Book Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements - Introduction - 1.MPs Available for Hire - 2.Buying and Selling MPs on a Large Scale - 3.MP Fiddles and Some Reluctant Lords - 4.The Power of Patronage - 5.The Truth About Party Funding - 6.Sex, Money and Power - 7.Whipping and the Death of Conscience - 8.Secrets of Ministers and Civil Servants - 9.Trade Scandals and Arms Deals - 10.The Changing Culture - 11.Rebuilding the House - 12.Christians in Politics - Notes - A Short Bibliography

The Truth about Westminster - book by Dr Patrick Dixon - published by Hodder 1996

I am indebted to more than seventy individuals with several hundred years of cumulative experience between them of public and political service, whether as Ministers, backbenchers, Peers, civil servants, party officials and others. Some have been willing to be identified and are described in the positions they held at the time of writing, while others have chosen to remain anonymous, but all have contributed invaluable(", insights, comments and background, or have helped debate the issues.

I am also grateful for the co-operation of the Cabinet Office, and of the librarians of the House of Commons, House of Lords and Westminster Reference Library, who have all helped locate important information. All sources are acknowledged except in the case of some anonymous comments made in interviews.

I have appreciated comments and perspectives from a number of people who have read part or all of the book at various stages In particular I would like to thank His Honour Judge Christopher Compston and Christopher Graffius, together With Araminta Whitley at Peters Fraser and Dunlop. I would like to thank the people at Kingsway, and in particular Rachel Ashley-Pain, for helping produce the book so rapidly from text to publication.

Thanks are also due to Sheila, my wife, for her support and encouragement, comments and corrections, as well as substantial help with the analysis of House of Lords voting patterns; and to John, Caroline, Elizabeth and Paul, who cheerfully put up with the long writing process.

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