- published: 29 Sep 2012
- views: 1669
- author: Indiscriminate35
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- 1922 Committee
- 1980 St. Pauls riot
- 1981 Brixton riot
- 1981 Toxteth riots
- A. E. Housman
- Adolf Hitler
- Africa Star
- Airey Neave
- Akyab
- Alan Johnson
- Alan Milburn
- Alan Sked
- Alan Thornhill
- Alec Douglas-Home
- Alexander Bassano
- Alf Garnett
- Algiers
- Allan Warren
- Alma mater
- Ancient Greek
- Andrew Lansley
- Andrew Roth
- Andy Burnham
- Aneurin Bevan
- Anglican
- Angus Maude
- Anne-Katrin Purkiss
- Anthony Barber
- Appeasement
- Argentina
- Arthur Greenwood
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Aspirin
- Atheism
- Atlantic Ocean
- Australia
- BBC
- Berchtesgaden
- Birmingham
- Bishop of Croydon
- Black Country
- Black Rod
- Brigadier
- British Army
- British Empire
- British people
- Bruges Group
- Burma
- Cairo
- Cambridge Union
- Ceylon
- Channel 4
- Chatham House
- Chernobyl disaster
- Chindits
- Church of England
- City of Westminster
- Clare Boothe Luce
- Classics
- Clement Attlee
- Coal mining
- Communalism
- Community charge
- Crossbenchers
- Crucified
- Daily Express
- Delhi
- Demosthenes
- Denis Healey
- Derek Walker-Smith
- Deutschmark
- Direct rule
- Douglas Schoen
- Downpatrick
- Duncan Sandys
- East of Suez
- Eddie McGrady
- Edmund Burke
- Edward Heath
- Edward Norman
- Enoch Powell
- Ernest Brown (MP)
- Erwin Rommel
- European Community
- European integration
- F. W. S. Craig
- Falkland Islands
- Falklands War
- Far East
- Fascism
- First Class Honours
- Francis Pym
- Frank Dobson
- Free market
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Gallup poll
- General List
- General Post Office
- Gerald Scarfe
- German reunification
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Girl
- Gospel of John
- Gough Whitlam
- Greek language
- Hara kari
- Harold Macmillan
- Harold Wilson
- Hebrew
- Helene Middleweek
- Helmut Kohl
- Hereditary peer
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- Herodotus
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- Hola massacre
- Homosexuality
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- House of Lords
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- Kuwait
- Labour Party (UK)
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- London
- Lord Halifax
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- Malcolm MacDonald
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- Mau Mau
- MI6
- Michael Foot
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- Middle East
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- Moscow
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- Nuclear blackmail
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- Orange Institution
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- Parkinson's disease
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- Powellism
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- Rab Butler
- Radio Enoch
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- Rent controls
- Richard Crossman
- Rivers of Blood
- Rock Brynner
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- Russia
- Russian language
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- Sussex
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- Urdu
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- Westminster Abbey
- Who's Who (UK)
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1981 Brixton riot
The 1981 Brixton riot (or Brixton uprising) was a confrontation between the Metropolitan Police and protesters in Lambeth, South London, England, between 10 and 12 April 1981. The main riot on 11 April, dubbed "Bloody Saturday" by TIME magazine, resulted in almost 280 injuries to police and 45 injuries to members of the public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; and almost 150 buildings were damaged, with thirty burned. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved.
Brixton in South London was an area with serious social and economic problems. The whole United Kingdom was affected by a recession by 1981, but the local African-Caribbean community was suffering particularly high unemployment, poor housing, and a higher than average crime rate.
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Algiers
Algiers (Arabic: الجزائر, al-Jazā’ir; Algerian Arabic: دزاير, Berber: Dzayer / ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000. An estimate puts the population at about 3,574,000 as of 2010.
Called El-Behdja (البهجة) or alternatively Alger la Blanche ("Algiers the White") for the glistening white of its buildings as seen rising up from the sea, Algiers is situated on the west side of a bay of the Mediterranean Sea. The modern part of the city is built on the level ground by the seashore; the old part, the ancient city of the deys, climbs the steep hill behind the modern town and is crowned by the casbah or citadel, 122 metres (400 ft) above the sea. The casbah and the two quays form a triangle.
The city name is derived (via French Alger and Catalan Alger) from the Arabic name الجزائر al-Jazā’ir, which translates as "The Islands", referring to the four islands which lay off the city's coast until becoming part of the mainland in 1525. Al-Jazā’ir is itself a truncated form of the city's older name جزائر بني مازغان Jazā’ir Banī Mazghannā, "The Islands of the Sons of Mazghanna", used by early medieval geographers such as al-Idrisi and Yaqut al-Hamawi.
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Argentina
Argentina
i/ˌɑrdʒənˈtiːnə/, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is a country in South America, the continent's second largest by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations.
Argentina's continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. It borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south. Argentine claims over Antarctica, as well as overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, are suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961. Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories.
A recognised middle power, Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy, with a "very high" rating on the Human development index. Within Latin America, Argentina has the fifth highest nominal GDP per capita and the highest in purchasing power terms. Analysts have argued that the country has a "foundation for future growth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share of total manufactured goods", and it is classed by investors as middle emerging economy. Argentina is a founding member of the United Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.
