▁activity ▁between ▁men ▁was ▁illegal ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁and ▁carried ▁heavy ▁criminal ▁pen alt ies . ▁Anton y ▁Grey , ▁a ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Hom osex ual ▁Law ▁Reform ▁Society , ▁wrote ▁of ▁" a ▁hide ous ▁a ura ▁of ▁criminal ity ▁and ▁deg ener acy ▁and ▁ab normal ity ▁surrounding ▁the ▁matter ". ▁ ▁Political ▁figures ▁were ▁particularly ▁vulner able ▁to ▁expos ure ; ▁William ▁Field , ▁the ▁Labour ▁MP ▁for ▁P adding ton ▁North , ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁his ▁seat ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁after ▁a ▁conv iction ▁for ▁solic iting ▁in ▁a ▁public ▁lav atory . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁Lord ▁Mont agu ▁of ▁Be a ul ieu , ▁the ▁young est ▁peer ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords , ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁being ▁conv icted ▁of ▁" g ross ▁inde c ency ", ▁victim ▁of ▁a ▁vir ul ent ▁" drive ▁against ▁male ▁vice " ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Home ▁Secretary , ▁Sir ▁David ▁Max well ▁F y fe . ▁ ▁Four ▁years ▁later ▁public ▁att itudes ▁had ▁changed ▁little . ▁When ▁Ian ▁Har vey , ▁a ▁junior ▁Foreign ▁Office ▁minister ▁in ▁Harold ▁Mac mill an ' s ▁government , ▁was ▁found ▁guilty ▁of ▁inde cent ▁behaviour ▁with ▁a ▁Cold stream ▁Gu ards man ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁he ▁lost ▁both ▁his ▁minister ial ▁job ▁and ▁his ▁parliament ary ▁seat ▁at ▁H arrow ▁East . ▁He ▁was ▁ost rac ised ▁by ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁and