Published in 2004 by The Memoir Club, this book chronicles an extraordinary journey from the back streets of the north east of England to the House of Lords. The story is of a child born into a working class family in Darlington, County Durham who soon decided he was dissatisfied with his lot and through sheer determination, strength and humour joined Durham Constabulary and embarked on a truly remarkable career.
Brian relates how his ability to communicate and his voracious study of the law allowed him to rise through the ranks from rural beat bobby to chief superintendent. Quite properly restricted as a police officer, his political ambitions were realised when he was elected National President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales in 1995.
He describes how this position allowed him to raise the Association’s profile, influence events and really make a difference to the legal system. By working alongside Tory Michael Howard and his successor, New Labour’s Jack Straw, Brian developed the plan for a paedophile register which resulted in the Sex Offenders’ Act of 1997. He went on to campaign for the abolition of the ‘right to silence’ and the removal of the ‘double jeopardy’ defence resulting in a change in the law in both cases to the advantage of the victims of crime. He continues this struggle as a Labour Peer in the House of Lords.
“Two Live of Brian” is written with humour and vigour and allows Brian to give his side of the story, when he found himself the victim of a ‘honey trap’ sleaze campaign by the now totally discredited and defunct News of the World tabloid Sunday newspaper.