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Jeffrey Archer, a prolific author who sold over 300 million copies of his books throughout a career spanning five decades, has passed away. Known for his popular series such as the Clifton Chronicles and novels like Kane and Abel, many of his stories were rooted in his hometown of Wellington, Somerset. According to a statement from his publisher HarperCollins, Archer died suddenly yet peacefully at his home on Monday, in between his writing sessions.
Born in north London in 1940, Archer moved early in life to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. His political career began in 1969 when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Louth constituency in Lincolnshire. He served five years as an MP before taking on the role of deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. In 1992, he transitioned to the House of Lords. However, his career was marred by controversy when, in 2001, he was imprisoned for four years following convictions for perjury and perverting the course of justice. These charges related to a libel case he brought against the Daily Star, during which he was found to have lied after being awarded £500,000 in damages over allegations that he had slept with a sex worker. The court discovered that Archer had orchestrated false testimony and fabricated diary entries to support his defense. After serving two years, he was released in 2003 and returned to the House of Lords before retiring in 2024.
The news of Archer’s death was met with sorrow from various political figures. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called it “devastating news,” reflecting on her recent contact with him just a day before his passing. She praised him for his warmth within the Conservative family, acknowledging that he had served his sentence, sought to make amends, and was committed to positive contributions. Former Prime Minister Sir John Major remembered him as someone who had “lived one of the most remarkable lives of our age,” expressing that he would be “much missed – and long remembered.” Archer’s final novel, Adam and Eve, was released on the same day as his death.
Colleagues and friends also shared their reflections. Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth recounted being with Archer just days earlier at a West End event celebrating the new book, describing him as still vibrant and suggesting prison had softened him into a “nicer, gentler” person. Former Conservative leaders and ministers such as Iain Duncan Smith, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, James Cleverly, and Nadim Zahawi all paid tribute, highlighting his larger-than-life personality, storytelling talent, kindness, wit, and the support he offered to friends and family. Their words underscore the broad impact Jeffrey Archer had both in literature and politics over a complex and eventful life
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