Fallout from 'The Unusual Suspect'

Books are very powerful.

The reaction to my new one has been extraordinary. A constituent writes that he had a copy as a present from his daughter for his 92nd birthday. Even though he has been a shooter of wildfowl all his life, he will vote for me even though I am anti-hunting. He added that after reading the book, he said  (high praise these days) that I am 'worth the salary.'  

I was moved when a respected colleague told me that he had also lost a child. 'My only slight flicker of consolation is the same as your experience. I knew that nothing worse could ever happen to me.' 

A very distinguished colleague and a brilliant writer told me he has bought three copies of my books. But he will not read it until July. He is writing his own book and does not want to be discouraged if he finds I have covered the same territory that he plans to describe. I know the feeling.

Two parliamentary colleagues are writing reviews. One for the Tribune and the other for the House Magazine. They are both  talented MPs that I admire. I await their judgements with trepidation and hope.

The wife of an old school friend rang to say that she is half way though the book. She is almost totally blind and her husband is reading chapters to her. She wanted to tell that the book has made her cry once and laugh many times.

A delightful note arrived from an MP's  senior secretary. I was nervous of her response. I had written that she was known as the 'Berlin Wall' in the late eighties. Sh was delighted. Her children have goaded her because the Berlin Wall was eventually pulled down. She wrote of her memories of those bitter-sweet days. She purred because I called her the  'best MP that Wales never had.'

The Parliamentary Bookshop that has 'The Unusual Suspect' on prominent display  asked me to sign copies. To my surprise the owner asked me to sign my 'other book'. He produced about 20 copies of Commons Knowledge published in 1997. I was astonished that the book is still being sold.  He did a check and told me that his shop has sold 45 in the past ten months. It's the only book that advises backbenchers on how to behave. With a record crop of new backbenchers due on May 7th, bumper sales are possible! 

Kelvin Hopkins MP and Tony Benn were photographed at the launch of 'The Unusual Suspect.'

 

One wonderful story arrived in a letter from a former official of Newport Borough Council. He had the job in 1987 to verify the nomination forms of candidates. Mine was submitted by my agent a week early. It was checked and found to be in perfect order. I was a candidate.

The sitting Tory MP left it to the last day. He turned up with his entourage and had tiffin with the then Chief Executive. They confidently chatted over the tea and biscuits about his certain re-election. My correspondent spoiled the party. He returned and announce that none of the three nomination forms were in order. I could have had a walkover in the election that I subsequently won by 2,200 votes. The Chief Executive ensured by means  fouler than fairer that one of the forms was 'in order.' I had no inkling of the story. It will be prominently re-told in the next edition of the book.

Two touching e-mails arrived. One from France with cherished memories of my late daughter. It was from the village of Malestroit in Brittany where my daughter in buried. The local school was twinned with the Newport School at Lliswerry. The exchange     was with Evelyne who spent time in Newport. The second message from from a schoolteacher at Lliswerry. I mentioned him in the book because he travelled to France in 1979 to attend Rachel's funeral. I have not had any contact will him for 25 years. Unfortunately his e-mail address does work. I hope he gets in touch again. 

One hilarious outcome was a complaint by a Tory MP to the Commons Standards Committee. This is usually serious stuff. Coming from Daniel Kawcsynski it's pure farce. I have written to him explaining that his complaint is undiluted gibberish. It provided some useful publicity for the book with a mocking item in the Evening Standard pointing out that Daniel's own book was pretty pointless.  If Daniel does not apologise, I would be entitled to raise the issue as point of order or in an EDM. It would be a tad embarrassing plugging my own book in the Commons, but some things you are just forced to do. 

If the voters of Newport West decide to give more leisure time after May 7th, I have promised that I will write a novel by the 1st of August. If I am still an MP, I will write it in August. This writing is addictive stuff.

Comments

[Joey]

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It might take 10 minutes or 20, but that mess won’t be there for the next person to have to deal with.

[North Face Down]

Good stuff as per usual, thanks. I do hope this kind of thing gets more exposure.