[4] His father was a chief engineer for the National Coal Board. He left the Club in 1973, and stood as chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students against David Davis, but lost. Hamilton initially refused, saying, "What is there to apologise for?" This event was recorded on film by Louis Theroux, who, at that time, was spending time with the Hamiltons for an episode of his documentary series When Louis Met.[111], In June 2003, Nadine Milroy-Sloan, the woman responsible for the unfounded accusation, was sentenced to three years in jail for perverting the course of justice. Nadine Milroy-Sloan, 28, of Grimsby, alleged last May that the Hamiltons had forced her to take part in sex games at a flat in Ilford, east London, owned by Barry Lehaney, 61, a retired financial. and Ready Steady Cook. The irony is that had the Hamiltons not been such shameless publicity seekers, they would not have attracted the false accusation that has proved so profitable in the first place. On 12 September 2020, he was appointed acting leader, replacing Freddy Vachha. [126], Hamilton's comments are frequently controversial. [58] He was also top of the UKIP list for that region but was not appointed as an additional member either. In total, approximately 410,000 was raised. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images. On 20 October 1994, The Guardian published an article which claimed that Hamilton and another minister, Tim Smith, had received money, in the form of cash in brown envelopes. [9] Hamilton stood as the Conservative parliamentary candidate in the February 1974 general election in Abertillery[10] and in the 1979 general election in Bradford North,[11] but failed on both occasions. In 1972, after several years' membership, Hamilton was elected to the executive council of the Conservative Monday Club. The money, so far as the grasping couple are concerned, couldn't have come at a better time. [68] He said he would have twenty character witnesses: "My main character witness was going to be Norman St John Stevas. Because he held, in common with millions of others, a very low opinion of the couple, and believed (erroneously as it turned out) that no insult could drag their name deeper into the mire than it had been already. However, after he lost his parliamentary seat in 1997, he vowed never to return to "that constipated profession". [35], In September 2011, Hamilton attended the annual conference of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). He was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton from 1983 to 1997 and a UKIP Member of the Senedd (MS) for Mid and West Wales from 2016 to 2021. Hamilton failed to register the paid-for consultancy. A BBC internal memorandum to the Board of Management claimed some 17 witnesses had been intimidated into changing their testimony. Max Clifford, the bumptious tabloid publicist, took up her cause, offering - as is his wont - to organise media coverage of her sordid and intriguing story. I dont Christine thats why lots of people dont like my humour so I . [123][124], Due to his television appearances, The Guardian described him as "an all-purpose Z-list celebrity". "[50], Following his maiden speech in the Welsh Assembly, he was accused of making sexist remarks towards female politicians after referring to Kirsty Williams and Leanne Wood as "concubines" in a "harem". Hamilton said he had coloured himself black in 1982 to look like Idi Amin and dressed as Canon James Owen on a boat on the River Cam. 28. Those who complain about other's opinions are constantly exercising their opinions more than others. Peter Fiddick and Dennis Barker, "BBC in crisis over libel case deal". bobalmighty. Christine wrote a book of Battleaxes, Neil wrote a book of political eccentrics. [41] On 10 May 2016, UKIP's AMs voted him their leader in the Welsh Assembly, defeating Nathan Gill. [99] Hamilton, Smith (also found guilty), Brown and Michael Grylls were harshly criticised. In November 1990, Michael Heseltine initiated a leadership challenge to Margaret Thatcher. [8] He appointed himself its "Grand Imperial Prior" and called for the abolition of the internal combustion engine and plastic. He invited Tebbit to make a statement in the House. STRATEGY NETWORK INTERNATIONAL, Tory MPs were paid to plant questions says Harrods chief, "I was there when they first met he delighted in showing off, she was the centre of attention", "Neil Hamilton should step down as Knutsford's MP now, a true blue Tory argued this week", "Neil Hamilton joins UKIP's Nigel Farage show", "Ukip demotes Neil Hamilton as party fears over sleaze grow. Hamilton was defeated at the 2021 Senedd election. She told the inquiry that, in May 1988, Hamilton had been unmoved by a set of photographs that depicted smoking-related cancers; that is, harm to young people which might be caused by a product (tobacco) that he promoted. He left the Conservative Party in 2002 and joined UKIP. If there is any national award going for the most ludricous couple in Britain Neil and Christine Hamilton deserve to win it after their performance last night. Acting from 12 September 2020 to 18 October 2021. What's on TV & Streaming Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Browse TV Shows by Genre TV News India TV Spotlight. 