The Londoner: Lord Hain takes potshot at Boris as he reveals his Africa poaching novel

In today's Diary: Lord Hain suggests Boris ‘bombast’ could reverse Good Friday peace deal / Toots Hibbert's surprise stage invader / Nica Burns on socially distanced theatre loos / Hancock adviser becomes new UK Music CEO
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14 September 2020

Former Cabinet minister Peter Hain, who served under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has penned his first thriller, The Rhino Conspiracy, about corruption and poaching in contemporary South Africa. The country has the world’s largest rhino population but has seen more than 6,000 killed by poachers, often for their horn, which is popular in Asia.

Lord Hain lived in South Africa until he was a teenager and moved to the UK, where he became a leading anti-Apartheid campaigner and was a friend of Nelson Mandela. He tells us many of the characters are based on real people and his own life experiences.

“In the book, a Labour backbencher uses parliamentary privilege to expose corruption, just as I did in the Lords to name Sir Philip Green in 2018.”

Lord Hain, who was Northern Ireland secretary, has strong words about the Prime Minister and the latest Brexit developments. “Having in 2007 negotiated under Blair the settlement that brought those bitter enemies former Unionist Ian Paisley and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness to share government together, I am in despair at the cavalier indifference of Boris Johnson. He doesn’t seem to care how hard-won peace in Northern Ireland was, or that his bombast means the Good Friday Agreement could be reversed.”

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Reggae DJ Daddy Ernie told Times Radio how when the legendary Toots Hibbert, pictured — whose death was announced on Friday — played the Brixton Academy “this white guy jumps on stage. I was about to call security. Turns out it was Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. He grabs Toots’ guitar and they start singing Monkey Man. It was unbelievable.”

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Dave Benett

Producer and co-owner of Nimax Theatres Nica Burns, above hoping to breathe life back into the West End as the venues plan to reopen. She says that intervals could be longer to accommodate socially-distanced queues for the ladies’ loos. “As a female theatre owner, I’ve spent a lot more time than I would care to thinking about lavatories.” In for a penny.

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Dave Benett

AJ Odudu told an AllBright audience that motivation was overrated when it came to success, but discipline was key. The TV presenter was speaking at a breakfast series run with Female Narratives. Stay sharp.

SW1A

Congrats to Matt Hancock’s adviser Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, the new CEO of UK Music, who replaces ex-Labour MP Michael Dugher. Both men famously played late-night piano at party conferences. A job prerequisite?

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Tory activist John Cope received a party conference invitation to “an online ‘wine tasting roundtable’” on educational assessment featuring three bottles of wine in the post and “an online sommelier”. Three cheers for the algorithm?