquitted but his career was destroyed. Disgraced, he was cast out of the great British establishment. You could be forgiven if you feel this sounds like fiction. But every bit of this twisted, sordid, embarrassing and, yet, exciting and thrilling tale is true.
Thorpe lived his remaining years in Orme Square near London’s Nottinghill Gate. I would often see him of an evening, wearing a karakul cap and an overcoat with astrakhan collars and cuffs. He would silently pace the road outside his home ignored by the passing world. If someone recognised him and stopped to say hello he would smile. But he rarely looked you in the eye. It was obvious he wanted to be left alone.
This is a tragic story of self-destruction. That’s what makes it so compelling. Thorpe knew he was endangering his career but couldn’t stop. I suspect that’s a characteristic many politicians share. Those who rise meteorically often script their own collapse. It’s classic Greek tragedy. The seed of destruction is part of the drive to achievement. I wonder when a similar story will capture our attention in India.
INDIA IS A NATION WITH MANY DIMENSIONS. IT IS BETTER TO HAVE COALITIONS THAN MAJORITY GOVERNMENTS WHICH CAN RIDE ROUGHSHOD OVER INTERESTS OF MANY
place in expectations of growth driving leadership. This is the mistake which markets make, in thinking that a majority government, led by a strong leader, is necessarily good for the economy. The data, under leaders such as Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi, compared to their coalition counterparts, suggests otherwise. Yes, coalitions may need to deliberate more before arriving at decisions, and while that can slow down policy-making it would also deter unilateral misadventures like demonetisation. Better to be safe than sorry, as they say. India is a country with many dimensions, economic and social. Perhaps it is better to have coalitions, with their inherent checks and balances, than majority governments which can ride roughshod over interests of many segments.
Finally, there is the question of stability, which markets crave. It is true that the 1996 coalition did not last its full term. But whether a likely coalition with 125 Congress seats is less stable than one with 200 BJP seats, is an open question given how regional parties seem currently disposed. Yet, India Inc and stock markets need not worry. After all, the Indian private sector does not flourish because of the government at the Centre, but despite it.