Read The Benn Diaries: 1940-1990 Online
Authors: Tony Benn
control of manifesto given to NEC, 482; Benn’s speech in support, 496
electoral college for leader and deputy leader, Benn supports, 481, 482, 492, 496, 498, 506, 512; first to be held (1981), 521
mandatory reselection of MPs once in every Parliament, 482, 490–2, 495–6
Cook, Robin, 532, 583
Cook, Stewart, 24
Cooper, Jilly, 556
Corbet, Freda, 34
Corbishley, Father, 96
Corby steelworks, 458, 479
Corbyn, Jeremy, 610, 624, 625, 628
Cosgrave, Patrick, 310
Cousins, Frank, 49, 65, 71, 72, 109, 112, 150, 155
clashes with Gaitskell on defence (1960), 78, 79–81
resigns as Minister, 149, 158–9
death, 585
Cowan, Jim, 570
Coward, Noël, 9
Crack, Meg, 544, 545, 560
Craigie, Jill, 242, 499
Crawshaw, Richard, 509
Cresson, Edith, 502
Crick, Bernard, 493
Cripps, Francis (adviser), 282, 283, 345, 348, 349, 350, 351, 357, 364, 366, 406, 407, 408–9, 410
Cripps, Sir Stafford, 31, 33, 347
resignation as Chancellor, 28
Crosland, C. A. R. (Tony), 4, 24, 27, 30, 31, 71, 104, 107, 177, 182, 184, 221, 222–3, 243, 262, 264, 265, 269, 273, 285, 314, 315, 323, 336, 362, 367
attitude to Wilson, 95–6, 164
divorce, 49
Education Minister, 122–3, 138, 145
employment generation, 220
illness and death, 397, 398, 399, 400; memorial service, 402–4
Foreign Secretary, 358, 359, 360, 363, 378, 381–2, 383, 385
leadership bid fails (1976), 350, 354
Secretary of State for England, 214
similarity to Gaitskell, 33
Crosland, Susan, 104, 398
Crossman, Richard, 27, 37, 48, 51, 60, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 71, 94, 100, 107, 111, 112, 114, 138, 145, 150, 177, 179, 182, 193, 198, 221, 269, 280, 435
appointed Leader of the House, 163
defeatist attitude, 156, 201, 220
diaries, 167, 286, 330
dismissed by
New Statesman
(1972), 254–5
death, 285
Crowder, Petre, 279
Cryer, Bob, 441
Cudlipp, Hugh (Lord), 36, 56, 130, 265
Cunningham, John (Jack), 271, 388, 461, 611
Curran, Frances, 585
Custis, Ronnie, 338
Cyprus crisis (1964), 113
Czechoslovakia, Soviet invasion (1968), 193–5
regime overthrown (1989), 623
D-Day landings, 10
Dalton, Hugh, 27, 29, 30, 49
Daly, Lawrence, 280
Dalyell, Tam, 110, 111, 136, 192, 534, 536, 542, 568, 597
Dash, Jack, 597
Davidson, Arthur, 428
Davies, Ernest, 36
Davies, John, 241, 245, 253, 421
Davies, Peter, 226
Day, Robin (Sir), 52, 93, 105, 229, 318, 398–9
de Freitas, Geoffrey, 47, 54
de Gaulle, Charles, 57, 154, 162, 167, 175, 190, 191, 196, 201
funeral, 237
resignation, 205
de Murville, Couve, 160
Dean, Sir Patrick, 172
death threats, 310, 311–12, 501, 630; so-called assassination plot, 507
Deedes, Bill (Lord), 112, 402
defence expenditure cuts (1968), 175–9
Delargy, Hugh, 252
Dell, Edmund, 264, 320, 404, 454; joins SDP, 510
Denning Report, 104
devaluation of the pound (1967), 174–5
Devlin, Bernadette, 252
devolution debate, 368, 392, 394, 401, 465; Referendum in Scotland and Wales, 447, 464
Dew, Brenda, 124
Diamond, Jack (Lord), 215, 217–18; SDP, 510
Dimbleby, Jonathan, 232
