leave of absence from the House of Lords. In 2010 following the enactment of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 he stepped down from his seat in the House of Lords to maintain his non-domiciled status and so be able to avoid paying UK residents' taxes. Personal life General Laidlaw and his wife Christine divide their time between an apartment in Monaco overlooking the harbour; and their South African home, an early 20th-century 23,200 m2 estate in Noordhoek, near Cape Town. At the time of the purchase, in November 2005, it was the country's most expensive property, bought for R106 million. Sex life allegations In April 2008, Laidlaw was the target of a sting operation staged by investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood on behalf of the British tabloid The News of the World, which revealed that Laidlaw hired up to five £3,000 vice girls at a time for all-night orgies involving spanking, bondage and lesbian sex at a Monaco hotel. Hobbies Motor Racing Laidlaw regularly competes in historic car racing around the world with his Porsche 904GTS, Porsche 904/6, Maserati 250S & Maserati 6CM. Laidlaw also won a medal in the Scottish amateur rally, using a Ford Focus ST. In 2007 Laidlaw added a 1001 hp Bugatti Veyron to his extensive car collection, which is sometimes seen between Noordhoek and Cape Town, on the world-famous coastal road Chapman's Peak Drive. Motor Yachts Laidlaw has owned various luxury motor yachts with the most highprofile being Fedship built motor yacht, the Lady Christine, in 2003. Sailboat Laidlaw has been active within the yacht racing for most of his working life. He has won high-profile events including Key West Regatta and the Round the Island Race. Highly active on the maxi racing scene, he is a member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club. Some of his yachts are as follows: Arms References External links Superyacht Lady Christine at Superyacht Times Lord Laidlaw at TheyWorkForYou Abbey Business Centres The Laidlaw Library at the University of Leeds. Irvine Laidlaw 1943 births Living people People educated at Merchiston Castle School Alumni of the University of Leeds Columbia Business School alumni Scottish businesspeople Conservative Party (UK) life peers Scottish Conservative Party politicians Scottish billionaires People from Keith, Moray British car collectors Conservative Party (UK) donors Scottish expatriates in Monaco British expatriates in Monaco Life peers created by Elizabeth II