Scallywag Magazine Tory scandals in Westminster

 SCALLYWAG story on scandal in Westminster City 

 

Council Clique

As in the right-wing clique in Smith Square, with social headquarters in Dolphin Square, so they were able to put up a bold front in the Westminster City Council so discredited by the Dame Porter fiasco of selling council houses to pals for cash and support. And here again, it was predominantly, and quite overtly, gay. Tony Karpel, now a special adviser to Kenneth Baker, was not only a prominent force in the council itself at the time, but had joined the CCO at the very same time as Julian Lewis, and shared his sympathies, both for extreme right-wing politics, and his fondness for male company. You would be more than correct to put them down as bosom pals and political flatmates.

As you weave your way through the insidious net of dirty tricks, gerrymandering, the more sordid side of lobbying through sex, as we have, the more you keep coming across the name of Tony Karpel.
Karpel and CO's peers on the council included the crucial Chairman of Planning, Robert Davies, the Deputy Chairman, Simon Milton, the leader, Miles Young, and Cllrs Martindale, Alan Bradley, Alex Segal, Avery and Mortland. All these belonged to the clique who invariably went out in small groups to the more insalubrious "Boys' Clubs" in the Soho area where their council was, in fact, also the landlords.
Martindale even once toured the clubs in a Ministry car lent to him to go on a late night tour with a handful of pals.

More often they would collect at one of the on-going soirées in Dolphin Square, where, of course, again, their council were the ultimate landlords.

While Karpel retained his very close relationship with the CCO, Deputy Chairman Simon Milton was helping Ian Greer and Associates - the lobby group specially set up to pander to the 100 known Tory gays in Westminster. He then left to start up his own lobby group called ABCO.