disarmament, 488, 616, 620
Donnelly, Desmond, 137
Donoughue, Bernard, 321, 330, 333
Dormand, Jack, 542
Douglas-Home, Charles, 536
Drake, Sir Eric, 328, 334
Driberg, Tom, 144, 234, 245, 422
Ruling Passions
, 421
Dubcek, Alexander, 194
Duffy, Terry, 492, 498
Dunnett, Sir James, 178
Dunster, Dr John, 470, 471
Eadie, Alex, 348, 412
Eden, Clarissa, 43, 45, 46
Eden, Sir Anthony (Lord Avon), 266, 353
personality change, 43
Suez crisis (1956), 39, 40, 41, 45, 55; resignation, 46
Edinburgh, Duke of, 180, 210, 334, 418, 422
conversations with, 181–2, 212, 423
Edmonds, John, 630, 631
Edwards, George, 203
Edwards, Ness, 151
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 10, 36, 456
elected to Labour Party Executive (1959), 69; resigns (1960), 81–2
Elizabeth II, Queen, 105, 117, 124, 133, 134, 153, 181, 182, 334, 418, 537, 618
audience (1970), 235
conversations with, 210–12, 423–4
dissolution question, 277–8
Silver Jubilee, 396, 405, 422–4
views on stamp design, 125–7, 128, 134, 135, 140, 142–3, 152
Ellis, Tom, 509
Emmett, Bryan, 341, 342, 348, 358
energy crisis (1973–4), 273–80
three-day week, 275
Energy Minister (1975–9), 325–472
Common Market conflict with Callaghan, 426–7, 434
IMF crisis, 377–87
North Sea oil and gas, 334, 342, 344, 394, 411, 421; blow-out at Ekofisk field, 411–12, 419; oil-rig safety, 436–7
nuclear debate, 333, 362–3, 364, 365, 376–7, 390, 411, 413, 414, 415–16
open government policy, 390
Petroleum Bill, 328
power workers’ strike (1977), 432–3
President of the Council of Energy Ministers, 390, 410; European tour, 390–2
Windscale leak, 387–8, 404, 470–2;
planning inquiry, 434, 444–5
Ennals, David (Lord), 400, 412, 420, 427
Erhardt, Ludwig, 164
Evans, Charlie, 71
Evans, Harold, 265, 273, 274, 424
Evans, loan (PPS), 150
Evans, Moss, 448, 459, 491, 492
Ezra, Sir Derek, 374
Falkland Islands
joint oil exploration (1975), 329
sovereignty issue, 197, 351, 422, 433–4
war (1982), 531–7, 542; opposed by Benn, 533, 535–6
Faulds, Andrew, 498
Faulkner, Brian, 256
Feather, Vic (Lord), 239, 240
Fernyhough, Ernie, 349
Field, Tony, 267, 286
Fields, Terry, 546, 573, 598, 628
Fienburgh, Wilfred:
No Love for Johnny
63
Finch, Harold, 37–8
Fisher, Archbishop, 153
Fitt, Gerry, 408
Fitton, James, 135
Flanagan, Bill, 559, 560
Flannery, Martin, 498
Fletcher, Eric, 34
Fletcher, Raymond, 133
Flintoff, Ian, 547, 560
Flowers, Brian (Lord), 399, 411
Flynn, Laurie, 560
Foot, Sir Hugh, 112
Foot, Michael, 29, 59, 82, 157, 239, 243, 244, 257, 259, 269, 270, 273, 274, 275, 277, 280, 283, 286, 294, 321, 322–3, 328, 349, 352, 368, 421, 427, 431, 435, 438, 457, 474, 487, 490, 494, 495, 496, 499, 581
anti-Common Market stance, 313, 314, 315, 318
Wilson’s dependence on, 285
leadership challenge fails (1976), 350, 351, 354–5
Leader of the House, 358
IMF crisis, 385, 386, 387
devolution debate, 394
Lib-Lab pact (1977), 408, 409
disputes with Benn, 435, 515–16, 503–4, 515–17; Benn’s poor opinion of him, 492
