Back in Melbourne on December 11, there was more crazy banking for my father to do. John Stonehouse's (Matthew Macfadyen) head bobs above the water. MORE:Stonehouse star Matthew Macfadyen reveals concerns ahead of working with wife Keeley Hawes. Stonehouse was a member of Harold Wilsons cabinet as aviation minister and postmaster general, but his career crashed when he was named in 1969 as an agent of the Czech secret service. 's newsletter, you acknowledge that you have read and accepted hellomagazine.com's privacy policy, the cookies policy, and the website terms of use, and that you consent to hellomagazine.com using your data according to the established laws. Again, the rumours were utterly unfounded. ITVs scintillating three-part drama Stonehouse has gripped viewers this week. This is the sorry tale of Sheila Buckley, but the story has been revisited several times, and this time it will be no less of a hassle to the widows existence. Also Read: How To Watch Stonehouse Episodes? After her education could be finished, she started her serious job. She puts his behaviour down to depression, breakdown and use of prescription drugs, said Hayes. Towards the end of episode 1, there's some tension between Barbara Stonehouse (his wife) and Sheila Buckley (his secretary). In the center of this photograph from a nearby Hampshire market town stands Sheila Buckley, an obscure woman who once scandalized British politics by dating John Stonehouse, a Communist traitor turned MP. His problems had begun in 1969, when he was accused by a defector from the Czech secret service of being a spy, because of his constituency and ministerial links with the country. She was wrong. Julia has stated not only has she, her mother Barbara and her siblings had previously been hurt by the spy claims, but Sheila and her son too were left upset. She concluded: My father taught me something invaluable: that the world can be changed if people talk enough and work enough together. He died of a heart attack in 1988 aged 62. The thriller, Stonehouse, directed by Jon S. Baird and written by John Preston, will be explored how a Labour candidate and senior in Harold Wilson's government managed to disappear one day mysteriously. John Stonehouse, pictured in August 1975, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for fraud, theft and deception. What really happened when West Midlands MP John Stonehouse faked his own death A new drama is currently being shown on ITV about the former Wednesbury MP who faked his own death amid the assertion that he was a Czechoslovak spy - here are 11 photos of the real John Stonehouse By Joe Forte 4th Jan 2023, 12:43pm Nearer to home, my father was sailing close to the wind with his own export businesses. Thats why Im quite certain that a honeytrap was never on the agenda, he said. "What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of legend. Barbara was left deeply upset by the admission but also told Sheila how John had had many affairs in the past. Sheila Buckley, the secretary and mistress, later wife of John Stonehouse, circa 1980 Credit: Keystone His reappearance was to prove a mixed blessing for Harold Wilson. According to the Daily Mail, she lives alone in an isolated 700,000 property in the English county Romsey on the chalk stream, River Test. At the beginning of December, my mother Barbara had a call from a newspaper reporter asking about a flat my father rented at Petty France, Westminster. The Labour MP for Walsall North had been a high-flyer in Harold Wilson's government of 1964 but just years later found himself in financial ruin, in the midst of an extramarital affair and had been questioned by MI5 about spying for the Czech secret service. Ms Buckley. Stonehouse was a controlling person, Townley added. He could walk down the street, go for a meal and conduct business without people having any opinion, good or bad, about him. [28] After release [ edit] At a party for After Dark in 1987 However, his plans to leave behind his wife Barbara Joan Stonehouse (Keeley Hawes) and children for his mistress Shiela Buckley (Emer Heatley) didnt quite pan out. I wanted to be as sympathetic as possible to everyone involved and so I hope that no one is treated particularly harshly in it, actually. Unsurprisingly, this erratic activity aroused suspicion. Stonehouse writer John Preston has revealed the real-life Barbara and Sheila's reaction to the ITV drama, Stonehouse star Matthew Macfadyen reveals concerns ahead of working with wife Keeley Hawes, Stonehouse viewers saying same thing about Matthew Macfadyen drama, Everything you need to know about Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen's relationship. She fell in love with a married boss who faked his death. ' he wrote. 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After stealing the identities of two deceased . In 1988, he died after a heart attack,. 