I've never held Haig-Thomas in any esteem ever since he bragged in the Winter 2009 edition of
Prop Swing, the Shuttleworth Vintage Aircraft Society's magazine, as follows:
Finally more trouble from the engineers. One of them (regrettably I cannot remember which or he would be fired) hearing of my fines for parking on double yellow lines sold me, for £100, the previously promised disabled parking disc. It was wonderful - for a week I could park anywhere on the endless empty 'disabled only' parking areas. Then things went wrong. The Chairman of the Bench said it was the worst forgery he had ever seen - before handing out an absurdly large penalty.
Let me get this right - he couldn't remember with whom he'd conspired to obtain a forged disabled parking permit? And if he had, he would have dismissed him? On what grounds?
I have little sympathy for those inconsiderate people who park on double yellow lines, but those who abuse the disabled parking scheme are utterly despicable. So Haig-Thomas got caught and given an 'absurdly large' penalty? Perhaps he'd like to visit Headley Court and explain to the many injured servicemen how 'wonderful' it was for him to park in disabled-only spaces - and why the fine for getting caught was 'absurdly large'?
I most certainly won't be buying his book.