FORMER Conservative politician, Michael Portillo, who has been on the Isle of Man recently filming for television, will appear at the Gaiety Theatre later this year, in association with Barclays Wealth.

Billed as “An Evening with Michael Portillo”, it will provide an insight into a man who needs little introduction. He was on the Island in recent days filming for his highly popular BBC series ‘Great Railway Journeys’.

Michael Portillo’s political life commenced with three years spent at the Conservative Research Department. At the General Election in 1979 he was responsible for briefing Margaret Thatcher before her press conferences.

He went on to become MP for Kensington & Chelsea, and served in government departments including the Treasury, Local Government, Social Security, Transport and Defence. His name has even entered into the political vocabulary as the phrase “a Portillo moment” is now used to describe an event which is completely unexpected.

As a broadcaster, writer, columnist and media presenter, Michael appears frequently on both radio and television. He appears on This Week on BBC1 with Andrew Neil and Diane Abbott MP. He had a series for Channel 4 entitled ‘Portillo's Progress’ and a highly-acclaimed programme in BBC2's ‘Great Railway Journeys’ series, partly a biography of his father, and also a programme on Elizabeth I, as part of the BBC’s Great Britons series.

He has written about walking as a pilgrim on the Santiago Way and on working as a hospital porter. Michael has a weekly column in The Scotsman, and on radio, he has presented on topics as diverse as Wagner, the Spanish Civil War and is heard most weeks taking part in The Moral Maze on BBC Radio 4.

Great Railway Journeys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAzdIZJp5aM&feature=related

http://www.gov.im/lib/news/villagaiety/michaelportilloc.xml