17:01 EST 10 Jul 2021 Upon his release, he married Buckley, and the couple were together until he died in 1988. Work: where is Sheila Buckley now? Their son James was born a year later and still visits her regularly at her 1980s red-brick home, running errands and bringing her shopping. Streaming Guide. 'I didn . On November 7, 1978, he underwent a six-hour open heart procedure. Sheila left the car. Facing Charges of alleging fraud, forgery and conspiracy involving 70,000. he was refused . "What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of legend," said Macfadyen, who takes on the lead role. Hayes, who has clear childhood memories of Stonehouse and the impact of his disappearance in 1974 on the family, said little of the dramatised version was strictly factual. He was utterly distraught and incoherent, she said. After her bosses had to rotin the prisons the night, Buckley appeared at Bow Street Judges Courthouse. 'Why won't they let him die?' I've lost count of the number of flights he took between November 20 and December 10. John Stonehouse, My Father: The True Story Of The Runaway MP, by Julia Stonehouse, is published by Icon on July 19 at 16.99. Emer Heatley portrayed Sheila Buckley in ITV's Stonehouse ITV In The Real Stonehouse, an ITV documentary released in tandem with the series, retired Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector. You can know what transpired to the actual John Stonehouse when the defunct Labour MP abandoned his devoted spouse for a mistress and staged his demise during this weeks episode of the ITV series Stonehouse. By the middle of 1974, he had decided he had had enough. John Stonehouse MP faked his own death - and his family can't agree on the truth As the MP who faked his own death in 1974 comes to the small screen as an ITV drama, his relations are still at. She was once the glamorous brunette whose lover, the notorious John Stonehouse MP, scandalised Westminster. He knew what he was doing., Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning, Hayes said he pored over detailed files in Czech archives while researching his biography. She went on to say the entire family found the series emotionally damaging and didnt collaborate on it. None of the options was good, but as a huge police and coastguard search went on in Florida, we still clung on to hope. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. They stayed together until Stonehouses death from a major heart attack. Lucan was the other big character the world was looking for at the time, having gone missing in the same month as my father after allegedly killing his children's nanny. In 2010, classified Government papers were released showing that in 1980 Margaret Thatchers attorney general, Sir Michael Havers repeated the allegation. Express. Stonehouses daughter, Julia, dismissed the spy claims in her own book, John Stonehouse, My Father, published in 2021. Only later would she find out that 'it' meant his whole life. At the time she thought he meant he couldn't take any more of the stress of endlessly travelling the globe trying to set up business deals. Stonehouse and Buckley stayed together following his arrest and sentencing, and Buckley would regularly visit him in prison. Theres no way on earth that anybody would swallow it as a plot line. To flee the enormous debts he had accrued, Stonehouse started a new covert life using a deceased gentleman, called John Markhams passport, while authorities questioned his enigmatic death. Also read: 100 Best Action TV Shows To Watch on Netflix All About The Plot Of Stonehouse Josef Frolk, a dissident from the Czech spy agencies, charged Stonehouse in 1969 with spying for Czechoslovakia. Stonehouse used a new alias after faking his own death, but his ruse only lasted a month before the Australian authorities arrested him, though believing he was a different fugitive. The MP was extradited to the UK six months later, and was held at Brixton Prison until being released, whereupon he resumed duties as the member for Walsall North. Hayes is also one of the contributors featured in the ITV documentary The Real Stonehouse, alongside many others including Edwina Currie and Harold Wilsons Private Secretary Robin Butler. Later that afternoon my father was allowed to make a call to my mother. A drama series depicting the curious story of MP John Stonehouse faking his own death begins on ITV tonight (Jan 2). But it doesnt stand up to scrutiny and it certainly wasnt believed by the jury in his trial.. James Swaider. He didn't know it, but his luck had run out. they asked him. Through his own careless behaviour he had managed to raise the alarm within only 48 hours of his arrival. Many of the intimate details of Buckleys relationship with Stonehouse were disclosed by Metropolitan Police superintendent David Townley in the docuseriesThe Real Stonehouse. John Stonehouse, pictured in August 1975, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for fraud, theft and deception. On November 22 my older sister Jane wrote in her diary: 'I just hope they never find his body, then I can imagine him starting a new life.'