Travelling Well

Chris Hallam looks back on the political career of Michael Portillo, now better known as a presenter of travel documentaries for television

- Chris Hallam

The early hours of the morning of Friday 2 May 1997 could not have been easy for Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo. In the full glare of live television coverage, the defence secretary had very publicly lost his seat in parliament to Labour newcomer Stephen Twigg. As the Conservative general election defeat had grown increasingly likely, Portillo had been seen as the probable favourite to succeed John Major, the fallen prime minister, as Tory leader. Now these plans lay in ruins.

His defeat was greeted with open jubilation by many viewers. “Were you up for Portillo?” almost became a catchphrase in the days afterwards, a landmark moment in what Portillo himself admitted was “a terrible night for the Conservatives”. In years to come, it would be voted a “top TV moment”. Portillo, forewarned of the likely result, had generally maintained his composure as his defeat was announced. But at just 43, his career seemed to be over.

In fact, this wasn’t true. He would be an MP again between 1999 and 2005 although arguably his career never really recovered from his 1997 setback. Today, he has left the political arena well behind him and flourishes as a popular, if eccentrically dressed, television presenter of travel documentaries.