Longford

The film opens in 1987 with Lord Longford invited to discuss his book Saints on a live radio show. Listeners call in and challenge his defense of Hindley, especially after she has confessed to two additional murders. Longford declines to discuss Hindley on air, politely steering the conversation away from the topic.

The story's main arc begins in the late 1960s at the House of Lords, where Longford receives a letter from Myra Hindley asking for books and for a meeting with Ian Brady. He warns Hindley that contact with Brady could hurt any parole chances. Hindley is surprised by the idea of parole and the potential for reform.

Motivated by his belief in universal redemption, Longford starts a personal campaign to win Hindley's parole. He reminds Hindley that the trial judge believed rehabilitation might be possible once away from Brady's influence. His stance meets heavy public, media, and political backlash.

As Hindley converts to Catholicism and appears to reform, Longford questions whether the change is genuine or a manipulation to secure parole. He debates the depth of her remorse while press scrutiny grows. This tension frames his ongoing faith-driven pursuit.

Ian Brady writes to Longford and demands a prison visit, claiming Hindley is manipulative and only seeks freedom. Brady's warning deepens Longford's internal conflict about Hindley and the real meaning of rehabilitation.

Longford endures fierce criticism from tabloid media, politicians, and his own family for backing Hindley. He defends his core belief that people can be reformed, despite the reputational cost. His wife urges him to abandon the cause.

In 1977, Longford appears on the first Brass Tacks episode to debate Hindley's parole. Ann West and Patrick Kilbride publicly oppose release, threatening Hindley if she is freed. The program becomes a focal point for the moral and political conflict over parole.

By 1986 Hindley reveals to Longford that she and Brady were responsible for two more murders, shocking public opinion and complicating his campaign. She later helps police locate the body of one victim, underscoring how intimately involved she still is with the case.

As Hindley's parole case nears evaluation by the Parole Board, public hostility grows stronger. Longford maintains his position, arguing rehabilitation, while critics argue the victims' families' pain should bar parole.

The late 1980s see Longford on a radio show again, facing callers who challenge his stance. He contends that his friendship with Hindley enriched his life and that he does not regret his support, despite the controversy.

Privately, Longford wrestles with doubts as he listens to an audio recording of Lesley Ann Downey's abuse. The haunting tape intensifies the moral weight of his involvement in Hindley's parole saga.

In the late 1990s, Longford, now frail and over ninety, visits Hindley on the prison grounds. Hindley, in her late 50s with deteriorating health, confronts the reality that parole may never come. Their relationship remains complex, defined by faith, guilt, and unresolved questions.

The film ends with on-screen messages noting Longford's death in August 2001 and Hindley's death in November 2002, indicating that Hindley never won parole. The narrative frames Longford's lifelong devotion and the lasting consequences of his campaign.