38:38. Batten said he expected his Welsh Assembly members to now "work together for UKIP's cause and get on with the job. Hamilton said he supported the introduction of Skoal Bandits on libertarian grounds, and lobbied ministers (including Edwina Currie and David Mellor) to allow its introduction. [88] Hamilton's admission had the effect of reaffirming the testimony of the two witnesses who alleged he had given a Nazi salute in Berlin and exposing those witnesses who had reversed their position. He received a BScEcon degree in economics and politics from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1970, and an MScEcon degree in economics and politics in 1975. View the profiles of professionals named "Christine Hamilton" on LinkedIn. I repeat what I have said previously, but additionally I am able to say today that there is a tape in existence that confirms the nature of the conspiracy to hide the truth, and which identifies persons. [1] Neil Hamilton's application to become a European Parliamentary candidate for UKIP was rejected in 2013, though he had been elected to UKIP's National Executive Committee in 2011. [18], Hamilton also lent his support to the No Turning Back Group organised by his friend Michael Brown MP. If Hamilton and Smith had remained in parliament, Downey said he might have recommended long periods of suspension for both. "[75], The media began to focus on the remaining unsettled case. [45] In leaked emails, he was accused by UKIP's biggest donor, Arron Banks, of being a "corrupt old Tory". [73] A BBC source stated: "Nearly all the defence witnesses have had a quiet word in their ears. She is also known for her defense of her . 28:45. English author and media personality who has appeared on television shows such as GMTV. Christine, though, perhaps because she has less of a clue what it actually is that she's defending, is more open. In December 1986, Hamilton was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Mitchell. More information appeared in the press alleging witness interference, including the Hogan Memorandum, the internal BBC document listing the witnesses who had changed their account. Just days after their court defeat by al-Fayed, they appeared on the BBC's Have I Got News For You?, the satirical quiz show.During the programme the couple were handed brown envelopes in a mimic of the brown envelopes Neil Hamilton was supposed to have accepted from al-Fayed.Neil Hamilton was born on March 9, 1949, into a Welsh mining family. Nikki: Please help us! Hamilton also brought a legal action for libel against Mohamed Al-Fayed. [51], Hamilton caused further controversy during a debate on the effects of Brexit in Wales. Hamilton vowed that if the "Downey report" found against him, he would resign. Although Hamilton vowed to return to parliament, this defeat marked the end of his political career in the Conservative Party. 2 February 2005: Max Clifford settles a libel action brought by the Hamiltons over comments he made during the fake sex allegations case brought by Milroy Sloan. [84] The Independent revealed the existence of a taped conversation of a Tory witness being "shaken rigid" by Central Office's suggestion that the Berlin events had not happened and "no other witness would substantiate or give evidence about those alleged incidents" and the witness was told no other witness would back his account. On the more substantive allegations, Pedley said he reiterated the points made in the YC Report had been called into question. [115] After Clifford died in prison in December 2017, he was described by Hamilton as a "monster". In 2006, they released a song coinciding with the World Cup, "England Are Jolly Dee". But they are, however, two of the most transparent proponents of the tendency and the two people who best illustrate why it is that the tendency is so unhealthy. Bell campaigned as an anti-sleaze candidate, and Christine Hamilton confronted him during a televised press conference on Knutsford Heath, which brought her to public prominence. Neil is the fella who fires an inverted bullet . [40], In the elections for the National Assembly for Wales on 5 May 2016, he was elected as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Mid and West Wales Region, one of seven UKIP candidates to win a seat through the Regional List system. Labour accused Conservative Central Office of organising a cover-up over claims that Hamilton had given a Nazi salute on a visit to Berlin and