Jeffrey Archer: successful novelist, disgraced politician and convicted liar
Jeffrey Archer, a prominent British novelist and former Conservative politician, has died at the age of 86. His life was marked by both significant literary success and public scandal, including a conviction for perjury.
Why it matters
Archer was a polarizing figure in British public life, representing the intersection of high-stakes politics and popular culture.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images By Sam Woodhouse Published 26 minutes ago As many have observed, Jeffrey Archer, who has died aged 86, led a life as colourful as the plot in one of his novels.
He was, at one time or other, a senior Conservative politician, a best-selling author, a peer of the realm, and a convicted perjurer.
Possessed of huge drive, vast wealth and immense personal charm, Archer bounced back from disaster and, more than once, rebuilt a shattered life.
But for all his talents, he will be remembered as a man affected by a defective moral compass, whose public humiliation was entirely self-inflicted.
Image source, Dave Benett Collection via Getty Images Image caption, Lord and Lady Archer photographed in 2015
Jeffrey Howard Archer was born in north London on 15 April 1940.
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