So Cecil Parkinson departs this life. RIP. Son of a railway worker, grammar school boy that won a scholarship to Cambridge. Rose to great heights as one of Thatcher's confidants and trusted ministers, brought down by lust with his secretary.
I wonder if Parkinson was young and in politics today, and was subject to the same events with his secretary Sara Keyes, whether his career would have suffered the same downfall. Are we a bit more tolerant of indiscretions after Paddy Pantsdown and Prescott's escapades with his secretary over the desk, or do we still find it morally reprehensible? Did Parkinson suffer in particular because Keyes allowed herself to get pregnant (it seems it was a deliberate act, on which Cecil was not consulted) Was it that the poor child born subsequently had disabilities? May be we'll get some answers from commentators over the coming days