David Warburton, the former Conservative Member of Parliament for Somerton and Frome, has been found dead in his flat at the age of 59, friends said, as those close to him described a personal turnaround that took him from hardship to apparent stability.
Friends and acquaintances told reporters that Warburton had in recent years moved on from difficult periods in his life — including a time he spent sleeping in a car park — to a markedly different lifestyle, at one point driving a Porsche valued at about £130,000. Those close to him said he had made changes and was working to rebuild his life after public scandal.
Warburton had resigned his Commons seat in June 2023 after acknowledging he had used cocaine in a conversation that followed publication of a compromising photograph. The image, taken some months earlier, reportedly showed an upturned baking tray bearing lines of white powder. When asked in June 2023 whether he had used drugs, Warburton said, "I mean, to be fair, I mean I'm not going to lie," adding, "By the end of the night, yeah." He attributed the episode to heavy drinking and said he intended to resign; he did so the following day.
The resignation followed an inquiry that had constrained his public comments until he spoke about the incident. The episode prompted intense media scrutiny and contributed to the end of his tenure as an MP.
Friends speaking after his death emphasized the contrast between Warburton's earlier struggles and later efforts to put his life on a different course. They described a man who had worked through periods of instability and who, in their view, had sought to make positive changes in the years after leaving Parliament.
Warburton had been elected as the MP for Somerton and Frome and served in the Commons before the scandal. Details of the circumstances surrounding his death have not been made public by his family or authorities. No official cause of death was reported at the time friends and media outlets conveyed their recollections of his life and recent changes.
Those close to Warburton said they were mourning not only the loss of a public figure but also someone they believed had been attempting to rebuild. The accounts from friends offered a personal perspective on a figure whose political career ended amid controversy and who, according to those who knew him, had been trying to move beyond that period.
Further information about the death, including any official statements or inquests, had not been released as of the initial reports. Media coverage of Warburton's career will likely continue to revisit both his parliamentary record and the events that led to his resignation, as well as the personal history friends described in outlining the arc of his life.