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Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106,400,000 square kilometres (41,100,000 sq mi), it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to Atlas of Greek mythology, making the Atlantic the "Sea of Atlas".
The oldest known mention of "Atlantic" is in The Histories of Herodotus around 450 BC (Hdt. 1.202.4): Atlantis thalassa (Greek: Ἀτλαντὶς θάλασσα; English: Sea of Atlas); see also: Atlas Mountains. The term Ethiopic Ocean, derived from Ethiopia, was applied to the southern Atlantic ocean as late as the mid-19th century. Before Europeans discovered other oceans, the term "ocean" itself was synonymous with the waters beyond the Strait of Gibraltar that we now know as the Atlantic. The early Greeks believed this ocean to be a gigantic river encircling the world.
The Atlantic Ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending longitudinally between Europe and Africa to the east, and the Americas to the west. As one component of the interconnected global ocean, it is connected in the north to the Arctic Ocean (which is sometimes considered a sea of the Atlantic), to the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, and the Southern Ocean in the south. (Other definitions describe the Atlantic as extending southward to Antarctica.) The equator subdivides it into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean.
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Australia
Australia (
/əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
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Birmingham
Birmingham (i/ˈbɜrmɪŋəm/ BUR-ming-əm, locally /ˈbɜrmɪŋɡəm/ BUR-ming-gəm) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 (2010 estimate), and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census). Birmingham's metropolitan area is also the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000.
A medium-sized market town during the medieval period, Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide developments in science, technology and economic organisation, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791 it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly-skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism, that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy.
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Black Country
Coordinates: 52°32′N 2°2′W / 52.533°N 2.033°W / 52.533; -2.033
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation. The South Staffordshire coal mines, the coal coking operations, and the iron foundries and steel mills that used the local coal to fire their furnaces, produced a level of air pollution that had few equals anywhere in the world.
The Black Country is relatively recent as a concept and identity, the expression deriving from the 1840s. It is popularly believed that the area got its name because of pollution from these heavy industries that covered the area in black soot. There is an anecdote (of dubious authenticity) about Queen Victoria ordering the blinds lowered on her carriage as the royal train passed through[citation needed]. However, historians[who?] suggest that it is more likely that the name existed even before the Industrial Revolution; outcroppings of black coal scarred the surface of the local heath, and the presence of coal so near the surface rendered the local soil very black.
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British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1922 the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-fifth of the world's population at the time, and covered more than 33,700,000 km2 (13,012,000 sq mi), almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous territories.
During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overseas empires. Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England, France and the Netherlands began to establish colonies and trade networks of their own in the Americas and Asia. A series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Netherlands and France left England (and then, following union between England and Scotland in 1707, Great Britain) the dominant colonial power in North America and India. The loss of the Thirteen Colonies in North America in 1783 after a war of independence deprived Britain of some of its oldest and most populous colonies.
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Burma
Burma
i/ˈbɜrmə/ BUR-mə, also known as Myanmar i/ˌmjɑːnˈmɑr/ MYAHN--MAR, is a country in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is bordered by India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. One-third of Burma's total perimeter of 1,930 kilometres (1,200 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. At 676,578 km2 (261,227 sq mi), it is the 40th largest country in the world and the second largest country in Southeast Asia. Burma is also the 24th most populous country in the world with over 60.28 million people.
Burma is home to some of the early civilizations of Southeast Asia including the Pyu and the Mon. In the 9th century, the Burmans of the Kingdom of Nanzhao, entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Empire in the 1050s, the Burmese language and culture slowly became dominant in the country. During this period, Theravada Buddhism gradually became the predominant religion of the country. The Pagan Empire fell due to the Mongol invasions (1277–1301), and several warring states emerged. In the second half of the 16th century, the country was reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty which for a brief period was the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia. The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Burma as well as Manipur and Assam. The country was colonized by Britain following three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885).
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Cairo
Cairo ( /ˈkaɪroʊ/ KYE-roh; Arabic: القاهرة al-Qāhira, literally "The Vanquisher" or "The Conqueror"), is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Located near the Nile Delta, it was founded in the year 969 A.D. making it 1,043 years old. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life. Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century AD.; but the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat which are nearby to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza.
Egyptians today often refer to Cairo as Maṣr (Arabic: مصر), the Arabic pronunciation of the name for Egypt itself, emphasizing the city's continued role in Egyptian influence. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.
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Chatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading organizations in this area. It takes its name from its premises, a grade I listed 18th century house in St. James's Square designed in part by Henry Flitcroft and thrice occupied by British Prime Ministers including William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham.
The current chairman of the Council of Chatham House is Dr. DeAnne Julius and its Director is Dr. Robin Niblett, who succeeded Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas in January 2007. The three Research Directors are Bernice Lee, Dr Paola Subacchi and Alex Vines OBE. Keith Burnet is Director of Communications.
Chatham House was named the top non-US think tank by Foreign Policy magazine. Chatham House was also listed as one of the top "scholars" for being among a handful of stars of the think tank world who are regularly relied upon to set agendas and craft new initiatives.
