About this episode
Iain Dale interviews author Paul Bessel about his memoir-investigation into the life of his father, Peter Bessel, a former Liberal MP and key witness in a high-profile trial.
Iain Dale interviews author Paul Bessel about his new book FINDING DAD, a memoir-investigation into the life of Paul’s father, Peter Bessel: a Liberal MP (1964-1970), close friend of Jeremy Thorpe, later a key prosecution witness in the 1979 Thorpe conspiracy-to-murder trial. Bessel explains why he delayed writing for decades, what triggered the book, and how fearful he was of uncovering painful truths in his parents’ archives. The conversation traces Peter Bessel’s rise as a respected Cornish MP, his later financial collapse, a dramatic disappearance in 1974 that left his family suddenly impoverished, and the complicated, sometimes clandestine life he led (including secret “work” Bessel suspects may have involved US national security).
People in this episode
Host: Iain Dale
Guest: Paul Bessel
Topics covered
- memoir
- investigation
- politics
- family history
Keywords
- FINDING DAD
- Peter Bessel
- Jeremy Thorpe
- Thorpe conspiracy-to-murder trial
Mentioned in this episode
Products: FINDING DAD
Books & works: FINDING DAD
Places: US
More episodes of Iain Dale All Talk
- 369. Dr Sian Williams · June 3, 2026 · 1h 5m
- 368. Lord Peter Ricketts · May 27, 2026 · 1h 1m
- 367. Sarah Vine · May 20, 2026 · 57 min
- 366. Sir Jeremy Hunt · May 13, 2026 · 58 min
- 365. From the archive: Jonathan Powell · May 7, 2026 · 46 min
- 364. Mary Beard · April 30, 2026 · 49 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Iain Dale All Talk podcast page.