Finding a decapitated pig's head in his drive is just one of the stories former Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda reveals in his new book.
My Political Race is Mr Dhanda's memoir about his time in politics including the two terms he served as MP for the city between 2001 and 2010.
In the book Mr Dhanda reveals that as the Labour MP for Gloucester when things were good for him they were very good.
He tells out he would be rolled out at party conferences and for TV appearances as a poster boy for his party, a shining example of a new Britain, where white constituencies chose ethnic minorities as their candidates and elected them.
He was a feel-good story, and telling the other side of the story not only would have jarred with the narrative but would also have brought to light issues that neither Mr Dhanda nor his colleagues would be comfortable addressing.
In his book Mr Dhanda talks about the time someone left a decapitated pig's head in the middle of his driveway following his defeat in the 2010 election.
He tells about the fact that after nine years' service people didn't even realise he was actually a Sikh and not a Muslim.
In the book Mr Dhanda speaks out for the first time about some of the uncomfortable issues in politics, in the hope it helps present a smoother path for others in the future and makes it easier for those in the game now to speak out too.