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Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster (locally Ukrainian: Чорнобильська катастрофа, Chornobylska Katastrofa – Chornobyl Catastrophe) was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then officially Ukrainian SSR), which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities of the Soviet Union. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Western USSR and Europe. It is widely considered to have been the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and is one of only two classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale (the other being the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011). The battle to contain the contamination and avert a greater catastrophe ultimately involved over 500,000 workers and cost an estimated 18 billion rubles, crippling the Soviet economy.
The disaster began during a systems test on Saturday, 26 April 1986 at reactor number four of the Chernobyl plant, which is near the city of Prypiat and in close proximity to the administrative border with Belarus and Dnieper river. There was a sudden power output surge, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, a more extreme spike in power output occurred, which led to a reactor vessel rupture and a series of explosions. These events exposed the graphite moderator of the reactor to air, causing it to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive smoke fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area, including Pripyat. The plume drifted over large parts of the western Soviet Union and Europe. From 1986 to 2000, 350,400 people were evacuated and resettled from the most severely contaminated areas of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. According to official post-Soviet data, about 60% of the fallout landed in Belarus.
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City of Westminster
The City of Westminsteri/ˈwɛstmɪnstə/ is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary is the River Thames. It is an Inner London borough and was created in 1965 when Greater London was established. At its creation Westminster was awarded city status, which had been previously held by the smaller Metropolitan Borough of Westminster. Aside from a number of large parks and open spaces, the population density of the district is high. Many sites commonly associated with London are located in the borough, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street. The borough is divided into a number of localities including the ancient political district of Westminster around the Palace of Westminster; the shopping areas around Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Bond Street; and the night time entertainment district of Soho. Much of the borough is residential, and in 2008 it was estimated to have a population of 236,000. The local authority is Westminster City Council.
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Delhi
Delhi (/ˈdɛli/; locally pronounced Dillee or Dehli), officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16.7 million inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census. The region has been given special status of National Capital Region under The Constitution (69th Amendment) Act, 1991. There are nearly 22.2 million residents in the greater National Capital Region urban area (which also includes the cities Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon,Sonepat and Faridabad along with other smaller nearby towns).
Delhi is known to have been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BCE, though human habitation is believed to have existed since the second millennium BCE. Delhi is also widely believed to have been the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas during the times of the Mahabharata. Delhi re-emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Gangetic plain after the rise of the Delhi sultanates. It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains.
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Downpatrick
Coordinates: 54°19′19″N 5°42′11″W / 54.322°N 5.703°W / 54.322; -5.703
Downpatrick (from Irish: Dún Pádraig, meaning "Patrick's stronghold") is a medium-sized town about 33 km (21 miles) south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census. Downpatrick is where Down District Council has its headquarters.
As the largest town in the Lecale area, Downpatrick is a commercial, recreational and administrative centre for the locality and serves as a hub for the nearby towns and villages. Within an hour drive of Belfast, the location serves as a commuter town for a large number of people. The town has a number of primary and post-primary schools educating students from all over the east Down area.
Downpatrick is characterised by the rolling drumlins that are a feature of the Lecale area and a legacy of glaciation during the Pleistocene, the Down drumlins themselves are underlaid by Ordovician and Silurian shales and grits. It also has the distinction of being the lowest place on the island of Ireland, with the marsh surrounding the north east of the town recorded as being 1.3 ft (0.4m) below sea level.[citation needed] Downpatrick is approximately 22 miles (35 km) from Belfast with a regular bus service.
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Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (English pronunciation: /ˈfɒlklənd/ or English pronunciation: /ˈfɔːlklənd/; Spanish: Islas Malvinas) are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located more than 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) east of the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago comprises East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 lesser islands. Stanley, the capital and only city, is on East Falkland. The islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory, with the United Kingdom responsible for their defence and foreign affairs.
Controversy exists over the Falklands' original discovery and subsequent colonisation by Europeans. At various times there have been French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. Britain re-established its rule in 1833, yet the islands continue to be claimed by Argentina. In 1982, following Argentina's invasion of the islands, the two-month-long undeclared Falklands War between both countries resulted in the withdrawal of all Argentine forces. Despite its defeat, Argentina still pursues its claim; however, UK policy supports the islanders' self-determination to remain British citizens.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] (
listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( /dʒɨˈbrɒltər/) is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has an area of 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.
An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain "in perpetuity" under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It was an important base for the Royal Navy; today its economy is based largely on tourism, financial services, and shipping.
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and again in 2002. Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.
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Hola massacre
The Hola Massacre is an event that took place during the Mau Mau Uprising against British colonial rule at a colonial detention camp in Hola, Kenya.
Hola camp was established to house detainees classified as “hard-core.” By January 1959 the camp had a population of 506 detainees of whom 127 were held in a secluded “closed camp.” This more remote camp was reserved for the uncooperative of the detainees. They often refused, even when threats of force were made, to join in the colonial "rehabilitation process" or perform manual labor or obey colonial orders. The camp commandant outlined a plan that would force 88 of the detainees to bend to work. On March 3, 1959, the camp commandant put this plan into action - as a result of which 11 of the detainees were clubbed to death by guards. All the 77 surviving detainees sustained serious permanent injuries.
