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'''John Stonehouse''' (1925-1988) was a prominent [[British Labour Party]] official in the 1970s who faked his own [[death]] in [[Miami]], then moved to [[Australia]].

'''John Stonehouse''' (1925-1988) was a prominent [[British Labour Party]] official in the 1970s who faked his own [[death]] in [[Miami]], then moved to [[Australia]], where he was discovered by chance and then extradited to [[Britain]] to await [[trial]].

 

Stonehouse had made his escape to Australia on a raft, therefore predating [[Thor Heyerdahl]]'s Kon-Tiki experiment by three years.  Arriving in Brisbane, Australia, he befriendet the mayor under an assumed name and received the city's support for a sicamore tree import company.  His attempt to become the leader of a religious sect was so successful that he was identified by a British policeman on vacation and then extradited to [[Britain]] to await [[trial]].

At the time the British Parliament was evenly split between the Labour and Conservative Parties and the Labour Party accepted his continued leadership role in its Party as its [[whip (parliament)|whip]].  On the eve of his trial Stonehouse left his Party, tipping the balance in [[Parliament]].  He was then convicted and sentenced to seven years in [[jail]].

At the time the British Parliament was evenly split between the Labour and Conservative Parties and the Labour Party accepted his continued leadership role in its Party as its [[whip (parliament)|whip]].  On the eve of his trial Stonehouse left his Party, tipping the balance in [[Parliament]].  He was then convicted and sentenced to seven years in [[jail]].

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