A former politician, Jeffrey Archer, has died aged 86, his publisher announced in a statement.
Archer, who was a Conservative MP for five years before serving as the party’s deputy chairman, died peacefully at his home between writing sessions on Monday, Harper Collins UK said. He had a successful career as a novelist and was made a life peer in 1992. His political career was paused in 2001 with the disgrace of his imprisonment for four years for perjury and perverting the course of justice.
An Old Bailey jury found that he had lied in a libel action he had brought against The Star newspaper 13 years earlier, in which he was awarded £500,000 damages. He was released early in 2003 and returned to the House of Lords until he retired in 2024.
Kate Elton, Harper Collins UK chief executive and Archer’s editor, said: “It has been one of the great privileges of my publishing life to have been Jeffrey Archer’s editor. He was the master storyteller and an editor’s dream – phenomenally hard-working, utterly committed to completing draft after draft to get every word as perfect as possible, and a true champion of the ‘team’ nature of great publishing.” Just days before his death, Archer spoke of plans to discuss his final novel, Adam and Eve, at a public appearance that was to take place this coming weekend. He wrote on Instagram: “On Saturday 10th October at 7pm I will be discussing my final novel, Adam & Eve, at the Chetenham Festival. I look forward to seeing many of you there.”
Tributes began to pour in for the author, with a shocked Gyles Brandreth writing on X: “I can’t believe that Jeffrey Archer – who was always so alive – is suddenly dead. We had a wonderful day together yesterday – as anyone who was there will tell you, he was in brilliant form on stage yesterday, celebrating the publication of his 50th and final best-selling novel.”
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Speaking on Times Radio this morning, Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said: “I’m going to miss him so much. I mean, he sent me a message every other day – ‘Have you seen this article? The Spectator’s done a great cover.’ And the last message he sent to me was actually yesterday morning. At 8.03am he sent a message saying ‘Great outfit, great speech’, he was talking about my Sunday opening of conference, he put NRN. He used to sign it off ‘NRN’, so ‘no reply needed’ and I just put an emoji.
“And I read it and [I’m] heartbroken that I’ll never get another message from him and get to chat, we talk about his books and he reminisced a lot, he told lots of stories. He had a very colourful life, he lived it to the full, including doing things that he shouldn’t have done. But he was someone that the Conservative family really loved, I can’t imagine how Dame Mary Archer is feeling right now. I was at their 80th wedding anniversary this summer, and their children their grandchildren were there, they were a very loved family.”
Asked if she had a favourite book of his, the Tory leader revealed it was Kane and Abel, saying: “It’s a proper blockbuster. It’s a story, which actually stayed with me because it reminds you of what people born at the beginning of the 20th Century actually had to deal with, two world wars, and it’s a proper page turner. He’s a great writer and I’m pleased that I got his last book, Adam & Eve, the one that’s just coming out and he signed it for me, so I will definitely read that.”
Former Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi also paid tribute to Archer, writing on X: “Jeffrey Archer was a dear friend and an extraordinary human being. His gift for storytelling was matched by his wit, warmth and boundless energy. Life was never dull in Jeffrey’s company. Jeffrey, it was a privilege to call you my friend. You were one of a kind. May you rest in eternal peace.”
This Morning star and money saving guru, Martin Lewis, wrote on X: “Wow, Jeffrey Archer has passed away. Clearly a checkered life, but I still remember reading and being absolutely gripped by Kane & Able as a tween, and read many of his other books in my teens. He certainly could write a page turner!”
Born in London in 1940, Archer spent much of his childhood in Weston-super-Mare and attended the prestigious Wellington School after winning a scholarship. He later spent three years at Oxford before beginning his political career in the late 1960s. He served as MP for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but almost went bankrupt and did not stand for re-election.
In 1979, he released the novel Kane and Abel, and it went on to sell more than 30 million copies. He returned to politics in the mid-1980s and served as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party from 1985 until 1986. Archer began his career as a novelist in 1974 with the publication of Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, and went on to pen 42 books before his death.
In terms of health, Archer was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013, and, just days before his death, he urged men to get themselves checked. He told the BBC: “I’ve been very aware of how lucky I am. I say to anybody listening – go to your doctor and check your PSA [Prostate Specific Antigen] There are too many stupid men who say, ‘Oh no, I’m a macho guy, I don’t do that sort of thing, I won’t be checking my PSA’. Check your PSA.” When presenter John Kay asked how he was doing now, he insisted: “All fine, thank you!”
Archer is survived by his wife Dame Mary, whom he met at university and married in 1966, and their two sons, William and James. The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary earlier this year.