The Benn Diaries: 1940-1990 (122 page)

RYLAND, William (1913–88). Managing Director, Telecommunications, at the GPO, 1967–9. In the reorganised Post Office Corporation Ryland became Chairman, 1971–7.

SAWYER, Tom. National Union of Public Employees’ member of National Executive since 1982. Chair of Labour Party, 1990/1.

SCANLON, Hugh. President of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, 1968–78. AEU organiser, 1947–63. Created a life peer in 1979.

SCARGILL, Arthur. President of the Yorkshire Area of the National Union of Mineworkers, 1973–81. President of the NUM since 1981.

SEDGEMORE, Brian. PPS to Tony Benn, 1977–8. Labour MP for Luton West, 1974–9, and for Hackney South and Shoreditch since 1983.

SHAWCROSS, Hartley. Labour MP for St Helens, 1945–58. Attorney-General, 1945–51. President of Board of Trade, 1951.

SHINWELL, Emmanuel (Manny) (1884–1986). Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, 1964–7. Minister of Fuel and Power and Minister of Defence in the 1945–51 Labour Government. Labour MP for Linlithgow, 1922–4 and 1928–31, for Seaham, 1935–50, and for Easington, 1950–70. Chairman of the Labour Party, 1947/8. Created a life peer in 1970.

SHORE, Liz. Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health and Social Security, 1977–85. Former Post-Graduate Medical Dean, North West Thames Region. Married to Peter Shore.

SHORE, Peter. Secretary of the State for the Environment, 1976–9. Head of Research Department of the Labour Party, 1959–64. PPS to Harold Wilson, 1965–6. Joint Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Technology, 1966–7. Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, 1967–9. Minister without Portfolio, 1969–70. Secretary of State for Trade, 1974–6. Labour MP for Stepney, subsequently Stepney and Poplar, and then Bethnal Green and Stepney, since 1964. Married to Liz Shore.

SHORT, Clare. Civil Servant in the Home Office, 1970–5. Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood since 1983.

SHORT, Edward. Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, 1972–6; and Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons 1974–6. Government Chief Whip, 1964–6. Postmaster-General, 1966–8. Secretary of State for Education and Science, 1968–70. Labour MP for Newcastle-on-Tyne Central, 1951–76. Created a life peer, Lord Glenamara, in 1976.

SILKIN, John (1923–87). Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1976–9. Chief Whip, 1966–9. Minister of Public Building and Works, 1969–70. Minister for Planning and Local Government, 1974–6. Labour MP for Deptford, 1963–87.

SILKIN, Sam (1918–88). Attorney-General, 1974–9. Leader of UK delegation to European Assembly, 1968–70. Labour MP for Dulwich, 1964–83. Brother of John Silkin (see above). Created a life peer in 1985.

SIMON, Brian. Professor of Education and subsequently Emeritus Professor at the University of Leicester. Has published a large number of books on education including
Half Way There: Report on the British Comprehensive School Reform
(1970) with Caroline Benn.

SKINNER, Dennis. Labour MP for Bolsover since 1970. Chairman of the Labour Party, 1988/9. President of the Derbyshire NUM, 1966–70.

SLATER, Joe (1904–77). Assistant Postmaster General, 1964–9. Previously PPS to Hugh Gaitskell and Harold Wilson. Labour MP for Sedgefield, 1950–70. Created a life peer in 1970.

SMITH, Charles Delacourt (1917–72). General Secretary of the Post Office Engineering Union, 1953–72. Formerly Labour MP for Colchester, 1945–50. Created a life peer in 1967, and was Minister of State at the Ministry of Technology, 1969–70.

SMITH, Ron. General Secretary of the Union of Post Office Workers, 1957–66.

STEEL, David. Leader of the Liberal Party, 1976–88; and the joint Leader
of the Liberal and Social Democratic Alliance during 1987. Liberal MP for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles, 1965–83, and Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale since 1983.

STEWART, Michael (1906–90). Secretary of State for Education and Science, 1964–5; Foreign Secretary, 1965–6; Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, 1966–7; Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, 1968–70. Labour MP for Fulham East, subsequently Fulham and then Hammersmith and Fulham, 1945–79. Created a life peer in 1979.

STOKES, Donald. Managing Director and Deputy Chairman, subsequently Chairman, of Leyland Motor Corporation from 1963. Chairman and Managing Director of British Leyland in 1973, President in 1975. Created a life peer in 1969.

STONEHOUSE, John (1925–88). Minister of State at the Ministry of Technology, 1967–8. Postmaster-General in 1968, and Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, 1969. Labour Co-operative MP for Wednesbury, 1957–74, and Walsall North, 1974, until his resignation in 1976. Imprisoned for fraud, 1976.

STRACHEY, John (1901–63). Labour MP for Aston, 1929–31, for Dundee 1945–63. Minister of Food, 1946–50. Secretary of State for War, 1950–1.

TAVERNE, Dick. Labour MP for Lincoln from 1962 until resigning in 1972. Regained the seat in a by-election in 1973, as Democratic Labour candidate, lost it in the October 1974 Election. Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1969–70.