gains leadership (1980), 500, 503; 511–12, 521, 546, 552; problems with Gang of Four, 503–5, 509–10; internal wrangling, accuses Benn, 525–6; Tatchell affair, 527, 528, 538; Falklands War, 535, 537; election defeat (1983), 547, 549, 550; resigns leadership, 550, 557
Foot, Paul, 519
Ford, Gerald, 298, 377, 379, 384, 455
Ford II, Henry, 219, 431
Ford strike (1978), 448, 454, 458
Fowler, Sir Norman, 573
Fox, Cliff, 559, 560
Frampton, Mary, 613–14, 625
Fraser, Lady Antonia, 265–6, 271
Fraser, Hugh
challenge for Tory leadership (1975), 309
IRA assassination attempt (1975), 333–4
Fraser, Tom, 144
Freeland, General, 214
Freeman, John, 200
Freeson, Reg, 239
Friends of the Earth, 434, 442, 502–3
Gaitskell, Dora, 60–1, 66, 68
Gaitskell, Hugh, 32, 37, 38, 48, 49, 51, 52, 60–1, 66, 69, 95, 268, 368, 506, 579, 619
assault on Clause 4, 70–1, 72
death, 94, 96
divisive leader, 94
defence issue (1960): dash with Cousins, 79–82; speech defending multilateralism, 82
election defeat (1959), 66–8
character and mannerisms, 32–3, 35
monetary crisis (1951), 28–9; imposition of health charges, 28–9, 30
Suez crisis, 39, 40; demands resignation of Eden, 40–2
threat to his leadership, 78–82
unsympathetic to Benn’s peerage problem, 86–7
Galloway, George, 624
Galtieri, General, 532
Gardiner, George, 394
Gardiner, Gerald (Lord), 46, 96, 98, 112, 138–9, 177, 188
Gentleman, David, 124, 125, 126, 127
George V, King, 128
George VI, King, 10, 423
German rearmament question, 33–4
German reunification, 623; Berlin Wall dismantled (1989), 622, 623
Gibbs, June, 547
Gillard, Frank, 151
Gillis, Ian, 441
Giscard d’Estaing, V., 457, 489
Glemp, Cardinal Josef, 586–90
Glyn, Sir Ralph, 27
Golborne, Colliery disaster, 465
gold market crisis (1968), 182–5
Golding, John, 440–1, 524, 536, 540
Gollan, Joe, 301
Gollancz, Victor, 3
Goodhart, Philip, 241
Goodman, Arnold (Lord), 150
Gorbachev, Mikhail, 589, 594, 606, 607, 623
Reykjavik summit (1986), 592
cuts of half a million troops (1988), 616
visit to Britain (1989), 618
Gordon, Mildred, 617
Gordon Walker, Patrick (Lord), 23, 165, 177
Foreign Secretary: defeated in Leyton by-election (1964), 122
Gormley, Joe (Lord), 239, 252, 374, 449
Gott, Richard, 551
Gould, Bryan, 611, 612, 618
Gould, Joyce, 486
Government of Britain Bill (1990), 627
Gow, Ian, 507, 530
Grant, Bernie, 617
Grattan, John, 303
Greenborough, John, 460
Greenham Common demonstrations, 541–2
Greenhill, Sir Denis, 222
Greenwood, Anthony (Lord), 36, 53, 112, 147, 177
Griffiths, Jim, 37
Griffiths, Trevor, 228
Grigg, John, renounces peerage, 103
Grimond, Jo (Lord), 134, 447
Grunwick Strike, 420–1
Gulbenkian, Nubar, 165, 166
Gulf War (1990), 625–40
Benn’s resolution to stop the conflict, 627, 628
Benn’s humanitarian mission to Iraq for release of hostages, 636–40
Gunter, Ray, 81, 138, 144, 177, 183, 186, 196, 510
Hadden, Alan, 579
Haigh, Eddie, 611
Hailsham, Lord (Quintin Hogg), 52, 94, 99–100, 105, 122, 187, 253
Haines, Joe, 267, 277, 321, 333, 352, 369–70
The Politics of Power