The first report to surface about this incident was in the East African Standard. The front-page article reported that ten died at the Hola detention camp. The paper quoted the "official statement" from the colonial authorities: “The men were in a group of about 100 who were working on digging furrows. The deaths occurred after they had drunk water from a water cart which was used by all members of the working party and the guards.”
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House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.
The House of Lords is independent from, and complements the work of, the House of Commons – they share responsibility for making laws and checking government action. Bills can be introduced into either the House of Lords or the House of Commons and members of the Lords may also take on roles as Government Ministers.
Unlike the House of Commons, most new members of the House of Lords are appointed. Membership of the House of Lords is made up of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. There are currently 26 Lords Spiritual, who sit in the Lords by virtue of their ecclesiastical role in the established Church of England. The Lords Temporal make up the rest of the membership; of these, the majority are life peers who are appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, or on the advice of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
Membership was once a right of birth to hereditary peers but, following a series of reforms, only 92 members (as of 1 July 2011 (2011 -07-01)[update]) sitting by virtue of a hereditary peerage remain. The number of members is not fixed; as of 1 April 2012 (2012 -04-01)[update] the House of Lords has 786 members (plus 21 who are on leave of absence or otherwise disqualified from sitting), as against the fixed 650-seat membership of the House of Commons.
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Kandy
Kandy (Sinhala: මහ නුවර Maha Nuvara, pronounced [mahaˈnuʋərə]; Tamil: கண்டி kaṇṭi, pronounced [ˈkaɳɖi]) is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an administrative and religious city. It is the capital of the Central Province (which encompasses the districts of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya) and also of Kandy District. Kandy is the home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most venerable places for the Buddhist community of Sri Lanka and all around the world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.
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Kent
Kent /ˈkɛnt/ is a county in South East England, and one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of Medway. Kent has a nominal border with France halfway through the Channel Tunnel. Maidstone is its county town and historically Rochester and Canterbury have been accorded city status, though only the latter still holds it.
Kent's location between London and the continental Europe has led to its being in the front line of several conflicts, including the Battle of Britain during World War II. East Kent was known as Hell Fire Corner during the conflict. England has relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of the past 800 years; the Cinque Ports in the 12th–14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance to the country's security. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone, and the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.
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Kenya
Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ or /ˈkiːnjə/), officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator. With the Indian Ocean to its south-east, it is bordered by Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east. Kenya has a land area of 580,000 km2 and a population of nearly 41 million, representing 42 different peoples and cultures. The country is named after Mount Kenya, a significant landmark and second among Africa's highest mountain peaks. Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi.
Kenya has a warm and humid climate along its coastline on the Indian Ocean which changes to wildlife-rich savannah grasslands moving inland towards the capital Nairobi. Nairobi has a cool climate that gets colder approaching Mount Kenya, which has three permanently snow-capped peaks. The warm and humid tropical climate reappears further inland towards lake Victoria, before giving way to temperate forested and hilly areas in the western region. The North Eastern regions along the border with Somalia and Ethiopia are arid and semi-arid areas with near-desert landscapes. Lake Victoria, the world's second largest fresh-water lake (after Lake Superior in the US and Canada) and the world's largest tropical lake, is situated to the southwest and is shared with Uganda and Tanzania. Kenya is famous for its safaris and diverse world-famous wildlife reserves such as Tsavo National Park, the Maasai Mara, Nakuru National Park, and Aberdares National Park.
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Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwaiti/kuːˈweɪt/ (Arabic: دولة الكويت, Dawlat al-Kuwayt) is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the Arabic أكوات ākwāt, the plural of كوت kūt, meaning a fortress built near water. The country covers an area of 17,820 square kilometers (6,880 sq mi) and has a population of about 3.5 million.
Historically, the region was the site of Characene, a major Parthian port for trade between Mesopotamia and India. The Bani Utbah tribe were the first permanent Arab settlers in the region, and laid the foundation of the modern emirate. By the 19th century, Kuwait came under the influence of the Ottoman Empire, and after World War I, it emerged as an independent sheikhdom under the protection of the British Empire. Kuwait's large oil fields were discovered in the late 1930s.
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Lambeth
Coordinates: 51°29′25″N 0°07′09″W / 51.4903°N 0.1193°W / 51.4903; -0.1193
Lambeth is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Charing Cross.
The name is recorded in 1062 as Lambehitha, meaning 'landing place for lambs', and in 1255 as Lambeth. The name refers to a harbour where lambs were either shipped from or to. It is formed from the Old English 'lamb' and 'hythe.South Lambeth is recorded as Sutlamehethe in 1241 and North Lambeth is recorded in 1319 as North Lamhuth. The marshland in the area, known as Lambeth Marshe, was drained in the 18th century but is remembered in the Lower Marsh street name. Sometime after the opening of Waterloo railway station in 1848 the locality around the station and Lower Marsh became known as Waterloo.