. She is known as the wife of John Stonehouse and served in Prime Minister Harold Wilson's cabinet as a member of the British Labour and co-operative Parties. A committed supporter of developing nations, he had in 1971 helped set up the Bangladesh Fund a way of allowing Bengali citizens living in the UK to support their government in exile. In December 1982, their son James William John was born. The disgraced politician was foiled after the police caught him in 1974, believing he was missing aristocrat Lord Lucan. A look at what happened to the real John Stonehouse after his life was explored in new ITV smash-hit show. She ended up with [a suspended sentence of] two years in prison for being in love with someone. It wasn't 'all over'. During his time in prison, he suffered a series of heart attacks and underwent open-heart surgery. His first wife remained married to him for several more years but Barbara and John parted ways in 1978 and he went on to marry Sheila in 1981. After all he suffered, he is at peace. She has had a very modest life and seldom ever discusses her romance. Taken with alcohol, it can be fatal. ITVs Stonehouse drama showcased the pair in the midst of a high-profile scandal. Sheila is now in her 80s and is said to leave a "sedate life" gardening and helping clients with their tax returns, The Daily Mail reported in 2021. Barbara went Down Under on the understanding Sheila wasnt there, however, she was left dismayed when she found the other woman with him. At the time of his disappearance he owed at least 75,000 (the equivalent of 800,000 today). Although never proved, the accusations threw a dark cloak of suspicion round him. But why is everyone so enthusiastic about this series, and who was Sheila Buckley? The tale will be told in three episodes and features many familiar faces. 'I can't take it any more,' he'd told her. Shoppers say this new no-needle 'instant filler' is a game changer for lines and wrinkles, This 'curated ear design' brand is a go-to for fashion influencers - and we have a discount, 6 of our favourite bags from the luxe new accessories label to know. Side effects include depression, anxiety, paranoia, confusion, poor decision-making and an increased risk of suicide. He survived, but on April 14 he was admitted to Southampton General hospital. For Ms Buckley, then a 22-year-old ingenue impressed by her dashing boss, Stonehouse was not just her mentor, but also a shoulder to cry on after she discovered her husband had cheated on her and began divorce proceedings. In exchange for political inside information, he would eventually be paid a tidy 5,000 (76,000 in today's money), in cash and untraceable. It's not known how much tension, if any, there was between the two women. And now escape was beckoning, enticing him towards a new existence free of financial, political and emotional stress and perhaps, above all, the pain of being called a traitor to the country he'd worked so hard for all his life. 23:37 GMT 30 Jul 2021. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. He then incredibly asked his wife Barbara if both she and Sheila could come out to Australia. But one of the most scandalous episodes in British political history is about to be excavated as two of Stonehouse's family members have written books about the events leading to his capture and imprisonment. By . He asked her to write to him at the Bank of New Zealand under one of his new identities. Sheila said the calls were difficult to follow because he was speaking about himself in the third person, telling her that 'John' had to get away from the pressures in England. On 6 September 1978 Stonehouse suffered a coronary ischemia attack which required him to spend three days in hospital. READ MORE:Here's a look at the wife of disgraced MP John Stonehouse. Stonehouse subsequently faced a 68-day trial, making the longest dock statement in British history, lasting six days the ancient right was later abolished as a result. Sheila Buckley now: What happened to John Stonehouse's second wife portrayed by Emer Heatley in ITV drama,Stonehouse was once seen as one the the party's most promising prospects, but his career ended in bizarre fashion when he faked his own death in 1974 Sheila Buckley, an inconspicuous woman who once scandalized British politics by dating John Stonehouse, a Communist traitor turned MP, is shown in the center of this image from a small market villa News Phobia @NewsPhobia1 Jan 3 At a meeting with the producers, he expressed certain views about the drama. It was utterly callous and heartless., ITV said: Based on years of extensive research, the writer John Preston dramatised the aspects that interested him most and has created a rich, colourful and poignant account of an unforgettable politician., Stonehouse is available on ITVX. A honeytrap executed by the Czech secret services has been substituted for the real-life slow insidious grooming of the Labour MP for Wednesbury and Walsall North, he said. I think I'm going to have his baby.'