Lord Bonkers' Diary: One of Violent Bonham Carter’s boys

It's remarkable how the London gangs of the Sixties - the Krays, the Richardsons, the Bonhams Carter - continue to be of interest today. Lord Bonkers' own He Never Touch Kids or Nothing: My Years with Violent Bonham Carter has proved to be one of his best-selling publications.

Wednesday

I see the coming Labour man Wes Streeting is putting it about that his grandfather was a member of the London underworld in the Sixties. All I shall say on the subject is that if the old geezer was one of Violent Bonham Carter’s boys, young Streeting would do well to keep schtum. His grandmother, incidentally, once shared a cell with Christine Keeler, who always struck me as a Terribly Nice Girl.

This afternoon I turn down an invitation to attend a ‘fireside chat’ by Danny Alexander at the National Liberal Club. Strictly between me and my diary, I am afraid the fire will go out. Then I ring my accountant and ask him to explore whether there would be tax advantages if the Well-Behaved Orphans did identify as cats.

Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South West, 1906-10.

Earlier this week...

• The other animals would lay their disputes before the kangaroos