Sex-Scandals That Shook World Politics

The affair nearly cost Clinton his position. It is still rumoured that the Kennedys killed Marilyn and that Thorpe wanted to kill his lover.

Various political scandals have always attracted the press and the public`s curiosity, however, nothing has shaken the media like sex-scandals.

These scandals affected the careers of the parties involved, while some even had to leave their duties.

We bring you ten biggest sex-scandals according to the Independent.

The Kennedys killed Marilyn Monroe?

Even though it is still not certain what went on between assassinated American president John F. Kennedy and film icon Marilyn Monroe, rumours regarding the Hollywood bomb shell`s death are still going on strong today. It was speculated that Marilyn was having an affair with John, as well as his brother Robert and that the Kennedy family ordered the assassination.

The younger audience found Bill Clinton`s affair with Monica Lewinsky more interesting. The former American president was nearly forced to leave his post due to accusations that he was having an affair with 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton denied all allegations, but was forced to admit to them later on.

John Prescott, former deputy British PM, who was having an affair with his secretary Tracey Temple, is surely one of the greatest penitents. On several occasions, he told reporters that he was sorry about everything and called his love affair the biggest mistake of his life. He tried to win back his wife Pauline`s trust through the media.

Paddy Pantsdown owns up

Paddy Ashdown, former high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina and acting head of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 until 1999, could also not resist his secretary. His affair with Tricia Howard came out in 1992 when The News Of The World ran a story on the attachment. The same year, Ashdown held a press conference at the Westminster and openly admitted to the five-month affair. The media nicknamed his Paddy Pantsdown because of the scandal.

Another Liberal Democrat leader, who performed this duty from 1967 until 1976, was in the centre of a sex-scandal. Jeremy Thorpe was married twice and a father of one. His political career went downhill when media rumours claimed he was having a homosexual affair with former model Norman Scott. Interestingly enough, homosexual relationships were illegal in Great Britain at the time.

Thorpe ordered his lover`s murder?

However, this was not the end of it. A man called Newton appeared, claiming that Thorpe had hired him to kill his lover. The politicians was never charged for attack of threats, but his career was dead and buried.

Boris Johnson was involved in a sex-scandal just a few years before becoming London Mayor. The mother of Johnson`s mistress Petronelle Wyatt revealed the affair to the media. Johnson, who denied everything, can consider himself lucky because the alleged affair did not affect his political career.

Former British PM, Conservative John Major was left untouched by a sex-scandal as well. He was having an affair with a Tory colleague, Edwina Currie, who claimed that they broke up in 1988.

Cecil Parkinson, former British Trade Minister during Margaret Thatcher`s cabinet, in 1983, was in a pickle when he was forced to resign: his secretary admitted that she and Parkinson had been having an affair for 12 years and that she was pregnant.

John Profumo was forced to resign over a stripper

David Mellor, also a member of the Conservative Party, could not keep his affair with actress Antonia De Sancha secret either. His mistress spilled the beans to The News Of The World in 1992 for 30,000 pounds. Also, the actress recorded many incriminating conversations with the politician, which made it impossible for the politician to deny the attachment.

Finally, we have the biggest sex-scandal in history, according to the British website. John Profumo and Christine Keller were its pivotal figures, who had an affair during the Cold War. Profumo was the State War Secretary and Christine was a stripper.

All of this may not have caused such a ruckus if suspicions had not risen that the stripper was also involved with a Soviet spy. The consequences of the scandal were not only harmful for Profumo, whose career went downhill afterwards, but for the British government as well, as its reputation was tarnished.