sought to question the then party chairman, Norman Tebbit. The former Conservative minister is the same grasping, boastful, smug, vulgar, deluded, obfuscating, mendacious oaf he always was. Ms Milroy-Sloan was jailed for three years in June 2003, and the Hamiltons launched 24 defamation claims against Clifford, one for each newspaper he'd repeated Milroy-Sloan's claims in. Hamilton received over 25,000 and had deliberately misled Michael Heseltine, then President of the Board of Trade, in October 1994, when he said he had no financial relationship with Ian Greer. In the early 1970s, the then Christine Holman - daughter of a doctor - was secretary for a Tory MP called Wilfred Proudfoot.And then she was allegedly head-hunted by the flamboyant Sir Gerald Nabarro, the wealthy Worcestershire Tory MP who sported a spectacular handlebar moustache and a booming voice.She supported Sir Gerald during his trial for alleged dangerous driving at Winchester in 1972.Throughout the trial, she clutched a piece of lucky white heather and wept when he was acquitted. Edwina Currie, a former health minister, gave evidence. [32] [31] Disquiet in the local association became public, but the majority gave him the benefit of the doubt. She attended Wentworth College, an independent boarding school for girls in Bournemouth [3] and a co-educational Grammar School in Christchurch, Dorset. They are filled with contempt for a man who can make these sort of accusations of a criminal offence against a member of staff, who, Mr Campbell-Savours knows damn well, is not guilty of it."[80]. I am receiving a much smaller subsidy from my friend al-Fayed, who acknowledges my genius and who is also hugely rich. They each paid 7,500 towards the paper's legal costs. [60], After a period as acting leader, Hamilton was elected as leader in October 2021, receiving 498 out of 631 votes cast (78.9%) against challenger John Poynton. When he was made Parliamentary Wit of the Year by The Spectator magazine in 1989, he said he thought it had made him Twit of the Year.He dismissed Nelson Mandela's African National Congress as "a typical terrorist organisation" and he attacked the BBC for screening a Mandela pop concert at Wembley in 1988 before the ANC leader was released from prison.Although now classed as a bankrupt, while managing to keep two homes, Neil Hamilton still operates in London's leading social circles. Bradfield Manor is a Grade I listed domestic gothic mansion with seven bedrooms, set in 11 acres that are featured in the Domesday book. The eventual winner would become the UKIP Assembly Group Leader and ultimately the party's main spokesperson for Wales. Go to Wimbledon any day and it was packed with MPs. Christine Hamilton was born on 10 November 1949 in England, UK. Tuesday December 3, 2019: On General Hospital today, Willow takes a pregnancy test, Sonny tries to find out what Jax is hiding, and Kendra dies after the accident. SUMMARIZING THE EVIDENCE Continued 7. The product was believed to cause serious risk of oral cancer, particularly for minors, and the government was inclined to ban its import. In the early 1970s, Hamilton was the founder of the Eldon League, a right-wing social organisation given to having picnics and dinners 'and having a good time'. Movies. Technically, the first time Neil appears onscreen is during the movie's opening moments at the opera house in Ukraine. [39] In the May 2014 local elections, he stood as a UKIP candidate in the St Mary's Park ward of Wandsworth London Borough Council and finished 8th of the 9 candidates with 396 votes. Hamilton was a teacher at St John's College in Southsea between 1973 and 1976. At a meeting where Peter Lilley argued that Thatcher could not survive, Hamilton subjected him to a barrage of "sarcasm and heckling". General election 1983: Neil Hamilton elected Conservative MP for Tatton. He immediately phoned Neil Hamilton, and told him that Lord King would be appalled when he heard what had happened to Christine Hamilton. "[23] Hamilton strongly encouraged Thatcher to persist. [117] At one point Hamilton quipped: "I've found it's much better making political jokes than being one. [94] On 1 October 1996, Hamilton appeared on the evening television program, Newsnight, and engaged in a live debate with Alan Rusbridger, the editor of The Guardian.