B8 WORLD Wednesday, October 31, 2012 THE PRESS, Christchurch : I had no problem with prison – it was sociologically riveting The former tycoon is considering a return to the House of Lords after serving a fraud sentence in US jails. RACHEL SYLVESTER and ALICE THOMSON report from London.

onrad Black is back. It was power rather than the your tea break from 3 to 3.05 you He sits down in the money that Lord Black of turn into decapitated chickens. corner of the bar at Crossharbour enjoyed. His The average American may be a the Connaught Hotel heroes include Napoleon slob, but if you say, ‘I want to on the morning we Bonaparte, Richard Nixon and alter my plans’ he’ll say, ‘Fine’ .’’ Cmeet him and orders tomato Cardinal Richelieu. ‘‘As long as His main home is in Toronto juice and a cappuccino. ‘‘I you have enough money, it but he would like to live in haven’t eaten breakfast in 20 doesn’t do much for you,’’ he London again. ‘‘I like it here. years,’’ he growls. says. ‘‘You can get awfully tired Barbara likes it here. There are A decade ago, he was the of these rich, dumb Americans. I interesting people.’’ media baron who entertained used to see them all the time in That might allow him to use princes and prime ministers at Palm Beach. They made a billion his seat in the House of Lords. his 11-bedroom house in dollars in the bird-seed business, ‘‘If I was resident and I felt Kensington. The Canadian-born but they were dolts . . . With properly reconnected to British owner of power you can make a life then I would like to get and was in the difference.’’ involved in the Lords – but only House of Lords and at the heart It was the money, however, if it wouldn’t cause a of the British Establishment. that brought him down. In 2003, controversy. I’m not prepared to He had three butlers, a he was accused of go there if I’m going to get Bentley and two private jets, as misappropriating funds from his Labour peers saying, ‘What’s well as a pair of apartments in publicly owned company for his that criminal doing here’?’’ New York (one for servants) and personal use. An inquiry Some people suspected that a house in Palm Beach. His wife, concluded that he had run a his wife would soon tire of her the writer Barbara Amiel, once ‘‘corporate kleptocracy’’ and he marriage when he was sent to suggested that her extravagance was convicted of fraud and spent Happy reunion: Former media mogul Conrad Black and his wife, Barbara Amiel, smile as he arrives back at his home in Toronto after being released from prison in jail, but in fact she remained ‘‘knows no bounds’’ – she had a 36 months in American jails. May this year. Photo: REUTERS loyal throughout, making more dozen Hermes Birkin bags, 100 Then two of the charges were than 100 visits. pairs of Manolo Blahnik shoes overturned. He is contesting the book, A Matter of Principle, four hours to the jail. He would global financial system close to Once the third most promi- ‘‘She was incredibly strong,’’ and a separate wardrobe for her others, continues to insist that he putting his case. ‘‘I do have a fair pass her messages in code – ‘‘our collapse. ‘‘None of them had nent newspaper proprietor in the he says. ‘‘I never doubted that furs. is innocent and has written a chance of winning my appeal and samizdat’’ – so that she could pay enough integrity to fill an world, he thinks it would be a she would be. I suppose some getting the last of the spurious people, via their families on the eyedrop,’’ he says. ‘‘Goldman huge mistake for the people were envious of her, counts removed,’’ he says. ‘‘I outside, to cook and do laundry Sachs are a disgrace.’’ Government to introduce because she was an attractive have been totally exonerated, for him. ‘‘I went to the dining hall Although he says he was statutory regulation after the woman as well as a good writer. although certain British five times, someone cooked me hounded by the press, he claims Leveson inquiry. ‘‘That would be The theory that she would go observers refuse to recognise dinners. I drank water. Lots that many politicians rallied censoring and you must have a skipping off into the long grass that.’’ made their own alcohol. I didn’t round. ‘‘Margaret Thatcher was free press.’’ was . . . a cheap shot. We were On his first night in prison he need it.’’ encouraging as was Tony Blair. He was amazed rather than vulnerable so everybody piled met a Mafia boss. ‘‘He assured The author of several John Major was fine as well.’’ horrified by the MPs’ expenses in.’’ me that we were both biographies, Lord Black passed Boris Johnson, who was once his scandal. ‘‘Some of it was He doesn’t think he and his industrialists. I suggested our his time writing newspaper protege as editor of The hilarious – that guy with the wife were too extravagant. ‘‘This business affairs may have been a columns and teaching history Spectator, is his favourite. ‘‘I am floating bird house – but the is part of that strait-laced, hair- little different but we got along and English to his fellow seeing him in a couple of days. amounts were so small. They shirt, Mother Hubbard British well.’’ The don’s ‘‘collector’’ prisoners. He helped 100 people The nation is waiting for him.’’ have absolutely no idea what attitude,’’ he says. ‘‘I knew how attended Mass with him. to pass their exams, he says, and Is the mayor of London more corruption is.’’ much money I had and, ‘‘I went because I did feel 200 inmates accompanied him to like Winston Churchill or There is, he thinks, ‘‘a compared to what I had, I was — guilty about a few things in life the gate when he was released. Michael Heseltine? tendency to self-righteousness’’ if not exactly frugal — then well and he did too. I told him, ‘A man ‘‘I was a bit of a celebrity. ‘‘He’s Boris. He is a very intel- in Britain. ‘‘I would urge you to within my means. It was my has to collect his receivables’ and They all get pulverised by this ligent man and a very cunning draw a deep breath and say what money. I had made it. I could do he said, ‘Yes, but he doesn’t need system so I was kind of a hero for operator. He is a fox disguised as would the French or the what I wanted with it.’’ to take the fingernails as well.’’’ taking it on.’’ a teddy bear. I don’t know how he Americans do?’’ During his trial, he often One judge told him that his He is a long-standing ‘‘liberal’’ has kept it going for so long – He’s not going to moralise woke in the night drenched in stint in jail had made him a on criminal justice, and his normally people get tired with about tax avoidance. sweat – a recurrence of the panic ‘‘better man’’. Certainly, it must experience has only confirmed the vaudeville routine. That said, ‘‘Governments are so attacks that he had at law school. have been a humbling his view that there is no truth in he is very witty, he knows the incompetent you shouldn’t pay Now he says: ‘‘I’m very equable. I experience. The peer, who Michael Howard’s maxim that people, he understands public them one more cent than you almost never need sleeping shared a cell with a child prison works. ‘‘I have always had sensibilities. I think he’s have to. They are idiots, pills.’’ molester and a drug dealer, had reservations about locking non- terrific.’’ overspending,’’ he says. ‘‘There He is reluctant to admit any to scrub showers and endure violent people away,’’ he says. Lord Black is less is no moral duty on tax.’’ mistakes. ‘‘I was a successful regular body cavity searches. ‘‘And why shouldn’t criminals complimentary about David Arriving in London for the financier, I was a successful ‘‘It was a milieu I hadn’t have votes?’’ He sees himself as Cameron. ‘‘I hardly know him. first time in seven years, he publisher and I’ve been a known, so I had some curiosity the victim of a flawed political The last time I met him he was a found that little had changed. ‘‘I successful warrior against about how it would work out. I system that has failed to tackle greeter for Michael Green [the like Britain. It’s a very injustice and now I’m on to always feel I can get on with the serious problems in society. Carlton Television boss],’’ he distinguished nation, it gave the something new.’’ anyone. I had no problem with ‘‘The way they addressed the says. ‘‘His problem is that he is to world the English language, good He insists that ‘‘the best is yet the regime or among the increasing wealth disparity was the Left of his party but to the government, splendid literature to come’’. residents. Everybody has to wait for some wealthy people Right of the coalition. He believes and the industrial revolution. Does he not have any regrets? something interesting if you to get into the crosshairs of the all the rubbish about But it has certain foibles that are ‘‘We all do, don’t we?’’ he says, know how to draw on it. It was judicial system and then send modernisation. I have nothing absurd and quite irritating. If pensively. ‘‘I believe in sociologically riveting.’’ them to prison as tokenism.’’ against him but I got annoyed you are in the middle of the confession and repentance – but Amiel visited every week, The real villains, in his view, with all the driving around on a Battle of Britain you are not to unauthorised people.’’ getting up at 3am to drive for are the bankers who brought the snowmobile.’’ wonderful, but if you change

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