RIP: Antony Lambton Antony LambtonLast Updated: 12:01am GMT 02/01/2007Antony Lambton, who died on Saturday aged 84, was an energetic and talented Conservative MP until he inherited the Earldom of Durham, which he renounced in order to retain his seat in the House of Commons.
Although he went on to hold junior office in Edward Heath's government, Lambton was dogged by his controversial insistence on being known in the Commons as Lord Lambton, the courtesy title under which he had been first elected.
Eventually the matter became irrelevant, after photographs of him smoking cannabis in bed with two prostitutes were handed to the police by a Sunday newspaper. Lambton immediately did the decent thing, resigning his office and his seat. By then he had ensured that he would be popularly, if incorrectly, known as "Lord Lambton" for the rest of his days.
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