John Stonehouse, My Father: The True Story of the Runaway MP

In her book, Julia Stonehouse does not exonerate her father. She does, however, argue that John Stonehouse was at heart an idealist who due to a combination of pressing business worries, political suspicion, and the demands of a longstanding love affair, went through a breakdown. She sees the book as a way of correcting some of the bias against her father. Julia Stonehouse claims that when researching her book, none of the sources she came across were free of error and many simply sustained the lies and bias which had distorted the reports of her father’s arrest and trial. Faced by certain bankruptcy and with his political reputation damaged by allegations of treason, John Stonehouse sought salvation by adopting a new identity and fleeing to Australia. The alternative was suicide. Julia Stonehouse contends that the bizarre circumstances surrounding her father’s disappearance show that he was a broken man, whose judgement had been clouded by the excessive use of prescription drugs. His escape to Australia was the desperate action of a troubled man, not the outcome of a well thought out plot to evade the British authorities.Julia Stonehouse makes extensive use of government documents, police records and the transcription of her father’s trial. She gives the reader a sense of what it was like to be a victim of intrusive press interest. Reporters covering the Stonehouse case acted like a lynch mob. Objectivity and fairness were sacrificed for lurid headlines. Julia Stonehouse believes the press orchestrated a campaign against her father which she compares to “Hate Week” in Orwell’s 1984. Mind you, Stonehouse’s arrest in Australia had elements of farce. When he was first apprehended, the Melbourne police thought they had caught Lord Lucan.A good deal of the book is devoted to refuting the allegation that John Stonehouse was a member of a Czech spy ring. Stonehouse is depicted as a victim of cold war paranoia. In government, Stonehouse met representatives of the Eastern bloc to boost trade and not exchange secrets. An inquiry by the intelligence services in 1969 did not result in legal action against Stonehouse, who continued to hold ministerial office until the 1970 general election. In late 1974, the mystery surrounding Stonehouse’s disappearance triggered more speculation that he had spied for the Soviet Bloc. In her book, Julia Stonehouse quotes the statement to the House of Commons by the then prime minister, Harold Wilson in December 1974 which reassured members that allegations against Stonehouse had been investigated by the security services, and no evidence against him had been uncovered. Wilson went on to confirm that at the time of his disappearance, John Stonehouse had not been under surveillance by the security services. Julia Stonehouse reveals that before Wilson made his statement, he had consulted the head of MI5. She suggests that the CIA deliberately encouraged rumours that Stonehouse was an agent of the Soviet Bloc. By smearing Stonehouse, the agency hoped to discredit Harold Wilson.One criticism I would make of the book is that more attention could have been given to Stonehouse’s career in government. The reader senses that his experiences as a minister added to Stonehouse’s disenchantment with politics and politicians, which in turn fed his yearning for a new life and a fresh start. During the 1960’s, however, Stonehouse was seen as one of the rising stars of the Labour Party. His style as a minister, progressive, energetic, intolerant of tradition and dogma, matched the image Harold Wilson wanted to present of the Labour Party in government. Did Stonehouse’s disillusion with politics begin before the allegations of treason surfaced in 1969 or was the investigation by the intelligence services solely responsible for his of faith?It is tempting to view Stonehouse’s disappearance as odd footnote in the history of Britain during the 1970’s. The book has powerful message which cannot be lightly dismissed. John Stonehouse’s fall shows that business and politics are uncomfortable partners. Stonehouse believed that he could be both a politician and a businessman. Perhaps his behaviour had more than a touch of hubris about it. Stonehouse discovered that intelligence and charm were not enough to evade financial ruin. In the autumn of 1974, his life fell apart. Stonehouse tried to break with his past, but it caught-up with him. His punishment was severe. In the case of John Stonehouse, the British establishment did not close ranks.

I can only reiterate what others have said, this book tells the story of John Stonehouse by one of the few people who really knew him, his daughter. Her in depth research into the scandal of 1974 and the well written account are a must read for anyone interested in him, the history and what really happened to the ‘disappearing’ MP. The details of his life and work before his fall from grace were particularly interesting for me as I knew the family quite well having been at school with his two daughters, but didn’t know about the work he’d done as an idealistic young man in Africa and Asia. He was a committed anti racist, anti colonialist and believer in equality of opportunity, as evidenced by his work with the co-operative movement and Labour Party. Later, who knows what really drove him to self destruct, but it would seem that the financial mess he got into became impossible for him to deal with. Buy the book and judge for yourself, you won’t be bored!

The research that has gone into this book has produced a forensic analysis of the factors that led to Stonehouse’s elaborate disappearance plan. The press interest in sensationalising the events was not unexpected but it appears that many of lies, half-truths and badly researched reporting surrounded and coloured the story. One instance I noticed particularly was the claim that a trunk containing the clothes of the mistress, Sheila Buckley, was sent ahead, suggesting she was a co-conspirator from the outset. The claim was refuted by the Australian customs officer who examined the trunk on its arrival. Some press reports continued to claim that the trunk was evidence of Sheila’s involvement. The police also failed to follow up on the statement. There are several other detailed explorations of the contrast between what was being reported and the real situation. The book does provide new insights and sheds new lights on these turbulent events.

I bought this because I keep hearing the name but didn’t really know the story. And there is so much to it - layers and layers. The prescription drugs and the mental health issues they exacerbated, the family experience, the love triangle, the politics, the spy accusation, and a day-by-day account of what Stonehouse was going through while he was missing, presumed drowned. His mistress is exonerated (she got 2 years), which came as a surprise. In fact this book is full of surprises. Ultimately it’s the story of a man who has been totally maligned. As it says on the cover, it’s a true story, and I could see that because it comes with warts and all. But at the end I realised the man was nothing like I thought before I read this book. It also has loads of photos which really brought the story to life.

This was living history to me, I grew up during this time but of course only got the side of a story that it was deemed we should know about. This was a first for me in hearing the story from inside the bubble as it were. We all forget to easily that what ever happened there are innocent family members involved. I am so glad that Julia has had the opportunity to put here side of the whole thing to the public at last.Thank you Julia you have my wholehearted admiration. Mel

33 people have left a review already of this insightful book. I was at school with Julia's brother Mathew when this whole affair broke in the news. For that reason especially I was keen to read and learn more of their father. A man who had his demons, but also a man to sought to leave the world a better place through his work in politics and foreign affairs.