. Sheila Buckley, and acted as a spy for the Czech Secret Service in the 1960s. After divorcing his loving wife Barbara Smith and marrying his mistress Sheila Buckley, Stonehouse attempted to turn his life around, but died at the age of 62. I'm also a video game enthusiast, always trying out something new. It must have been a terrible shock to her, and to Mrs Markham, to find their husbands' names being used in this way. ITVs latest three-part drama Stonehouse tells the true story of Labour MP John Stonehouse, played by Successions Matthew Macfayden, who faked his death to set up a new life in Australia with his secretary Sheila Buckley (Emer Heatley). In court, Stonehouse had tried to mount a defence that he'd been in the throes of a mental breakdown and had taken on the alter ego of his dead constituent, even convincing psychiatrists of his split personality. When Msr Stonehouse threatened to leave her husband if Ms Buckley stayed, he threatened to kill himself, then collapsed into Sheila's arms and his wife realised he had made his choice, according to Hayes. The allegation was levelled after the MP made a series of visits to the country, which was then part of the Soviet Eastern Bloc, but he defended himself and remained in office. Most of Johns family is not in the spotlight, however, his daughter Julia has spoken and written prolifically about her father. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. This three-part series . . He also visited a Mrs Markham, widow of Joseph Markham. 14:20 GMT 30 Jul 2021 Sheila has remained private and rarely speaks out about her late husband. 00:03:09. One was Sheila Buckley, my father's secretary somebody we had known well for years. Emer's entry into the filming industry was marked in 2021 when she graced the role of PC Cuts . I just really wanted to give equal weight to all those things.". In fact, he was going to start to a new life in Australia with his secretary and mistress Sheila Buckley. After he failed to return, he was presumed drowned, leaving a wife and three children. READ MORE:We look at disgraced MP John Stonehouse's family. After he was caught, Stonehouse phoned his wife to tell her that he was in fact, not dead. Stonehouse attempted to start a new life in Australia, having left his wife Barbara (played by Macfadyens real life wife, Keeley Hawes) for his assistant Sheila Buckley (Emer Heatley), while he was also rumoured to have been spying for Czechoslovakia. She only found out John had been having an affair after he went missing and she was contacted by a newspaper reporter asking about a rented flat in Westminster. But they would cast aspersions on his integrity for the rest of his life. According to the Daily Mail, James visits his elderly mother Sheila who is living a quiet life away from the spotlight and working as a chartered accountant. Stonehouse is streaming ITVX now and The Real Stonehouse will be airing on ITV1 tonight at 9pm. 'He betrayed everybody - his family, his constituents, his party, the country.'. He had a son named James William John with Sheila in December 1982. Kevin R McNally ( The Crown) - Plays Harold Wilson. He knew that his wife and children would believe he was dead. Sheila, who was 21 years his junior, and John welcomed their son James William John in 1982. He was once seen as one the the partys most promising prospects, but his career ended in bizarre fashion when he faked his own death in 1974. After disappearing in Florida, the dishonest politician, who was in financial distress, reappeared in Australia, where he freed himself from his former family and his financial obligations. It's unbelievable to us, the family, that my father should do something as cold-hearted as having a conversation with two widows with a view to adopting their husbands' names. In a trick borrowed from Frederick Forsyth's Day of the Jackal, he obtained fake passports using birth certificates of two dead constituents and wired himself money in their names in Australia as he embarked on a new life. The three policemen stood over him, holding back his arms. Sheila asked whether she should let the family know he was alive, and he'd said 'no'. She didn't know anything about it. After three days on the phone trying to track her down, my mother finally caught up with Sheila and they arranged to meet. He was travelling with Jim Charlton, the deputy chairman of his trade and export company, Global Imex. By The crook attempted to escape a British courtroom by seeking refuge in Sweden and Mauritius, however, Scotland Yard police, much like Sherlock Holmes, ultimately brought him back to London. On the morning of Christmas Eve, my father went to a bank then ran to catch a waiting train. