Departures of note

Jeffrey Howard Archer was a best-selling British novelist and former Conservative politician. Over a career spanning more than five decades he sold over 300 million books worldwide, with bestselling titles including Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, and The Clifton Chronicles, and he sat in the House of Lords as Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare. Before devoting himself to writing, Archer served as a Conservative MP for Louth, Lincolnshire, from 1969 to 1974 and was deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in the 1980s. His political career was overshadowed by scandal, including a 2001 conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice that led to a prison sentence. After his release he rebuilt his literary reputation and published a series of further bestsellers. He died suddenly and peacefully at his home on 5 October 2026, aged 86, after a battle with prostate cancer, days before a planned appearance promoting a new book.