Secret Government File on 'Unnatural' Sexual Behaviour at Westminster Unearthed

A secret file examining the security implications of unnatural sexual behaviour
at Westminster has been unearthed

A secret government file detailing "unnatural" sexual behaviour taking place at Westminster 35 years ago has been unearthed at the National Archives.

The documents were held in the Prime Minister's file series in the 1980s suggesting that the late Baroness Thatcher, the then Prime Minister, may have seen them.

The Cabinet Office has said that the file will be made available to the inquiry into historic child abuse.

The document was uncovered by Dr Chris Murphy, a security and intelligence expert, who was alerted to its title: "PREM19/588 -SECURITY. Allegations against former public [missing word] of unnatural sexual proclivities; security aspects 1980 Oct 27 - 1981 Mar 20."

He told Sky News: "I was looking through the 'PREM' Prime Minister file series for the 1980s. I think I did a double-take and then started wondering what the potential implications of the title, which is a little vague, could be.

"The fact that this file is concerning the Prime Minister and these allegations are being taken to the Prime Minister I think would strike anybody of being potentially of some interest."

Margaret Thatcher

The details of the file remain classified. A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: "In this case, the file was kept closed and retained as it contained information from the security services and advice from the Law Officers. These classifications are reviewed periodically.

"We are clear that any files that are pertinent to the historical child sex abuse inquiry will be made available to the panel."

If there is a panel? It shut itself down today out of frustration for the complete lack of direction from Home Office.

Sir Bernard Ingham told Sky News that he did not recall the file but both he and Mrs Thatcher were aware of allegations against a Government minister in the early 1980s.

He said: "I asked him about it and he denied it, so no, I didn't do anything else. What was the alternative?"

Well, that was a thorough investigation: "Did you engage in perverted sex with children?"

"No." 

"Well, OK then, just checking."