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John Stonehouse

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Politician

The Resume

    (July 28, 1925-April 14, 1988)
    Born in Southampton, England, United Kingdom
    Member of Parliament for Wednesbury (1957-74) and Walsall North (1974-76)
    Postmaster General (1968-69)

Why he might be annoying:

    When businesses he had set up ran into financial difficulties, he began cooking the books.
    When the Department of Trade and Industry began investigating his affairs, he faked his death by drowning in Miami (November 20, 1974).
    He then fled to Australia with his secretary/mistress.
    He was arrested a month later (December 24, 1974) and eventually extradited to Britain after unsuccessfully lobbying for asylum in either Sweden or Mauritius.
    He was convicted of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison (1976).
    He did not resign from Parliament until after his conviction.
    Years after his death, it was revealed that a defector had identified him as a spy for Czechoslovakia, but the information was covered up since there was insufficient evidence that could be presented at a trial.

Why he might not be annoying:

    The House of Commons held a minute's silence for his death. (The fake one, that is. The real one? Not so much.)
    He was busted not because he was recognized but because someone thought he might be the missing Lord Lucan and went to the police with his suspicions.
    He suffered three heart attacks while in jail.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 53 Votes: 64.15% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 79 Votes: 58.23% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 19 Votes: 52.63% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 19 Votes: 73.68% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 19 Votes: 78.95% Annoying