A former government minister in the UK has paid glowing tribute to politician and author Jeffrey Archer, describing him as a “larger-than-life personality.”
Archer, who has died aged 86, was a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher.
He was also a best-selling author who sold more than 300 million books worldwide
Speaking a few days ago, he said that his latest book, Adam and Eve, would be his last.
It was due to be published globally on Tuesday (6 October).
Reports said he died peacefully at home in the UK on Monday between writing sessions.
Archer, who became an MP in the UK at the age of just 29, had led a highly colourful life and had even served a term of imprisonment. He served part of his sentence at Belmarsh, a category A prison in London and, typically, he used part of his time to write a book.
After his release, having served half of his sentence, he said, “I learned a lot from it. The British people are very forgiving.”
Paying tribute on Tuesday, Denis MacShane, a former Europe minister in the UK, told this site on Tuesday that Archer had “treated politics as the most serious game in town which is why any chat with him about the state of who was up and who was down was always worthwhile.”
He added, “His political novels were fiction or were they? When he appeared on TV he just came across as the guy who would share a pint with in a pub and come away better informed.”
MacShane. a Labour politician, said, “The po-faced obsessions of recent generations of Tory political leaders turned people off politics.
“The obsession with Europe or migrants was never shared by Lord Archer. He followed the party line but the banging on and on and on and on about how a ramshackle collection of European nations, all rivals one with the other, were a dastardly plot to do down the British people was of no interest to Archer.
“He made mistakes and paid a price in terms of court judgements but he merged with that cheeky, friendly smile on his face and anyone would prefer sitting next to him at dinner than po-faced, constipated minister or his shadow.”
He said, “There are no big personalities in British politics. Plenty of serious men and women who mean well but we miss the larger than life personalities like Jeffrey Archer.”
Further tribute came from Lord Richard Balfe, a former MEP, who said, “Whilst I was President of Cambridge Conservative from 2013 to 2018 I got to know Jeffrey fairly well as he was our most distinguished local Conservative member.
“I always got on well with him as well as with Mary who of course has worked hard for local charities in and around Cambridge.”
“Jeffrey was always willing to help. He came to our dinners and conducted auctions for local Party funds. He was generous to the local Party but never tried to put himself forward as anything more than a good local Party man.
“I wish we had a few more like him,” he told this website.
Archer’s death came less than 24 hours after he signed books for hundreds of fans at a sold-out event in London. He had been due to be at the Cheltenham festival later in the month to discuss his forthcoming novel. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and their sons, William and James.
