Former British politician and novelist Jeffrey Archer dies at age of 86

Former British politician and writer Jeffrey Archer has died aged 86, his publisher said in a statement on Monday.

Archer, who was a Conservative MP for five years before serving as the party's deputy chairman, died peacefully at his home between writing sessions on Monday, publishing house Harper Collins said.

He had a successful career as a novelist and was made a life peer in 1992.

His political career was paused in 2001 with the disgrace of his being imprisoned for four years for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

An Old Bailey jury found that he had lied in a libel action he had brought against The Star newspaper 13 years earlier, in which he was awarded £500,000 damages.

He was released early in 2003 and returned to the House of Lords until he retired in 2024.