The current district of Lambeth was part of the large ancient parish of Lambeth St Mary in the Brixton hundred of Surrey. It was an elongated north-south parish with a two mile River Thames frontage to the west. In the north it lay opposite the cities of London and Westminster and extended southwards to cover the contemporary districts of Brixton, West Dulwich and West Norwood, almost reaching Crystal Palace. Lambeth became part of the Metropolitan Police District in 1829. It continued as a single parish for Poor Law purposes after the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 and a single parish governed by a vestry after the introduction of the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855. In 1889 it became part of the county of London and the parish and vestry were reformed in 1900 to become the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth, governed by Lambeth Borough Council. In the reform of local government in 1965 the Streatham and Clapham areas that had formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth were combined with Lambeth to form the London Borough of Lambeth.
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Leeds
Coordinates: 53°47′59″N 1°32′57″W / 53.79972°N 1.54917°W / 53.79972; -1.54917 Leeds (i/ˈliːdz/) is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 (2011 est.), making it the 24th-most populous city in the European Union
Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial heart of the West Yorkshire Urban Area, which at the 2001 census had a population of 1.5 million, and the Leeds-Bradford Metropolitan Area, of which Leeds is the integral part, had a population of around 2.3 million, making it the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. In addition, the Leeds city region, an economic area with Leeds at its core, had a population of 2.9 million. Leeds is the UK's largest centre for business, legal, and financial services outside London, and its office market is the best in Europe for value. Leeds is considered a Gamma World City, alongside cities such as Phoenix, St. Petersburg and Valencia.
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Liverpool
Liverpool ( /ˈlɪvəpuːl/) is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Liverpool was 445,200 and was part of a larger urban area of 816,216.
Historically a part of Lancashire, the urbanisation and expansion of Liverpool were both largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe coupled with close links with the Atlantic Slave Trade furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city.
Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect. Liverpool's status as a port city has contributed to its diverse population, which, historically, were drawn from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, particularly those from Ireland. The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.
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London
Londoni/ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City and has the fifth-largest city GDP in the world (and the largest in Europe). London has been described as a world cultural capital. It was the world's most visited city during 2011 and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
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Morecambe
Coordinates: 54°03′50″N 2°52′43″W / 54.0640°N 2.8786°W / 54.0640; -2.8786
Morecambe ( /ˈmɔrkəm/) is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It is situated on Morecambe Bay. Morecambe and the nearby village of Heysham have a combined population of 51,400.
In 1846, the Morecambe Harbour and Railway Company was formed to build a harbour on Morecambe Bay, close to the fishing village of Poulton-le-Sands, and a connecting railway. By 1850, the railway linked to Skipton, Keighley and Bradford in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and a settlement began to grow around the harbour and railway, to service the port and as a seaside resort. The settlement expanded to absorb Poulton, and the villages of Bare and Torrisholme. The settlement started to be referred to as "Morecambe", possibly after the harbour and railway. In 1889 the new name was officially adopted.
Morecambe was a thriving seaside resort in the mid-20th century. While the resort of Blackpool attracted holiday-makers predominantly from the Lancashire mill towns, Morecambe had more visitors from Yorkshire (due to its railway connection) and Scotland. Between 1956 and 1989 it was the home of the Miss Great Britain beauty contest.
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Moscow
Moscow (
/ˈmɒskaʊ/ or /ˈmɒskoʊ/; Russian: Москва́, tr. Moskva; IPA: [mɐˈskva] (
listen)) is the capital and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural and scientific center of Russia and the continent. Moscow is the northernmost megacity on Earth, the most populous city in Europe, and the 6th largest city proper in the world. Its population, according to the results of the 2010 Census, is 11,503,501. Based on Forbes 2011, Moscow has the largest community of billionaires in the world.
Moscow is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression of states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, an ancient fortress that is today the residence of the Russian President and of the executive branch of the Government of Russia. The Kremlin is also one of several World Heritage Sites in the city. Both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council) also sit in Moscow.
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NATO
Coordinates: 50°52′34.16″N 4°25′19.24″E / 50.8761556°N 4.4220111°E / 50.8761556; 4.4220111
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO ( /ˈneɪtoʊ/ NAY-toh; French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique Nord (OTAN)), also called the (North) Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. An additional 22 countries participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programs. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defence spending.
For its first few years, NATO was not much more than a political association. However, the Korean War galvanized the member states, and an integrated military structure was built up under the direction of two U.S. supreme commanders. The course of the Cold War led to a rivalry with nations of the Warsaw Pact, which formed in 1955. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, stated in 1949 that the organization's goal was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down." Doubts over the strength of the relationship between the European states and the United States ebbed and flowed, along with doubts over the credibility of the NATO defence against a prospective Soviet invasion—doubts that led to the development of the independent French nuclear deterrent and the withdrawal of the French from NATO's military structure in 1966.
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Nazi Germany
The Third Reich, also Nazi Germany, is the common name for Germany when it was a totalitarian state ruled by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). On 30 January 1933 Hitler became chancellor of Germany, quickly eliminating all opposition to rule as sole leader. The state idolized Hitler as its Führer ("leader"), centralizing all power in his hands. Historians have emphasized the hypnotic effect of his rhetoric on large audiences, and of his eyes in small groups. Kessel writes, "Overwhelmingly...Germans speak with mystification of Hitler's 'hypnotic' appeal..." Under the "leader principle", the Führer's word was above all other laws. Top officials reported to Hitler and followed his policies, but they had considerable autonomy. The government was not a coordinated, cooperating body, but rather a collection of factions struggling to amass power and curry favor with the Führer. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Nazi government restored prosperity and ended mass unemployment using heavy military spending and a mixed economy of free-market and central-planning practices. Extensive public works were undertaken, including the construction of the Autobahns. The return to prosperity gave the regime enormous popularity; the suppression of all opposition made Hitler's rule mostly unchallenged.
