More than 90 years on, it is a political mystery which continues to fascinate and baffle in equal measure.
Mystery still shrouds the disappearance of the flamboyant Victor Grayson, the former Socialist MP for the Colne Valley, who made some very dangerous enemies.
Despite the passage of time, interest in the story has never disappeared and now Lord David Clark, a former Colne Valley MP himself and a leading authority on Grayson, is to give a special talk on the case in Huddersfield.
The event – entitled: The Curious Case of Victor Grayson MP – takes place at the University of Huddersfield on Thursday November 20 (7pm). It will feature a rare screening of a BBC film.
Lord Clark was a politics lecturer at Huddersfield before embarking on his career as an MP, representing first the Colne Valley and then South Shields.
After a series of Shadow Cabinet posts, he became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1997. In 2001, he joined the House of Lords, as Baron Clark of Windermere.
An expert on labour and political history, he is a research fellow at the University of Huddersfield and the author of Victor Grayson: Labour’s Lost Leader, described as the definitive biography of the missing ex-MP.
Grayson sensationally won the Colne Valley seat in 1907, standing as an independent socialist. Such was his charisma that many pundits believed he could become leader of the Labour movement and even Prime Minister.
However, he lost the seat in 1910 and led a chequered and colourful life which seems to have come to an end in September 1920 when he left his London flat accompanied by two men and was never seen again.
Lord Clark has explored the theory that Grayson’s disappearance was linked to his determination to expose the notorious Maundy Gregory, a man accused of touting honours on behalf of Lloyd George.
Among the books and programmes about Grayson was a BBC2 documentary named The Curious Case of Victor Grayson, screened just once, in October 1985.
Now, as part of the event, co-organiser Dr Stephen Dorril – an author and investigative journalist who is now a senior lecturer at the University of Huddersfield – has retrieved the documentary and secured the rights to screen it.
Places are free but should be reserved by contacting Jamie Priestley on 01484 471873 or j.priestley@hud.ac.uk.