[95]. David Thomas, Raymond Hughes and Michael Cassall, "MP urges resignations at BBC after libel settlement". Smith admitted his guilt and resigned immediately. On 16 January 1997, Al-Fayed appeared in an edition of the Dispatches documentary series on Channel 4. He was discharged from bankruptcy in May 2004. October 1994: Hamilton quits as Corporate Affairs Minister after The Guardian publishes allegations that he took money from Mohammed Al Fayed to ask questions in the Commons. [7] She stood behind Nabarro as he spoke on the steps of Winchester Court after being cleared on appeal of a motoring offence. [78] Dale Campbell-Savours claimed he had evidence in the form of a letter from Pedley to the former Party Chairman, John Selwyn Gummer, demonstrating Conservative Central Office (CCO) had contacted witnesses. I have to inform you, Mr. Speaker, that it is but one of two tapes. [27], Denmark rejected the Maastricht Treaty on 2 June 1992. Neil Hamilton was an associate of al-Fayed's, who was clearly trying to build up a client-list of Tory MPs.Moreover, it is easy to imagine how Neil Hamilton would have justified the brown envelopes to himself. Bell defeated Hamilton, winning by a majority of over 11,000 votes with a swing of 48%. "[76] Pedley did not name the supporters but the then chairman of the Young Conservatives, Richard Fuller, pledged financial support to the fight and in a meeting with Jeffrey Archer, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, Fuller resisted Archer's demand to back down.[77]. She then studied sociology at the University of York and first met Neil Hamilton when they both attended a student political conference. The Independent wrote: "Sir Gordon, contrary to Hamilton's confident expectations, had no compunction about concluding that he did indeed take cash in brown envelopes" and called on the new party leader to "expel the miscreants". "[69] In a Sunday Times article, Hamilton denied there was any malicious intent behind the salute. "I am the most brilliant man of my generation," he would have said, "just as Benjamin Disraeli was of his. ", "Welsh Election 2016: Labour just short as UKIP wins seats", "UKIP's Farage attacks Hamilton's leadership victory", "Nathan Gill 'very disappointed' and Farage criticism 'irrelevant' - Neil Hamilton", "'Farage throwing toys out of pram', says Neil Hamilton", "Ukip's leader in Wales withdraws himself from his party in the Welsh Assembly", "UKIP MEP Nathan Gill told to quit as successor is 'ready', "Nathan Gill leaves UKIP assembly group to sit as independent", "Neil Hamilton out as UKIP assembly leader", "UKIP Wales members elect Gareth Bennett as assembly leader", "Sexism row over Neil Hamilton's maiden assembly speech", "Neil Hamilton apology for Brexit 'suicide' remark", "Newport West byelection: Labour retains seat amid Brexit chaos", "The Welsh AM who claimed 9,000 to get to Cardiff Bay from his home in England", "Neil Hamilton Appointed Interim Leader of UKIP", "Neil Hamilton brands BBC excluding UKIP from main leaders' debates "outrageous", "Election results: Labour remains in power in Wales after winning working Senedd majority", "2021 NEC and Leadership Election - The Results! Hamilton urged his colleagues not to resign over the Treaty and other issues. In the event the meetings were cancelled, as neither Le Pen nor Mussolini could come to Britain. The party's leader Nigel Farage pledged to support him in the election for the National Executive Committee. While Hamilton did not deny the holiday, he continued to maintain that he was innocent of improper conduct. "The second is Neil Hamilton's imprudence. Neil and Christine Hamilton are very far from being the only people able to parlay notoriety into fame and money. I saw what happened. [36] Hamilton was elected to the committee on 1 November 2011. I mean now an MP doesn't take a lump of sugar without declaring it, but in the Eighties, the climate was completely different, it was not regarded as wrong to accept hospitality. Why did Max Clifford - a highly professional operator who boasts that no other libel action against him has been successful - make such a basic, ghastly mistake? [59] Meanwhile the party lost all its other Senedd seats. Lord Harris of High Cross (who helped to finance Hamilton's failed libel action against Mohammed Al-Fayed 13 years later), also raised approximately 100,000. Christine Hamilton and Neil Hamilton attend The 20th BRIT Awards with Mastercard, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, UK, Friday 03 March 2000. [116], On 9 May 1997, Hamilton and his wife appeared on the current affairs satire quiz programme Have I Got News for You. - INDEPENDENT. She was supposed to be the one running the B&B then suddenly, she disappears and we never see her again and the story changes to Meri's mother running it. [122] He appeared on a celebrity edition of Mastermind on Boxing Day 2004. [128], On 4 June 1983, five days before polling day in the 1983 general election, Hamilton married Mary Christine Holman, the secretary to Tory MP Michael Grylls,[129] in Cornwall. "[106] His counsel, in the closing comments, argued that Al-Fayed's assertions had destroyed his client's reputation.