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Nicholson Museum
The Nicholson Museum is a museum of antiquities at the University of Sydney. Founded in 1860, it is home to the largest collection of antiquities in both Australia and the Southern Hemisphere . It is one of the three museums and galleries that make up Sydney University Museums.
The museum opened in 1860 to house the collection of Sir Charles Nicholson.
The Nicholson Museum is situated at the southern end of the Main Quadrangle of the University. Admission is free and open to the public. Hours of admission are 10:00am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday, 1:00pm to 5:00pm every Saturday in January. The museum is closed on public holidays and Sundays.
Previous curators have included William John Woodhouse (1903-1937) Enoch Powell (1938), A.D. Trendall (1938-54) and Alexander Cambitoglou (1962-2000). The current curator is Michael Turner (2005-).
Coordinates: 33°53′11″S 151°11′20″E / 33.8864°S 151.1888°E / -33.8864; 151.1888
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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann pronounced [ˈt̪ˠuəʃcəɾˠt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ( listen), Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann or Norlin Airlan) is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. As of 2001, its population was 1,685,000, constituting about 30% of the island's total population and about 3% of the population of the United Kingdom. Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Northern Ireland is largely self-governing. According to the agreement, Northern Ireland co-operates with the rest of Ireland – from which it was partitioned in 1921 — on some policy areas, while other areas are reserved for the Government of the United Kingdom, though the Republic of Ireland "may put forward views and proposals".
Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter inter-communal conflict — the Troubles — which was caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom, and generally see themselves as British, while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule, and generally see themselves as Irish. Additionally, people from both sides of the community may describe themselves as Northern Irish. Since 1998, most of the paramilitary groups involved in the Troubles have ceased their armed campaigns.
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Panama Canal
The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is an 82-kilometre (51 mi) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade.
Work on the canal, which began in 1880, was completed in 1914, making it no longer necessary for ships to sail the lengthy Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America and to navigate the dangerous waters of the Strait of Magellan. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut made it possible for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in half the time previously required. The shorter, faster, safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and along the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more integrated with the world economy.
Ownership of the territory that is now the Panama Canal was first Colombian, then French and then American before coming under the control of the Panamanian government in 1999. The Panama Canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships when it opened in 1914, to 14,702 vessels in 2008, the latter measuring a total of 309.6 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons. By 2008, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal, many of them much larger than the original planners could have envisioned; the largest ships that can transit the canal today are called Panamax. The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
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Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
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Siege of Leningrad
Coordinates: 59°55′49″N 30°19′09″E / 59.930248°N 30.319061°E / 59.930248; 30.319061
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade (Russian: блокада Ленинграда, transliteration: blokada Leningrada) was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad—now known as Saint Petersburg—in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. The siege started on 8 September 1941, when the last land connection to the city was severed. Although the Soviets managed to open a narrow land corridor to the city on 18 January 1943, lifting of the siege took place on 27 January 1944, 872 days after it began. It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history and overwhelmingly the most costly in terms of casualties.
The capture of Leningrad was one of three strategic goals in the German Operation Barbarossa and the main target of Army Group North. The strategy was motivated by Leningrad's political status as the former capital of Russia and the symbolic capital of the Russian Revolution, its military importance as a main base of the Soviet Baltic Fleet and its industrial strength, housing numerous arms factories. By 1939 the city was responsible for 11% of all Soviet industrial output. It has been reported that Adolf Hitler was so confident of capturing Leningrad that he had the invitations to the victory celebrations to be held in the city's Hotel Astoria already printed. The ultimate fate of the city was uncertain in German plans, which ranged from renaming the city to Adolfsburg and making it the capital of the new Ingermanland province of the Reich in Generalplan Ost, to razing it to the ground and giving areas north of the River Neva to the Finns.
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Singapore
Singapore (i/ˈsɪŋəpɔər/ SI-ngə-pohr), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. Singapore is highly urbanised but almost half of the country is covered by greenery. More land is being created for development through land reclamation.
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Soviet Union
The Soviet Union (Russian: Советский Союз, tr. Sovetsky Soyuz), officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR; Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик, tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik; IPA: [sɐˈjus sɐˈvʲetskʲɪx sətsɨəlʲɪˈstʲitɕɪskʲɪx rʲɪsˈpublʲɪk] ( listen); abbreviated СССР, SSSR), was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.
The Soviet Union was a single-party state ruled by the Communist Party from its foundation until 1990. A union of 15 subnational Soviet republics, the Soviet state was structured under a highly centralized government and economy.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused the downfall of the Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution, there was a struggle for power between the Bolshevik party, led by Vladimir Lenin, and the anti-communist White movement. In December 1922, the Bolsheviks won the civil war, and the Soviet Union was formed with the merger of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
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Stechford
Stechford is an area of Birmingham, England, situated about five miles east of the city centre, bordering Ward End, Yardley, Hodge Hill and Kitts Green.
