Political historian Peter Hennessy reads from his new study of Britain in the early 1960s.

Of the many crises to assail the government of Harold Macmillan, what came to be known as the Profumo Affair was the most lurid and most talked about among ordinary voters. John Profumo was Macmillan’s Secretary of State for War who became embroiled in a scandal involving Soviet spies, call-girls and wild society parties. Profumo was forced to resign and the scandal tainted the political fortunes of the Conservative party for years afterwards.

Also reaching the end of the line were the steam trains and branch lines axed as a result of the notorious report on the future of the railway network by the boss of British Railways, Richard Beeching.

Written and Read by Peter Hennessy
Adapted for radio by Libby Spurrier
Produced by Simon Elmes

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 Show less