John Stonehouse Politician

John Thomson Stonehouse (28 July 1925 – 14 April 1988) was a British Labour Party politician and junior minister under Harold Wilson. Stonehouse is perhaps best remembered for his unsuccessful attempt at faking his own death in 1974.More than twenty years after his death, it was publicly revealed that he had been an agent for the communist Czechoslovak Socialist Republic military intelligence. In 1979 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and top cabinet members learned from a Czech defector that Stonehouse had been a paid Czech spy since 1962. He had provided secrets about government plans as well as technical information about aircraft, and received about £5,000. He was already in prison for fraud and the government decided there was insufficient evidence to bring to trial, so no announcement or prosecution was made.

Personal facts

Birth dateJuly 28, 1925
Birth place
Southampton
Date of deathApril 14, 1988
Place of death
Southampton
Education
London School of Economics

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Office holder

officePostmaster General
other party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
Labour Party (UK)
party
Liberal Democrats
prime minister
Harold Wilson
region
Walsall North (UK Parliament constituency)
Wednesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
successor
Robin Hodgson Baron Hodgson of Astley Abbotts

John Stonehouse on Wikipedia