Stechford's history is unclear. Its oldest components are Station Road (known as Stoney Lane since Norman times) and Flaxleye Farm, first referenced in 1218. The farm itself no longer remains, however there is a farmhouse at 143 Flaxley Road, although the oldest parts of the current building cannot be older than the 17th century. The closest buildings of historical importance are St Edburgh's church and Blakesley Hall, both a stone's throw outside Stechford in Yardley. The name Stechford is apparently a reference to the Stich or Stitch, a local tributary of the River Cole, although the Stitch is now entirely under culverts. A ford over the Cole is first referenced in 1249. The name Stechford was unknown until the construction of Stechford Station in 1844[citation needed], and it has been conjectured[who?] that it was simply a railway misspelling. The name Stycheforde is attested since 1400. The common misspelling Stetchford is not an acceptable variant.
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Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (Arabic: قناة السويس Qanāt al-Sūwais), also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows transportation by water between Europe and Asia without navigation around Africa. The northern terminus is Port Said and the southern terminus is Port Tawfik at the city of Suez. Ismailia lies on its west bank, 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the half-way point.
When first built, the canal was 164 km (102 mi) long and 8 m (26 ft) deep. After multiple enlargements, the canal is 193.30 km (120.11 mi) long, 24 m (79 ft) deep and 205 metres (673 ft) wide as of 2010. It consists of the northern access channel of 22 km/14 mi, the canal itself of 162.25 km/100.82 mi and the southern access channel of 9 km/5.6 mi.
The canal is single lane with passing places in Ballah By-Pass and in the Great Bitter Lake. It contains no locks; seawater flows freely through the canal. In general, the canal north of the Bitter Lakes flows north in winter and south in summer. The current south of the lakes changes with the tide at Suez.
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Toxteth
Coordinates: 53°23′22″N 2°58′17″W / 53.3894°N 2.9713°W / 53.3894; -2.9713
Toxteth is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, Toxteth is bordered by Liverpool City Centre, Dingle, Edge Hill, Wavertree and Aigburth.
The district lies within the borders of the ancient township of Toxteth Park. Industry and commerce are confined to the docks on its western border and a few streets running off Parliament Street. Toxteth is primarily residential, with a mixture of old terraced housing, post-World War II social housing and a legacy of large Victorian houses.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, as Liverpool expanded the ancient park of Toxteth was gradually urbanised. Large Georgian houses were built in the Canning area, followed in the Victorian era by more grand houses, especially along the tree-lined Prince's Road/Avenue boulevard and around Prince's Park. The district quickly became home to the wealthy merchants of Liverpool, alongside a much larger poor population in modest Victorian terraces. Now, some of these streets of terraces are boarded up, awaiting demolition.
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Uganda
Coordinates: 1°17′N 32°23′E / 1.28°N 32.39°E / 1.28; 32.39
Uganda ( /juːˈɡændə/ yew-GAN-də or /juːˈɡɑːndə/ yew-GAHN-də), officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also shared by Kenya and Tanzania.
Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala.
The people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when Bantu-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country. Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962.
The official languages are English and Swahili, although multiple other languages are spoken in the country.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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University of London
The University of London is a federal university made up of 31 affiliates: 19 separate university institutions, and 12 research institutes. As such, the University of London is the largest university in the UK by number of full-time students, with 135,090 campus-based students and over 50,000 in the University of London International Programmes.
The university was first established by a Royal Charter in 1836, which brought together in federation London University (now University College London) and King's College (now King's College London), to establish today's federally structured University of London.
Graduates of the University of London often use the post-nominal letters 'Lond.' or, more rarely, 'Londin.' (both from Londiniensis) after their degree abbreviations (see post-nominal abbreviations).
Founded in 1836, the University at first comprised just two colleges: University College London, which previously had no official chartered status and did not apply religious tests to its students, and King's College, which had been chartered since 1829 and which admitted only members of the Church of England. Both King's (founded 1829) and University College London (founded 1826) pre-date the University of London, which initially served solely as an examining body for the constituent colleges.
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Warwickshire
Warwickshire (i/ˈwɒrɨkʃər/ or /ˈwɒrɨkʃɪər/) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare and George Elliot. Commonly used abbreviations for the county are Warks or Warwicks.
The five districts of North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon together form the Warwickshire County Council area, and are within the 1974 boundaries. The shape of the administrative area of Warwickshire differs considerably from that of the historic county, which also includes the now autonomous unitary authorities of Coventry and Solihull, as well as a small area around central and northeast Birmingham.
For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG13) and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region.
Warwickshire is bounded to the north-west by the West Midlands metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the east, Worcestershire to the west, Oxfordshire to the south and Gloucestershire to the south-west. The northern tip of the county is only 3 miles (5 km) from the Derbyshire border. An average-sized English county covering an area of almost 2,000 km2, it runs some 60 miles (97 km) north to south.
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West Germany
West Germany (German: Westdeutschland) is the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.
