Jeffrey Archer, the best-selling author and former Conservative politician, has died at the age of 86. Archer, who was a senior Conservative politician, a best-selling author, and a peer of the realm, was born in north London on 15 April 1940.
His literary career began after he was forced to quit his parliamentary seat in 1974 due to financial difficulties. His first novel, 'Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less', published in 1976, was inspired by his own financial problems and sold well in the US and Britain. Subsequent novels, including 'Kane and Abel' and 'First Among Equals', cemented his position as a high-earning author.
Archer also had a notable political career, serving as a Conservative councillor in London before becoming an MP for Louth in 1969. He later became Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in 1985, a role he held for a year.