THATCHER, Margaret. Leader of the Conservative Party, 1975–90. Prime Minister, 1979–90. Secretary of State for Education and Science, 1970–4; previously a junior Minister in the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, 1961–4. Conservative MP for Finchley, 1959–92. Created a life peer in 1992.

THOMAS, George. Speaker of the House of Commons, 1976–83 (Deputy Speaker 1974–6). Minister of State at the Welsh Office, 1966–7, and Commonwealth Office, 1967–8. Secretary of State for Wales, 1968–70. Labour MP for Cardiff Central, 1945–50, Cardiff West, 1950–83 (sat as Speaker from 1976). Created a hereditary peer, Viscount Tonypandy, in 1983.

THOMSON, George. Chairman of the Labour Committee for Europe, 1972–3; appointed an EEC Commissioner, 1973–7. Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs, 1967–8. Minister without Portfolio, 1968–9. Labour MP for Dundee East, 1952–72. Created a life peer in 1977.

THORNEYCROFT, Peter (1909–94). Conservative MP for Stafford, subsequently for Monmouth. Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1957–8.

THORPE, Jeremy. Leader of the Liberal Party, 1967–76. Liberal MP for North Devon, 1959–79.

TILLING, Henry. Private Secretary to Tony Benn as Postmaster General, 1964–5. Deputy Director of Finance at the GPO, 1965; and subsequently became Secretary of the Post Office, 1973–5

TODD, Ron. National Organiser of the Transport and General Workers’ Union, 1978–85. General Secretary, 1985–91.

TREND, Burke (1914–87). Secretary of the Cabinet, 1963–73. Created a life peer in 1974.

UNDERHILL, Reg. National Agent of the Labour Party, 1972–9. Labour Party official since 1933. Created a life peer in 1979.

VALLINS, Margaret. Member of Chesterfield Labour Party. District Councillor, 1987–91. Constituency Secretary to Tony Benn since 1984.

VALLINS, Tom. Member of Chesterfield Labour Party. Election agent to Tony Benn since 1987.

VARLEY, Eric. Labour MP for Chesterfield, 1964–84. Secretary of State for Energy, 1974–5, exchanging Cabinet jobs with Tony Benn to become Secretary of State for Industry, 1975–9; PPS to Harold Wilson, 1968–9. Retired in 1984 to become Chairman of Coalite Group. Created a life peer in 1990.

VAUGHAN, Ron. Official driver to Tony Benn at the Ministry of Technology, 1968–70, and at the Departments of Industry and Energy, 1974–90.

WALKER, Peter. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1979–83, Secretary of State for Wales, 1987–90. Secretary of State for the Environment, 1970–2, and for Trade and Industry, 1972–4. Deputy Chairman of Slater, Walker Securities, 1964–70. Conservative MP for Worcester, 1961–92. Created a life peer in 1992.

WEATHERILL, Bernard (Jack). Conservative MP for Croydon North East, 1964–83. Speaker of the House of Commons and MP for Croydon North East, 1983–92. Created a life peer in 1992.

WEINSTOCK, Arnold. Industrialist. Managing Director of GEC since 1963, of Radio and Allied Industries, 1954–63. Created a life peer in 1980.

WHITELAW, William (Willie). Home Secretary, 1979–83. Secretary of
State for Employment, 1973–4; previously Leader of the House of Commons and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 1972–3. Chairman of the Conservative Party, 1974–5. Created a hereditary peer, Viscount Whitelaw, in 1983.

WHITTY, Larry. Official of the General and Municipal Workers’ Union, 1973–85. General Secretary of the Labour Party, 1985–94.

WILLIAMS, Marcia. Personal and Political Secretary to Harold Wilson, 1956–95. Created a life peer, Lady Falkender, in 1976.

WILLIAMS, Roy. Principal Piivate Secretary to Tony Benn, 1974. Under-Secretary, subsequently Deputy Secretary, of the Department of Industry (later the Department of Trade and Industry).

WILLIAMS, Shirley. Founder member of the SDP in 1981, President in 1982; and SDP MP for Crosby, 1981–3. Secretary of State for Education and Science, and Paymaster-General, 1976–9. Minister of State, Education and Science, 1967–9, and the Home Office, 1969–70. Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection, 1974–6. Labour MP for Hitchin, 1964–74, for Hertford and Stevenage, 1974–9. Created a life peer in 1993.

WILSON, Harold (1916–95). Leader of the Labour Party, 1963–76. Prime Minister, 1964–70, and 1974–6. Resigned in 1976 and did not hold office again. President of the Board of Trade, 1947–51, when he resigned with Aneurin Bevan. Chairman of the Labour Party, 1961/2. Labour MP for Ormskirk, 1945–50, and Huyton, 1950–83. Created a life peer, Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, in 1983. Married to Mary Wilson, poet and writer.

WISE, Audrey. Labour MP for Coventry South West, 1974–9, and for Preston since 1987.

WOODCOCK, George (1904–79). General Secretary of the TUC, 1960–9. Assistant General Secretary, 1947–60.

WRATTEN, Donald. Private Secretary to Tony Benn as Postmaster General, 1965–6; Head of Telecommunications Marketing Division, 1966–7.

WYATT, Woodrow. Journalist and Labour MP for Aston, 1945–55, subsequently for Bosworth, 1959–70.

ZANDER, Michael. Lecturer, subsequently Professor in Law at the London School of Economics. Assisted Tony Benn during the peerage campaign, 1960–1. Left the Labour Party to join the SDP.

ZUCKERMAN, Solly (1904–93). Zoologist. Longtime government adviser. Chief Scientific Adviser to Harold Wilson, 1964–70, and to the
Secretary of State for Defence, 1960–6. Chairman of the Central Advisory Committee for Science and Technology, 1965–70. Created a life peer in 1971.

Personal

ARNOLD-FORSTER, Mark (1920–81). Political commentator, worked on
Guardian, Observer,
and ITN, 1946–81. Married to Val Arnold-Forster, Journalist. Family friends.

BENN, Caroline. Born in the USA. Postgraduate degrees from the Universities of Cincinnati and London. Founder member of the comprehensive education campaign in Britain and editor of
Comprehensive Education
since 1967. Author of educational publications including
Half Way There
with Professor Brian Simon (1970) and
Challenging the MSC
with John Fairley (1986). Biographer of Keir Hardie (1992). President, Socialist Educational Association since 1970. Member, Inner London Education Authority, 1970–7. Member, Education Section, UNESCO Commission, 1976–83. Governor of several schools and colleges, including Imperial College, London University and Holland Park School, from 1967. Lecturer, adult education service, 1965–present. Married Tony Benn, 1949. Four children (see below).

BENN, David Wedgwood. Younger brother of Tony Benn; a barrister; worked for the Socialist International and later for the External Service of the BBC. Head of the BBC Yugoslav Section, 1974–84. A writer specialising in Soviet affairs.

BENN, Hilary. Son, born 1953. Educated at Holland Park School and Sussex University. Head of research, MSF. Deputy Leader of Ealing Council and Chair of the Education Committee, 1986–90. In 1973 married Rosalind Retey, who died of cancer in 1979. Married Sally Clark in 1982. Three sons, one daughter.

BENN, Joshua. Son, born 1958. Educated at Holland Park School. Founder of COMMUNITEC Computer Training Consultancy, 1984–8. Co-author of
Rock Hardware
(1981). Employed by the Housing Corporation since 1988. Married Elizabeth Feeney in 1984. One son.

BENN, June. Former lecturer; novelist writing under the name of June Barraclough. Married David Benn in 1959. Two children, Piers, born in 1962, and Frances, born 1964.

BENN, Melissa. Daughter, born 1957. Educated at Holland Park School and the London School of Economics. Socialist feminist writer and journalist. Author of
Public Lives
(1995). Contributor to several essay collections on feminism, the media, the police and crime; contributor to
Guardian, New Statesman, Marxism Today, Spare Rib, City Limits
. One daughter.

BENN, Stephen. Son, born 1951. Educated at Holland Park School and Keele University. PhD for ‘The White House Staff’ (1984). Former assistant to Senator Thomas F. Eagleton. Parliamentary Affairs Officer for Royal Society of Chemistry since 1988. Composer. Married Nita Clarke in 1988. One daughter, one son.

CARTER, Peter. Family friend. Architect.

CLARKE, Nita. Chief press officer, GLC, 1980–6. Married to Stephen Benn since 1988.

GIBSON, Ralph. Barrister and judge. Married to Anne. Close family friends.

RETLEY, Rosalind (1953–79). Married Hilary Benn in April 1973. Rosalind contracted cancer in 1978, and died at home in June 1979. A fund in her memory has been established at Holland Park, her former school, under the control of the students.

STANSGATE, Lady (1897–1991). Margaret Holmes. Daughter of Liberal MP, D.T. Holmes. Married William Wedgwood Benn in 1920. They had three children (the eldest son, Michael, was killed while serving as an RAF pilot during the Second World War). A longstanding member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women, the first President of the Congregational Federation, served on the Council of Christians and Jews, and the Friends of the Hebrew University. Fellow of the Hebrew University. Joint author of
Beckoning Horizon
, 1934.

STANSGATE, Lord (1877–1960). William Wedgwood Benn. Son of John Williams Benn, who was Liberal MP for Tower Hamlets and later for Devonport, and Chairman, 1904/5, of the London County Council of which he was a founder member. William Wedgwood Benn was himself elected Liberal MP for St George’s, Tower Hamlets, in 1906. Became a Whip in the Liberal Government in 1910. Served in the First World War and was decorated with the DSO and DFC, returning in 1918 to be elected Liberal MP for Leith. Joined the Labour Party in 1926, resigned his seat the same day, and was subsequently elected Labour MP for North Aberdeen (1928–31) in a by-election. Secretary of State for India in the 1929–31 Labour Cabinet. Re-elected as Labour MP for Gorton in 1937. He rejoined the RAF in 1940 at the age of sixty-three, was made a peer, Viscount Stansgate, in 1941, and was Secretary of State for Air, 1945–6, in the postwar Labour Government. World President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 1947–57.