Tom Bower on the grounds of the story being "substantially true". The action was heard in July 2009 and Desmond lost the case. An unauthorised biography by Bower of Richard Desmond, titled "Rough Trader", was written and printed in 2006, but still awaits publication. In 2011 Bower published a biography of the Formula One executive Bernie Ecclestone titled "No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone." Ecclestone cooperated with Bower in the writing of the book, facilitating introductions to people for Bower. Over lunch Ecclestone told Bower "You write what you like, provided it's more or less the truth, because I'm no
Robert Bower (Conservative politician) of the House and struck Bower in the face, before turning to the Speaker, apologising and walking out of the chamber. Bower also then apologised to the Speaker, and no disciplinary action was taken against either MP. The context of this violent confrontation was a series of questions being put by Labour MPs to the Foreign Office minister R. A. Butler, challenging the government's apparent recognition of the Duke of Alba as a diplomatic representative of General Franco's nationalist forces, who were then in the midst of a civil war against Spain's Republican government. Shinwell had described Butler's answers as