Stephen Milligan
Encyclopedia
Stephen David Wyatt Milligan (12 May 1948 in Godalming
, Surrey
- 5 February 1994) was a British Conservative
politician
and journalist
. He held a number of senior journalistic posts until his election to serve as Member of Parliament
for Eastleigh in 1992. He was found dead in his flat in Chiswick, London in February 1994, strangled by an electrical cord
during an act of autoerotic asphyxiation.
, Surrey
on 12 May 1948, the son of David Milligan, a Company Secretary at House of Fraser
and Ruth Seymour, a ballet
teacher. Educated at Bradfield College
, he gained entry to Magdalen College, Oxford
where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. At Oxford, he became president of both the Oxford Union
and the Oxford University Conservative Association
. He was a contemporary of journalist Libby Purves
, whom he once partnered to a College Ball.
in 1970, and was industrial editor and chief EC correspondent between 1972 and 1980. In 1976, he published a book, The New Barons, on British trade union
s in 1970s. Still working for The Economist, he took a position as presenter of The World Tonight
on BBC Radio 4
from 1980 until 1983. He later became foreign editor and Washington correspondent at The Sunday Times
from 1984 until 1987, before rejoining the BBC in 1988 as a European correspondent. Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil
described Milligan: "He possessed an enquiring, original intelligence, a wide knowledge of foreign and domestic affairs and he was great fun to work with, his infectious laugh filling our editorial meetings, where he played a major role in defining the paper's policy positions".
upon the formation of Social Democratic Party
in 1981. However, he rejoined the Conservatives and in 1990 was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate
for Eastleigh. He became secretary of the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council in 1991 and was a member of the moderate Bow Group
. At the 1992 general election
, Milligan was elected as Member of Parliament
for Eastleigh with a majority of 17,702. Seen as a 'rising star' in the party and noted for his Commons interventions on foreign affairs
, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Jonathan Aitken
, Minister of State
for Defence
. His last contribution in Parliament was in a debate on the Energy Conservation Bill on 4 February 1994.
and cross-dressing
. A detail of his death, which was the subject of much comment and speculation at the time, was that he was found to have had an orange segment in his mouth at the time of his death. Police believed that he died on the night of Saturday 5 February 1994.
's "Back to Basics
" policy initiative. Commentators reflected that the circumstances of the MP's demise were a personal tragedy that unjustly overshadowed his achievements in life and his promising political career. John Major
branded the events and circumstances leading to Milligan's death as being "rather sad". His death was one of a number of cases of political "sleaze" which were satirised on television programs such as Have I Got News For You
, whose producers sent black bin bags, oranges and black stockings to TV journalists. His death and its reporting has also been a subject of studies of media ethics
.
His death triggered a by-election
at a time which was highly volatile for the Conservative Party and saw the election of Liberal Democrat
David Chidgey
.
A few days after his death, the story resurfaced when an Eastleigh-based local newspaper reporter released a transcript of a tape recorded telephone conversation with the MP in which he spoke at length about his private personal plans and political aspirations.
, a Daily Telegraph journalist who later served as Conservative MP for Bromsgrove
from 1997 until 2010.
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
- 5 February 1994) was a British Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He held a number of senior journalistic posts until his election to serve as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Eastleigh in 1992. He was found dead in his flat in Chiswick, London in February 1994, strangled by an electrical cord
Power cord
A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is a cable that temporarily connects an appliance to the mains electricity supply via a wall socket or extension cord. The terms are generally used for cables using a power plug to connect to a single-phase alternating current power source at the local line...
during an act of autoerotic asphyxiation.
Early life
Milligan was born in GodalmingGodalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on 12 May 1948, the son of David Milligan, a Company Secretary at House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
and Ruth Seymour, a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
teacher. Educated at Bradfield College
Bradfield College
Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
, he gained entry to Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. At Oxford, he became president of both the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
and the Oxford University Conservative Association
Oxford University Conservative Association
The Oxford University Conservative Association, or OUCA is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford...
. He was a contemporary of journalist Libby Purves
Libby Purves
Libby Purves OBE is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. A diplomat's daughter, she was educated at convent schools in Israel, Bangkok, South Africa and France, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells.Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she...
, whom he once partnered to a College Ball.
Journalism
Milligan joined The EconomistThe Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
in 1970, and was industrial editor and chief EC correspondent between 1972 and 1980. In 1976, he published a book, The New Barons, on British trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s in 1970s. Still working for The Economist, he took a position as presenter of The World Tonight
The World Tonight
The World Tonight is a British current affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, every weekday evening, which started out as an extension of the 10pm news. It features news, analysis and comment on domestic and world issues...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
from 1980 until 1983. He later became foreign editor and Washington correspondent at The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
from 1984 until 1987, before rejoining the BBC in 1988 as a European correspondent. Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil
Andrew Neil
Andrew Ferguson Neil is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster.He currently works for the BBC, presenting the live political programmes The Daily Politics and This Week...
described Milligan: "He possessed an enquiring, original intelligence, a wide knowledge of foreign and domestic affairs and he was great fun to work with, his infectious laugh filling our editorial meetings, where he played a major role in defining the paper's policy positions".
Politics
Milligan left the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
upon the formation of Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
in 1981. However, he rejoined the Conservatives and in 1990 was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate is a term used in British politics to refer to candidates selected by political parties to fight individual constituencies in advance of a general election. This terminology was motivated by the strict limits on the amount of expenses incurred by an actual...
for Eastleigh. He became secretary of the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council in 1991 and was a member of the moderate Bow Group
Bow Group
The Bow Group is one of the oldest think tanks in the United Kingdom. Taking its name from the Bow area of London where it first met, it was founded in 1951...
. At the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, Milligan was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Eastleigh with a majority of 17,702. Seen as a 'rising star' in the party and noted for his Commons interventions on foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
, Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. His last contribution in Parliament was in a debate on the Energy Conservation Bill on 4 February 1994.
Death
Milligan was found dead in his flat in Black Lion Lane, Chiswick, London by his secretary Vera Taggart on 7 February 1994. The discovery of his corpse in what was presumed to be a state of autoerotic asphyxiation, combined with self-bondageSelf-bondage
Self-bondage refers to the use of restraints on oneself for sexual pleasure. It is a form of sexual bondage which can be practiced alone.Self-bondage is characterized by experimentation and ingenuity, and can be riskier than conventional bondage...
and cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
. A detail of his death, which was the subject of much comment and speculation at the time, was that he was found to have had an orange segment in his mouth at the time of his death. Police believed that he died on the night of Saturday 5 February 1994.
Aftermath
Milligan's death significantly contributed to ending John MajorJohn Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's "Back to Basics
Back to Basics (campaign)
Back to Basics was an ill-fated attempt to relaunch the government of British Prime Minister John Major in 1993; a year after winning the general election the party's reputation was declining, not least due to the Black Wednesday economic debacle of September 1992...
" policy initiative. Commentators reflected that the circumstances of the MP's demise were a personal tragedy that unjustly overshadowed his achievements in life and his promising political career. John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
branded the events and circumstances leading to Milligan's death as being "rather sad". His death was one of a number of cases of political "sleaze" which were satirised on television programs such as Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, whose producers sent black bin bags, oranges and black stockings to TV journalists. His death and its reporting has also been a subject of studies of media ethics
Media ethics
Media ethics is the subdivision of applied ethics dealing with the specific ethical principles and standards of media, including broadcast media, film, theatre, the arts, print media and the internet...
.
His death triggered a by-election
Eastleigh by-election, 1994
The Eastleigh by-election, 1994 was a parliamentary by-election held on 9 June 1994 for the United Kingdom House of Commons constituency of Eastleigh in Hampshire. The seat had fallen vacant because of the death of Conservative Party Member of Parliament Stephen Milligan on 7 February.The result...
at a time which was highly volatile for the Conservative Party and saw the election of Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
David Chidgey
David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey
David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. A former Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, he now sits in the House of Lords.-Early life:...
.
A few days after his death, the story resurfaced when an Eastleigh-based local newspaper reporter released a transcript of a tape recorded telephone conversation with the MP in which he spoke at length about his private personal plans and political aspirations.
Personal life
Milligan was in a relationship until 1992 with Julie KirkbrideJulie Kirkbride
Julie Kirkbride is a British former politician. She was the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Conservative stronghold of Bromsgrove from 1997 until 2010-Early life:...
, a Daily Telegraph journalist who later served as Conservative MP for Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove (UK Parliament constituency)
Bromsgrove is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system...
from 1997 until 2010.