[107]. [48] Hamilton was ousted as leader of UKIP in the National Assembly on 17 May 2018 and was replaced by Caroline Jones. HIGNFY S33E06 - Chris Tarrant, Lembit Opik & Andy Hamilton. Part of the problem is that neither Neil nor Christine appear to show the smallest understanding of what a seismic blow they dealt to the nation's relationship with its political leaders. . Two men were later imprisoned for the assault. The Guardian published a headline branding him "A Liar and a Cheat". Defined by those bulging brown envelopes, Neil Hamilton continues to ensure that his fate and his wife's are inextricably linked to them. Neil: They're on their way. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Another pay day for Neil and Christine, the couple who turn muck into, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Several have endured abuse and hate mail following publication of their names in the Young National Front paper Bulldog and other extremist papers. [17] The Western Goals Institute achieved notoriety by inviting Jean-Marie Le Pen (leader of the French National Front) and Alessandra Mussolini (Benito Mussolini's granddaughter, a Deputy sitting for the Italian neo-fascist MSI) to address fringe meetings at the 1992 Conservative Party conference. At the the time the accusation was made, the Hamiltons were taking part in a television documentary, with Louis Theroux following them around has part of his When Louis Met series. Why did Nadine Milroy-Sloan make her own accusation? [5] While at Aberystwyth, he was active in the Federation of Conservative Students; he was a member between 1968 and 1974. [2], Hamilton's father was a GP in Ringwood, Hampshire and she grew up in the New Forest area. The political class have plundered every resource from the working class yet they still feel aggrieved by the one thing they haven't yet stolen their opinions & critique. Their home in Nether Alderley, Cheshire was sold to the market for 1.25 million. He jokingly remarked that when told of winning the award, he thought it was for being the "Twit of the year". If he had, we would have known, because he would have told everyone all about it. [101] He claimed that Hamilton had demanded and had accepted cash payments of up to 110,000,[102] Harrods' gift vouchers and a free holiday at the Htel Ritz Paris in 1987, in return for asking questions in Parliament on behalf of Harrods. So, instead, we pretend mass-acceptance and admiration of people we can despise from the beginning. Both Hamilton and Michael Brown had received a 6,000 honorarium and hospitality from Skoal Bandits. However, Pedley reaffirmed that he "had no intention of withdrawing from the case. No sooner had the Hamiltons arrived in Hong Kong than Neil Hamilton phoned Lord King's office. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [108][2] A year later, Hamilton lost his appeal against the decision,[109] and was refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords on 2 April 2001. Jeremy Paxman states that Conservative Central Office "begged him not to stand, but in a gesture of overweening arrogance, he refused to go quietly. "It wasn't a socking great freebie - it was no more or less than a very large number of other people did. Before the BBC defence lawyers had an opportunity to interrogate Hamilton, the Board of Governors met during the trial and instructed the BBC Board of Management to settle the case: "the BBC executives at this meeting expressed serious doubts about the decision. This does give a little glow of pleasure every time I cross the 15th-century threshold ". [89] On 3 December 1986, Pedley refused the offered settlement terms and asked for a hearing in open court. As a further taunt, at the end of the show, the Hamiltons were handed their "fee" in brown envelopes. [30] Their accuser, Nadine Milroy-Sloan, was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, and in 2002 sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for making the false accusations.[31][32][33][34]. June 2003: Milroy-Sloan is jailed for three years for perverting the course of justice. He came third behind the Labour and Conservative candidates with 2,023 votes (8.6%).[54]. Pedley made a statement from the steps to say he stood by his words in the Panorama programme and restated he had never said the MPs were Nazis, rather their behaviour was part of a pattern that would harm the Party and in the case of Hamilton's Berlin behaviour, the Final YC Report accused Hamilton of "batty eccentricity". [71], The National Young Conservatives hinted at a stitch-up at the BBC. She's gonna be okay! [25], From 1992 to 1994, Hamilton was the Minister for Deregulation and Corporate Affairs in John Major's government. The pair posed naked on the cover of GQ, dressed as Adam and Eve, with only fig leaves covering their lack of modesty. We often can't wait for that satifying arc to occur naturally. The Financial Times reported, "A solicitor for Mr Hamilton and Mr Howarth said later that their linked libel action against Mr Philip Pedley would continue. On entering the Commons, Hamilton was appointed as