European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Now York times Max Clifford a London Public relations Man posing amid stories that he pushed says a you Don t have to fuel these things. They keep going by London scandals to the Max by John Darnton the new York. Times three flights above London a new Bond Street Over a Beauty parlor is the office of Max Clifford or agent in the raw. It is decorated with stories that he has massaged mane Vered and leaked onto front pages of the tabloids. They Are mounted behind Glass and pinned to the Wall like trophies. Clifford is in the midst of an interview expounding upon his skill in a directing traffic a As he Calls the Art of planting and suppressing stories when in walks a motorcycle messenger wrapped in red leather. The messenger delivers a package from the news of the world that contains another mounted trophy a chief of defense in sex and Security it is the latest Bombshell to Rock the establishment a lurid tale involving sir Peter Harding the 60-Yea-old Raf officer who Rose to the Pinnacle of Britain a armed forces and was a hero of the persian Gulf War and lady Bienvenida Buck a Spanish born Parven in her 30s who sold the account of their three year affair for More than s 100,000. By the time Clifford got hold of the Case the affair had ended. So lady Buck who met sir Peter when she was married to sir Antony Buck then the defense minister needed something More than his lose letters. She lured him to lunch at the Dorchester. Their conversation was picked up by the tape re Corder of a reporter at a nearby table. And when he stooped to give her a Farewell kiss before stepping into his limousine it was picked up by the zoom Lens of the papers photographer. Sir Peter married for 39 years and the father of four resigned within hours of the Story a publication in March. His printed love letters made people ache at the pure humiliation of it All Quot my Darling my Little one my love. Nothing has Ever happened to me like this. I love you to distraction i find you utterly captivating enchanting intelligent practical determined overwhelmingly Beautiful and it s a classic Quot kiss and Tell operation. Clifford representing lady Buck is pulling the levers and pressing the buttons like a sweating disk jockey. He appears on radio show s to defend her tries to steer a reporter who phones him away from the Angle that she was an undercover agent for an Arab country and Fields Calls every to minutes from the woman in question. She was As agreed holed up at a secret location abroad awaiting publication of the second serialization in the news of the world after which she planned to return in a Blaze of television interviews he arranged a i Don t understand this a he booms into the receiver talking to his client bolstering her resolve a and keeping the Story going. A a they re coming out and saying the most terrible things about you and you re just supposed to say nothing is that right a after he hangs up he smiles. A you done to have to fuel these things. They keep going by but there Are those who say that this time Clifford the Boyish looking 50-year-old purveyor of scandal and merchant of sleaze has gone too far. He has been called a lot of names none of them Nice. Clifford is crying All the Way to the Bank. He gets 20 percent of the action. But what upsets people is that he cloaks his actions in an Aura of higher purpose. The Story of lady Buck and sir Peter Harding was politically important because it May have involved a risk to National Security he has claimed. Anyway she was worried that others would break the Story. And she feared for her life. And she knew that the Story would damage her ability to earn a living a and therefore she docs require a lot of serving up these arguments in Choirboy tones on bbl radios the Mora Maze drove a fellow panellist Edward Pearce of the guardian into a fit of you Are basically in a position to procure for the delectation of a prurient Public a Nice Rich Story and. Then give us sauce of your own High morality to wrap it All up in a he sputtered. Clifford responded with a string of expletives. The episode is Only the latest in a world of quasi journalism that pays big Money for scoops and exposes. Competition among tabloids is razor Sharp these Days. Papers will pay $200,000 to $300,000 for a Story with legs Clifford maintains. A storm of scandal in the private lives of politicians is blowing Over Westminster and conservative members of parliament Are falling like Trees. Clifford has big scalps on his Belt. He represented Antonia de Simcha an actress whose affair with David Melior brought Down the Secretary of state for natural heritage after countless stories. 1 be represented Bryce Taylor the owner of the gym who installed a hidden camera in the ceiling to take Pic lures of the Princess Diana working out and so was Able to retire to new zealand a wealthy Man. Clifford says he charges clients a monthly retainer Between $6,000 and $15,000 during the period when they arc hot a fee schedule that brings him a new Jaguar every other year. 1 is most important Job is keeping stories out of the paper instead of getting them in he says a delicate Art that involves steering journalists onto something even juicier. A was a or you have to know More about your clients than their wives do or their husbands or boyfriends Quot he said. A if you done to in the 1990s, you re not doing your Job. There a More and More people out there looking to make a lot of Money from revealing things about the Rich and
