Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (born 30 August 1942) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999. Johnathan Aitken (born May 24, 1978 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. ...

Personal details

He was born in Dublin to Sir William Aitken (himself a Conservative MP) and Penelope Aitken, daughter of John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby. He is a great-nephew of newspaper magnate and war-time minister Lord Beaverbrook. He attended Eton College and read law at Christ Church, Oxford. He served as a war correspondent during the 1960s in Vietnam and Biafra, and has written a biography of Richard Nixon. He was also a journalist at Yorkshire Television from 1968 to 1970, presenting the regional news show Calendar. Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Sir William Traven Aiken, KBE (10 June 1905 – 19 January 1964) was a Canadian-born British journalist and politician who was a Member of Parliament for 14 years. ... The Honourable Penelope Loader, Lady Aitken, MBE (2 December 1910–7 February 2005), nicknamed Pempe, was an English socialite. ... John Loader Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby (1 July 1877–1969) was a British civil servant. ... Sir William Maxwell Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (May 25, 1879 - June 9, 1964) was a Canadian–British business tycoon and politician. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It is located in Eton, Berkshire, near Windsor in England, situated north of Windsor... College name Christ Church Named after Jesus Christ Established 1546 Sister College Trinity College Dean The Very Revd Christopher Andrew Lewis JCR President William Dorsey Undergraduates 426 MCR or GCR President {{{MCR President}}} Graduates 154 Home page Boat Club Christ Church (Latin: Ædes Christi, the temple or house of Christ... National motto: Peace, Unity, Freedom Official language English Capital Enugu Head of State Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Area ?- Total ?- % water Population;- Total 13,500,000 (1967) Currency Biafran pound (BIAP) Created May 30, 1967 Dissolved January 15, 1970 Demonym Biafran The Republic of Biafra was a short-lived secessionist state in... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Calendar is the local news programme for Yorkshire Television. ...

His sister is the actress Maria Aitken and his nephew is the actor Jack Davenport. His god-children include Jonathan Michael Cates, a history student at Oxford University, and James Abbott, the son of Labour left-winger Diane Abbott. Maria Aitken is a British actress and director, born 12 September 1945 in Dublin to Sir William Aitken (Conservative MP) and Penelope Aitken, daughter of John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Diane Julie Abbott (born September 27, 1953 in Paddington, London) is a British Labour Party Member of Parliament, representing the Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency. ...

Backbench career

He was elected as MP for Thanet East in the 1974 General Election; from 1983 he sat for South Thanet. A notably handsome man, he managed to offend Margaret Thatcher by ending a relationship with her daughter, Carol Thatcher, and suggesting that Thatcher "probably thinks Sinai is the plural of Sinus" to an Egyptian newspaper. He stayed on the backbenches throughout Thatcher's premiership and engaged in a number of activities, including participation in the re-launch of TV-AM (where he was involved in an incident in which broadcaster Anna Ford threw her wine at him to express her outrage at both his behaviour and the unwelcome consequent transformation of the station). He was eventually offered membership of the Hurlingham Club when he became Minister of State for Defence Procurement under John Major in 1992. Thanet East was a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet, in Kent. ... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ... Creation 1983 MP Stephen Ladyman Party Labour Type House of Commons County Kent EP constituency South East England South Thanet is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ... Carol Thatcher (born 15 August 1953), styled The Hon. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 For other uses of the word Sinai, please see: Sinai (disambiguation). ... The term sinus (Latin for bay, pocket, curve or bosom) is used in various contexts. ... TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992. ... Anna Ford (born 2 October 1943 in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire) is a retired British television presenter, best known as a newsreader. ... The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sporting club in South-West London, in Fulham, built on the site (or extremely close to the site of) Ranelagh Gardens. ... Minister of State is a title borne by officials in certain countries governed under the parliamentary system. ... DPA headquarters, Bristol The Defence Procurement Agency (DPA), is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence responsible for the acquisition of materiel and equipment, as well as associated services, for the British armed forces. ... Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a former British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the British Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

Cabinet membership

He became Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1994, a Cabinet position, but resigned in 1995, to defend himself against accusations that whilst serving as Minister of State for Defence Procurement he violated ministerial rules by allowing an Arab businessman to pay for his stay in the Paris Ritz. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Hôtel Ritz is a hotel located at 15 Place Vendôme, in the heart of Paris, France. ...

Libel action

On 10 April 1995, The Guardian carried a front-page report on Aitken's dealings with leading Saudis. The story was the result of a long investigation carried out by journalists from the newspaper and from Granada TV's World In Action programme. By 5 o'clock that evening, Aitken had called a press conference at the Conservative Party offices in Smith Square, London, denouncing the reports and demanding that the World In Action programme, due to be screened three hours later, withdraw them. is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Granada TV logo, used from 1956 to 1968. ... World in Action was an investigative current affairs series produced by Granada Television in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1998. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Smith Square is a square located in Westminster, part of the City of Westminster in London, which is notable for St. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

During this press conference, Aitken made his notorious speech: "If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight. The fight against falsehood and those who peddle it. My fight begins today. Thank you and good afternoon."[1]

The World In Action film, Jonathan of Arabia, went ahead and Aitken carried out his threat to sue. The action collapsed in June 1997 (a month after he had lost his seat in the 1997 General Election) when the Guardian and Granada produced evidence countering his claim that his wife, Lolicia Aitken, paid for the hotel stay. The evidence consisted of airline vouchers and other documents showing that his wife had, in fact, been in Switzerland at the time when she had allegedly been at the Ritz in Paris. The joint Guardian/Granada investigation indicated an arms deal scam involving Aitken's friend and business partner, the Lebanese businessman Mohammed Said Ayas, a close associate of Prince Mohammed of Saudi Arabia. It was alleged that Aitken had been prepared to have his teenage daughter Victoria lie under oath to support his version of events had the case continued.[2] The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Prince Muhammad bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (Arabic: ‎) (born c. ...