, 396, 397–8
Hall, Sir Arnold, 161
Hamilton, Willy, 259, 260, 565
Hamling, Bill, 245
Hammond, Eric, 579
Handler, Dr Clive, 518
Hanna, Vincent, 561
Harriman, Sir George, 166
Harris, Ennis (agent), 274
Harris, John, 66, 67, 79, 81, 362, 506
Harrison, Sir Geoffrey, 168, 169
Hart, Judith, 154, 155, 156, 184, 201, 210, 250, 252, 264–5, 274, 288, 321, 322–3, 331, 346, 350–1, 354, 388, 400, 421, 425, 431, 536
denies being a Communist, 301
Hattersley, Roy, 212, 213, 362, 363, 368, 400, 439, 446, 466, 475, 487, 501, 552
deputy leader (1983–92), 557, 564, 584, 603, 609, 612, 614
Hatton, Derek, 546, 579, 580, 583, 596
Havenhand, Gloria, 597
Havers, Sir Michael (Lord), 581
Haviland, Julian, 519–20
Hawkins, Arthur, 414
Hayward, Ron, 267, 269, 275, 279, 280, 355, 440, 495, 506, 524
Head, Antony, 45
Healey, Denis (Lord), 34, 82, 113, 127, 185, 201, 215, 220–1, 238, 243, 249, 270, 280, 293, 294, 295, 299, 311, 314, 318, 324, 349, 390, 405, 408, 483, 487, 494, 508, 510, 520, 527, 528, 574, 594, 595, 628
Defence Minister (1964–70), 166, 214; objects to cuts (1968), 175–6,
177–9, 227; suspected of plotting against Wilson, 197; Ulster crisis (1969), 212, 213
leadership bids: (1976) 353–5; (1980) 499
Chancellor (1974–9), 285; expenditure cuts (1976) 336, 364–5, 366, 368, 430; borrows from IMF, 369; crisis, 377–89; monetary policy, 446, 449, 457, 464, 468
Deputy Leader (1980–3), 501, 503, 512, 514, 516, 517; narrowly defeats Benn in 1981 election for deputy, 521; 525, 536
Heath, Edward (Sir), 49–50, 157, 204, 220, 229, 231, 241, 252, 254, 257–8, 274, 292, 314, 318, 329, 349, 353, 363–4, 397, 401, 404, 424, 448, 449, 476, 508, 628, 629–30
Conservative Leader: sacks Powell from Shadow Cabinet, 186; demands Benn’s dismissal from Government, 229
Prime Minister following General Election victory (1970), 232, 234; abolishes Ministry of Technology, 236; yachting in Admiral’s cup, 244–5; free vote on Common Market, 249; wins second reading on EC Bill (1972), 253; energy crisis and three-day week (1973–4), 273–80; defeat in 1974 Election, 282
resigns as Leader, 309; heads pro-Common Market campaign, 310; loathing of Thatcher, 421; pledges support for Callaghan on pay, 451; meeting with Saddam Hussein for hostage release, 631, 632, 635
Heathfield, Betty, 563, 566, 575
Heathfield, Peter, 558, 569–70, 574, 609
Heffer, Eric, 136, 157, 239, 250, 254, 264, 294, 313, 321, 323, 349, 387, 409, 482, 487, 488, 490, 491, 492, 496, 498, 538, 540, 550, 551, 552, 566, 573, 579, 598, 610, 617, 628
Benn’s Minister of State (1974), 284, 285
Callaghan attacked (1976), 369
Deputy Leadership bid (1988), 610
Henderson, Sir Nicholas, 390–1
Hennessy, Harry, 30, 31
Herbison, Peggy, 112, 117, 145
Heseltine, Michael, 345, 574, 625, 631
resigns over Westland affair, 580–1, 592
leadership bid (1990), 633–5, 636
Hesketh, Ross, 554
Hetherington, Alastair, 255
Hetherington, Arthur, 339–40
Hill, Charles (Lord), BBC chairman, 195, 220
Hill, Sir John, 210, 362, 404, 411, 443–4, 451, 471