an officer of the backbench committee on Trade and Industry under the chairmanship of Michael Grylls. The Director-General, Alasdair Milne, stated he was instructed to do so by the Governors of the BBC. Go to Ascot, Covent Garden - packed with MPs. He also taught constitutional law at Hatfield Polytechnic between September 1978 and July 1982. Angus Deayton, the presenter of the panel game, wore a white suit instead of his usual brown one. Oh, okay! He now had a friend in a crucial ministry, and brown envelopes or not, there had been a lavish week at the Ritz to build up a debt of gratitude.Al-Fayed promptly wrote to congratulate Neil Hamilton on his appointment, but the reply came as a rude shock. [30], Prior to the 1997 general election, Hamilton determined to try to retain his parliamentary seat. "I naturally ignored this advice and fed all my intelligence into her campaign." (British TV series) participants, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 November 2022, at 09:29. Find E Notify stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Some Conservative MPs (approximately 40 of the 165) also made contributions. In 1973, as a representative of the Federation of Conservative Students, Hamilton attended a conference of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). When Louis Met. Campbell-Savours claimed this was proof of BBC nobbling and announced that he was sending his evidence to Sir Michael Havers, the Attorney General. He specialised in taxation, trust and property law. Hamilton had given a categorical denial he had made a Nazi salute in Berlin to John Selwyn Gummer, the Party Chairman, in January 1984: But, writing in the Sunday Times, Hamilton admitted making "a little salute" in the Reichstag. "To compare Christine Hamilton with Lady Macbeth is to insult Lady Macbeth" wrote John Sweeney for the Observer. [28] Like some other Conservative ministers, Hamilton had also opposed the treaty and was a member of the Eurosceptic "No Turning Back" group. Hamilton brought legal action for libel against The Guardian. When they went to the police to give their statements they were accompanied by a television crew from the BBC whose offbeat documentary-maker Louis Theroux is filming them. David Davis, then a director of Tate and Lyle, persuaded that company to donate a sum to the cause. Deayton is later sacked. [18], In the theatre, Hamilton has appeared in pantomime in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford in 2002,[19] as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Kettering Lighthouse Theatre in 2011[20] and has taken the role of the narrator for The Rocky Horror Show musical. Only two or three people connected with Tory politics who would have given vital evidence for us now stick to their testimony. TV Shows. Hamilton joined Ian Greer, a parliamentary lobbyist, as a co-plaintiff. Not much. Hamilton became widely associated with sleaze,[2] and was forced to resign his ministerial role. [7] Hamilton worked as her husband's secretary following their 1983 marriage. The Guardian greeted the Hamilton collapse with the headline "A Liar and a Cheat". The witness said, "this was like a bad dream. Anthony Bevans, "Tebbit challenged to make statement on BBC case". Neil: I-I-I didn't see her when I grabbed the wheel -- Nikki: Neil, stop it! Legal career [ edit] From September 1979, Hamilton practised as a barrister. May 1997: Hamilton loses his parliamentary seat to BBC journalist Martin Bell in the wake of ``Cash for Questions'' sleaze allegations. January 2002: The Hamiltons are photographed nude, as Adam and Eve, on the front of GQ magazine. Her points are telling, not just because she fails to understand that those jolly times in the Eighties were extremely damaging to the standing of all politicians, and the low level of trust the public now feels for them, but also because she admits to her longstanding tendency to boast about freebies and be excited by them. The Hamiltons (TV Movie 2001) Christine Hamilton as Self. Hamilton was under investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner as part of the cash for questions enquiry and some party members thought he should stand down after the collapse of his case against The Guardian. Hamilton also sent condolences to Portillo in 2001, when he failed to win that year's leadership election. These included his attending and giving a fraternal speech in 1972 to the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) an Italian neo-fascist party led by one of Benito Mussolini's ex-ministers, Giorgio Almirante,[62] Hamilton's membership of the Eldon League, and his involvement with the Powellite faction of the Monday Club and the far-right activist, George Kennedy Young, the former Deputy Director of MI6 and Chairman of the Society for Individual Freedom. Burnside, a tough Ulsterman, was unamused by the Hamiltons' tricks.