Peer and the Gangster: A Very British Cover-up

In 1964, a front-page story in the Sunday Mirror reported an alleged homosexual relationship between a household name from the House of Lords and a leading figure in the London underworld. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police ordered an investigation, but the story was killed off quickly. Lord Boothby and the Krays carried on with business as usual, and the full saga of the cover-up and its consequences can now be revealed.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n \n Publication date: 27 August 2021
\n Publisher: The History Press Ltd
\n

In July 1964, the Sunday Mirror ran a front-page story with the headline "PEER AND A GANGSTER: YARD ENQUIRY." While the article withheld the names of the subjects, it reported that the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police had ordered an investigation into an alleged homosexual relationship between a "household name from the House of Lords" and a "leading figure in the London underworld." Lord Boothby was the Conservative lord in question, and Ronnie Kray the infamous gangster. However, within a couple of weeks, the story had been killed off, vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared. Lord Boothby and the Krays carried on with business as usual.

For the first time, the full saga of the cover-up and its consequences can be revealed. Drawing upon recently released MI5 files, government papers, extensive interviews, and a wide array of contemporary reports and secondary sources, Daniel Smith pieces together how eminent figures from the political firmament, the Security Service, the Metropolitan Police, the legal profession, and the media saw to it that the Sunday Mirror's story was crushed almost as soon as it emerged.

The article delves into the intricate web of relationships and power dynamics that played a role in suppressing the story. It highlights the involvement of prominent politicians, including members of the Cabinet, who were aware of the investigation and attempted to intervene to prevent it from being published. The Security Service, known as MI5, was also heavily involved in the cover-up, using its surveillance and intelligence capabilities to monitor the activities of the Sunday Mirror's journalists and prevent them from pursuing the story further.

The legal profession also played a significant role in the cover-up. Lawyers representing Lord Boothby and the Krays worked tirelessly to suppress the story, filing injunctions and appealing against court decisions that would have allowed the publication to proceed. They also used their influence within the media to pressure newspapers and magazines not to run the story, threatening legal action if they did.

The media itself was also complicit in the cover-up. Newspapers and magazines were reluctant to run the story due to the potential for legal action and the risk of damaging their reputation. They were also influenced by the political and legal pressure exerted on them by the aforementioned figures.

The article also sheds light on the consequences of the cover-up. The suppression of the Sunday Mirror's story led to a sense of injustice and frustration among the public, who believed that important information was being hidden from them. It also raised questions about the power of the establishment and the role of the media in holding those in power accountable.

In conclusion, the Sunday Mirror's story of the alleged homosexual relationship between Lord Boothby and Ronnie Kray was a significant event in British history. However, the cover-up that followed was a testament to the power of the establishment and the media in suppressing information that could have exposed the truth. The article provides a detailed account of the events that led to the suppression of the story and its consequences, and serves as a reminder of the importance of freedom of the press and the need for transparency in government.

\n Weight: 294g\n
Dimension: 154 x 207 x 26 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780750997522\n \n