On this day in UK history – 9th March

On this day in UK history:

9^th March 2006 - John Profumo British cabinet minister passed away.

Brigadier John Dennis Profumo - CBE (informally known as Jack Profumo) was a British politician.

Although Profumo held an increasingly responsible series of political posts in the 1950's he was best known for his involvement in a scandal involving Christine Keeler in 1963. The scandal which became known as the Profumo Affair led to his resignation and withdrawal from politics. It may also have helped topple the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan.

After his resignation Profumo began to work as a volunteer cleaning toilets at Toynbee Hall: a charity based in the east end of London and continued to work there for the rest of his life. Eventually he volunteered as the charity's chief fundraiser. These charitable activities helped to restore the fallen politician's reputation and he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1975. In 1995 he was invited to Margaret Thatcher’s 70th birthday dinner. He was a member of Boodle’s club in St James's London from 1969 until his death in 2006.