 Courtney had retained contacts with MI5, and went to see Roger Hollis; MI5 experts thought the photographs had been faked (as did Courtney himself), and presumed a KGB attempt to damage Courtney.The satirical magazine "Private Eye" did run the story (although it knew the KGB was behind it), but it was largely kept quiet; however, rumours did circulate in Harrow.He beat off an attempt to deselect him by 454 to 277, but Courtney lost his seat in the 1966 general election.