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Stonehouse airs on Tuesday 3 January at 9pm on ITV. The reporter mentioned a number of names including Sheila, whom Barbara and the family had known well because she was Johns secretary. Unknown to him, eight police officers were taking it in turns to follow him, and intercepting his letters from Sheila. What Happened To Sheila Buckley? ', Sheila told my mother she'd been his mistress for a long time, that he loved her and that he waited on her hand and foot. Stonehouse was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Buckley received a suspended sentence of two years. Stonehouse didn't submit a resignation until after he was convicted of theft, fraud and deception and jailed for seven years. Sheila Buckley, former secretary to British MP John Stonehouse, outside the Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, London, 1976. Nobody had any idea of the degree of my father's mental collapse. He left behind a tidy mound of garments. Few of those in the neighbourhood where she has lived for decades know of her complicated past. In one of the most astonishing scandals in British history, former Postmaster General Stonehouse went on the run when a string of crooked business deals finally caught up with him. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. RME113E5 - Jul. He has never been found. If theyd said, John, wed like you to spy for us, hed have said no. Julia Stonehouse For The Mail On Sunday Sheila Buckley was the former secretary and mistress of the politician (Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) She has claimed the politician made moves, but she had no interest. His problems were compounded by worsening financial troubles and an affair with his secretary, Sheila Buckley. It was an incredible act for a former government. He now had seven accounts at four banks. He was also a regular user of Mogadon, a benzodiazepine whose recognised side effects include depression, impairment of judgment, delusions and schizophrenia. 'It would be politically very embarrassing for government to go ahead with the prosecution,' Hayes said, adding that there weren't enough witnesses willing to come forward for a trial. They said a girl lived there, and read out some names. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. He was first elected as Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament (MP) for Wednesbury in Staffordshire in a 1957 . They also cost him his political career a year later. Stonehouse was accused of being a spy for Czechoslovakia in 1969 by Josef Frolk, a defector from the Czech secret services. He was widely assumed to have died from suicide, with his wife saying: All the evidence that weve had points to the fact he was drowned.. My father would later acquire copies of birth certificates for both Clive Mildoon and Joseph Markham, and falsely obtain one passport in the name of Markham. Stonehouse underwent three days in the hospital after suffering a cardiac ischemia event on September 6, 1978. Stonehouse was eventually arrested in Melbourne and deported back to the UK, where he remained a Labour MP because the party did not expel him, owing to their narrow majority in the House of . The ITV show stars the real-life married couple Matthew Macfadyen as Stonehouse and Keeley Hawes as Barbara, who was married to the disgraced Labour MP and former cabinet minister at the time of his disappearance. Stonehouse used a new alias after faking his own death, but his ruse only lasted a. Sheila Buckley. She was an attractive brunette who gave in to John Stonehouse, who she knew wasa married party member. Barabara Stonehouse who now identifies herself as Barbara Flexney-Briscoe is the first wife of former UK MP John Stonehouse. He said he was contacting her because he had a motion going through the Commons about the children of one-parent families, and explained that he had some questions to ask her about her husband. Sir Michael added that if Stonehouse was confronted, it was quite likely he would make a public fuss and claim that he was being persecuted by the Government. Hayes, a lawyer, saw a preview of the first episode of the three-part drama and read the scripts as part of a consultation. It's so out of character for the John Stonehouse we knew. DON'T MISSGB News uproar over claims Meghan and Harry milking Dianas legacy[VIEWER REACTION]Ruth Langsford shares Eamonn Holmes bedroom confession[UPDATE]Lorraine Kelly shut down by rail boss over strike 'celebrity' probe'[VIDEO]. Jury in his trial.. James Swaider least 75,000 ( the Crown ) - Plays Harold Wilson confusion. The reporter mentioned a number of flights he took between November 20 and December 10 to give equal to!, who she knew wasa married party Member his trade and export company, Global Imex i think 'm! His whole life the prisons the night, Buckley appeared at Bow Street Judges Courthouse in... Incredible act for a former Government claims in her own book, John Stonehouse 's.! She has lived for decades know of her complicated past father was allowed to make a call to mother. 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