A few days after the libel case collapsed, World In Action broadcast a special edition, which echoed Aitken's "sword of truth" speech. It was entitled The Dagger of Deceit.

Guilty of perjury

Aitken was charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice, and in 1999 was jailed for 18 months, of which he served seven. During the trial, his wife Lolicia, who later left him, was called as a witness to sign a supportive affidavit to the effect that she had paid his Paris hotel bill, but did not appear. In the end, with the case already in court, investigative work by Guardian reporters into Swiss hotel and British Airways records showed that neither Victoria nor Lolicia had been in Paris at the time in question. Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. ... In British law, perversion of the course of justice is a criminal offence in which someone acts in a manner that in some way prevents justice being served on themselves or other parties. ... This article is about the year. ... For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ...

Aitken was unable to cover the legal costs of his trial and was declared bankrupt. As part of the bankruptcy, his trustees settled legal actions against the magazine Private Eye, over the various claims it had made that Aitken was a "serial liar". He also became one of the few people to resign from the Privy Council (another such person was John Stonehouse). Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ... Private Eyes take on the matter John Thomson Stonehouse (28 July 1925 - 14 April 1988) was a British politician and minister under Harold Wilson. ...

Aitken's wife and three daughters -- Victoria and Alexandra Aitken, and Petrina Khashoggi -- turned up to support him when he was sentenced. Petrina was a previously unacknowledged daughter by Soraya Khashoggi, ex-wife of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. On DNA testing at the age of 18, she had turned out to be Aitken's, though Mr Khashoggi had previously accepted her as his own. Adnan Khashoggi (or Kashoggi) (Arabic:عدنان خاشقجي, Turkish: Adnan Kaşıkçı) (born 25 July 1935 in Mecca) is a billionaire Saudi arms-dealer and businessman. ...

Ironically, in view of his later conviction for perjury, in 1993 Aitken published a favourable biography, Nixon: A Life, of former US President Richard Nixon. Although his was not an authorised biography, Aitken was one of the few biographers from whom Nixon accepted questions and to whom he granted interviews. For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ...

Prison stay

During his stay in prison, Aitken claimed to have rediscovered the Bible, learned Greek, and became a student of Christian theology at Oxford University. This part of his life is covered in two autobiographical works called Pride and Perjury and Porridge and Passion. He married his second wife, Elizabeth Harris, in June 2003. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Christian theology is reasoned discourse concerning... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The Honourable Joan Elizabeth Rees-Williams (born 1 May 1936) is a Welsh socialite. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He gave a talk called "I Want to Break Free" at Holy Trinity Brompton in January 2006 where Nicky Gumbel described him as a "great friend"[3]. Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) is an Evangelical Anglican church in Knightsbridge, London. ... Nicholas (Nicky) Glyn Paul Gumbel (born April 28, 1955 in London) is an Ordained Anglican priest, Vicar and author. ...

Have I Got News For You

He appeared on an episode of Have I Got News For You after his prison sentence and was confronted by team captain Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye, who produced a letter confirming Aitken's bankruptcy and announced that Aitken owed the magazine over £13,000. Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show; produced by Hat Trick Productions and a flagship programme for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been running since 1990. ... Ian Hislop (born 13 July 1960) is the editor of British satirical magazine Private Eye, a team captain on the popular satirical current affairs quiz Have I Got News for You and a comedy scriptwriter. ... Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... “GBP” redirects here. ...

Political comeback foiled

In 2004, his proposed return to British politics, in which he was supported by his former constituents, was vetoed by Conservative Party leader Michael Howard. Aitken later confirmed that he would not attempt a return to Parliament. He is quoted as saying: "The leader has spoken. I accept his judgement with good grace." He denied rumours he was to stand as an independent candidate insisting that he was not a "spoiler". Consequently a return to full time politics looked unlikely. However, on October 2, 2004, he attended the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) conference and announced his support for the party. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Politics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland take place in the framework of a constitutional monarchy in which the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government. ... The Rt Hon. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, pronounced //) is a British political party. ...

Ashley Merry, Veritas Party Defence spokesman, is public relations advisor to Aitken. Veritas is a political party in the United Kingdom, formed in February 2005 by politician-celebrity Robert Kilroy-Silk following a split from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

External links and references

• Guardian Special Report – The Aitken Affair
• Aitken, Jonathan, "Pride and Perjury", HarperCollins, London, 2000, ISBN 0-00-274075-3
• The Outrageous Cant of Jonathan Aitken and His Friends. By the Man Who Started the Story summary by Peter Preston from The Guardian
• Interview with Jonathan at Premier.tv
• An evening with Jonathan Aitken – Aitken tells the story of his perjury and walk of faith to an audience at St George's Church in Leeds, UK. The talk is available as a podcast. Follow the listen again links to iTunes or search any podcast directory for St George's Church.
• Jonathan Aitken at the Internet Movie Database
• Luke Harding, David Leigh and David Pallister (1997), The Liar: The Fall of Jonathan Aitken, London: Penguin Books Ltd.