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Tom Spencer

The Knitting Circle: Parliamentarians

Biography,press cuttings.

British Member of the European Parliament for the Conservative Party, 1988-1999.

MEP for the Guildford area in Surrey from 1988, and formerly the leader of the Conservatives at Strasbourg.

He was forced to come out as gay after details of his arrest for smuggling gay erotica and drugs from Amsterdam were leaked to the press. He made his announcement on Saturday 30th. January, 1999. He had been fined 550 for importing a gay video tape and 1.5 grammes of cannibis and cocaine into Heathrow airport. He said that while in Amsterdam he had been given a small package of cannibis and cocaine which he should have thrown away, but absent-mindedly he put into his travelling bag. When returning to the UK on 20th. January Customs at Heathrow airport discovered the drugs, the gay video tape, a sexual accessory, and a black leather suit with a waistcoat and hood. (The video tape featured American porn star Cole Tucker with whom Tom Spencer acknowledged that he had had an affair.) The next day Customs interviewed him and gave him a caution and the fine. This was routine for a first offence, and he would not receive a criminal record and the matter should have remained confidential.

He had been married to his wife Liz for 20 years and had two daughters, Venetia born in 1981, and Sophie born in 1983. His wife also had daughter from a previous marriage, Lorna born in 1976.

On 31st. January Tom Spencer announced that he would stand down as a candidate for the European Parliament at the June elections.

• 'I'm gay and smoke dope' - Tory MEPby Rachel Sylvester inThe Independent on Sunday, 31st. January, 1999, page 2. "e;Tom Spencer, who has been married for 20 years and has two daughters, yesterday admitted being 'very foolish' after he was stopped by Customs officers at Heathrow when he flew in from Amsterdam. But he said: 'I intend to be entirely honest about this. I'm gay and I've always been gay - my wife and I discussed this before we were married."e;

  "e;Yesterday, he admitted smoking cannabis occasionally, although he denied he was a 'drug user'. 'I suppose I'm like all children of the 1960s - although unlike President Clinton I did inhale - but it's not central to my life', he said."e;

• Gay MEP fined for drugs and pornby John Sweeney, Patrick Wintour and Hal Austin inThe Observer, 31st. January, 1999, pages 1-2. "e; 'I've always been gay', he toldThe Observeryesterday. 'My wife Liz and I met at university and discussed my homosexuality long before we married. It was like marrying your best friend. It sounds strange, but we have been very happy'."e;

  "e;Yesterday Spencer quoted Anatole France: 'Of all sexual perversions, chastity is the most peculiar.' And he added: 'I'm not capable of it'."e;

• Tory MEP found with drugs and gay pornby Stephen Grey and Michael Prescott inThe Sunday Times, 31st. January, 1999, page 2. "e;Tom Spencer, 50, a former leader of the Tory MEPs who has represented Surrey since 1988, said: 'in an act of crass stupidity' he left two joints of cannabis and a gay video in his briefcase after a weekend trip for homosexual sex in Amsterdam a fortnight ago."e;

  "e;Spencer, who has been selected as candidate to restand in June's European elections as No 2 in the list of Tories in southeast England, said he had never made any secret of being homosexual or his support for the legalisation of cannabis. But the Conservative party said last night it would convene an inquiry to examine his conduct."e;

• Tory MEP who smuggled drugs and porn quits: Spencer vows not to contest safe seat in June as whip is withdrawnby Lucy Ward and Stephen Bates inThe Guardian, 1st. February, 1999, page 1. "e;Tom Spencer, the Conservative Euro-MP fined for importing cocaine, cannabis and gay pornography, last night bowed to pressure from his party leadership and announced he would stand down as candidate in European elections in June."e;

  "e;He said: 'I have concluded it is in the best interests of all concerned that I should withdraw from the party's list for the next European elections'."e;

• Tory MEP resigns over porn and drugs scandalby Paul Waugh inThe Independent, 1st. February, 1999, page 1. "e;Tome Spencer, MEP for Surrey, had the Conservative whip withdrawn and will be excluded from all party activities in the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg."e;

• Double Dutch life of a Tory leader in Europeby Paul Waugh inThe Independent, 1st. February, 1999, page 2. "e; 'Of all sexual perversions, chastity is the most peculiar. I am not capable of it.' By paraphrasing Aldous Huxley to deflect from revelations about his homosexuality, the Tory MEP Tom Spencer was flamboyant right up to the last."e;

• Spot the differenceby Joan Smith inThe Guardian G2, 2nd. February, 1999, pages 6-7. An article contrasting the outcome of the scandal when David Mellor's adultory was reported by the press in 1992 and when Tom Spencer's fine by Customs was reported.

• Smoking out the hypocritesby Deborah Orr inThe Independent: The Wednesday Review, 3rd. February, 1999, page 5. "e;It's an emerging pattern. The law no longer feels it is useful to mete out serious punishment on some matters - particularly for crimes involving personal drug use - but employers take up the gauntlet instead, not just in high-profile cases such as this one, but routinely as workplace drug-testing becomes ever more prevalent. Why is it that employers can be judge and jury, while judges and juries are not considered to be necessary in resolving these matters? Surely there is something intrinsically unfair and undemocratic in the trend towards civil punishment."e;

• Porn and prejudiceby David Bridle inThe Pink Paper, 5th. February, 1999, issue 569, page 8. "e;The story of the Tory MEP, the US porn star and their weekend in the bars of Amsterdam tore open the closet doors of a high profile married public figure in a way no other story has done for a decade. And with it, other prejudices have fallen by the way. As Liz Spencer put it, the story of her marriage could be a 'learning experience' for many people."e;

• Named but not shamed: Tabloid reporters tried to destroy Tom Spencer - but it was they who needed tea and sympathyby John Sweeney inThe Observer Review, 14th. February, 1999, page 3.

• Tory MEP's Porn Star Lover SpeaksinAttitude, 1st. April, 1999, page 16. "e; 'You've got to understand what we were,' says Tucker. 'I picked Tom up in Atlanta. This was not an escort situation. I gave him my number. I happen to like big hairy bears. Tom ended up being a very, very fascinating man. We met twice more in America and then in Amsterdam. I love Tom and he loves me. It's not looooove, if you know what I mean. I'm very fond of this man. We have a physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual relationship. On a scale of one to ten, we score an eight on each at any time. There are reasons why we're fond of each other'."e;

  "e;He started making porn films two years ago, at 43, and quickly rose to the top of his profession. He's just been awarded the 'Gay Performer Of The Year' award at the US GayVN awards."e;

Biography,press cuttings.

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First uploaded 7th. February, 1999.

Last altered 11th. June, 2001