During this period, West Germany and the communist East Germany were divided by the Inner German border. After 1961, West Berlin was physically separated from East Berlin as well as from East Germany by the Berlin Wall. This situation ended when East Germany was dissolved and its five states joined the ten states of the Federal Republic of Germany along with the reunified city-state of Berlin. The enlarged Federal Republic of Germany with sixteen states (known simply as "Germany") is thus the continuation of the pre-1990 Federal Republic of Germany.
The Federal Republic of Germany was established from eleven states formed in the three Allied Zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom and France (the "Western Zones"). The city of Bonn was its provisional capital city. The fourth Allied occupation zone (the East Zone, or Ostzone) was held by the Soviet Union. The parts of this zone lying east of the Oder-Neisse were in fact annexed by the Soviet Union and communist Poland; the remaining central part around Berlin became the communist German Democratic Republic (abbreviated GDR; in German Deutsche Demokratische Republik or DDR) with its de facto capital in East Berlin. As a result, West Germany had a territory about half the size of the interwar democratic Weimar Republic.
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Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: Jugoslavija; Cyrillic: Југославија) was a country in the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century which was established three times under differing forms of government.
The first country to be known by this name was the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which before 3 October 1929 was known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. It was established on 1 December 1918 by the union of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and the Kingdom of Serbia (the Kingdom of Montenegro was annexed on 13 November 1918, and the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris gave international recognition to the union on 13 July 1922). The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers in 1941, and because of the events that followed, was officially abolished in 1943 and 1945.
The second country with this name was the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, proclaimed in 1943 by the Yugoslav Partisans resistance movement during World War II. It was renamed to the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, when a communist government was established. In 1963, it was renamed again to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). This was the largest Yugoslav state, as Istria, Rijeka and Zadar were added to the new Yugoslavia after the end of World War II.
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100 Greatest Britons
100 Greatest Britons was broadcast in 2002 by the BBC. The programme was the result of a vote conducted to determine whom the United Kingdom public considers the greatest British people in history. The series, Great Britons, included individual programmes on the top ten, with viewers having further opportunities to vote after each programme. It concluded with a debate. All of the top 10 were dead by the year of broadcast.
The poll resulted in candidates including Guy Fawkes, who was executed for trying to blow up the Parliament of England; Oliver Cromwell who created a republican England; Richard III, suspected of murdering his nephews; James Connolly, an Irish nationalist and socialist who was executed by the Crown in 1916; and a surprisingly high ranking of 17th for the former Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em star Michael Crawford. In addition to the Britons, some notable non-British entrants were listed, including two Irish nationals, the philanthropic musicians Bono and Bob Geldof. Furthermore, many candidates were from an era in which Britishness did not exist. The top 19 entries were people of English origin (though Sir Ernest Shackleton and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, were both born into Anglo-Irish families when what is now the Republic of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom). The highest-placed Scottish entry was Alexander Fleming in 20th place, with the highest Welsh entry, Owain Glyndŵr, at number 23. Sixty had lived in the twentieth century. The highest-ranked living person was Margaret Thatcher, who placed 16th.Ringo Starr is the only member of The Beatles not on the list.
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Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (German: [ˈadɔlf ˈhɪtlɐ] ( listen); 20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and dictator of Nazi Germany (as Führer und Reichskanzler) from 1934 to 1945. Hitler is commonly associated with the rise of fascism in Europe, World War II, and the Holocaust.
A decorated veteran of World War I, Hitler joined the German Workers' Party, precursor of the Nazi Party, in 1919, and became leader of the NSDAP in 1921. In 1923, he attempted a coup d'état, known as the Beer Hall Putsch, in Munich. The failed coup resulted in Hitler's imprisonment, during which time he wrote his memoir, Mein Kampf (My Struggle). After his release in 1924, Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism, antisemitism, and anticommunism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda. After his appointment as chancellor in 1933, he transformed the Weimar Republic into the Third Reich, a single-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of Nazism. His aim was to establish a New Order of absolute Nazi German hegemony in continental Europe.
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Airey Neave
Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave, DSO, OBE, MC (23 January 1916 – 30 March 1979) was a British soldier, barrister and politician.
During World War II, Neave was one of the few servicemen to escape from the German prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle. He later became Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Abingdon.
Neave was assassinated in 1979 in a car-bomb attack at the House of Commons. The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) claimed responsibility.
Neave was the son of Sheffield Airey Neave (1879–1961), a well-known entomologist, and his wife Dorothy (d. 1943), the daughter of Arthur Thomson Middleton. His father was the grandson of Sheffield Neave, the third son of Sir Thomas Neave, 2nd Baronet (see Neave Baronets). Neave spent his early years in Knightsbridge in London, before he moved to Beaconsfield. Neave was sent to St. Ronan's School, Worthing, and from there, in 1929, he went to Eton College. He went on to study jurisprudence at Merton College, Oxford. While at Eton, Neave composed a prize-winning essay in 1933 that examined the likely consequences of Adolf Hitler's rise to supreme power in Germany, and Neave predicted then that another widespread war would break out in Europe in the near future. Neave had earlier been on a visit to Germany, and he witnessed the Nazi German methods of grasping political and military power in their hands. When Neave went to Oxford University, he purchased and read the entire written works of the prescient writer Carl von Clausewitz. When Neave was asked why, he answered: "since war [is] coming, it [is] only sensible to learn as much as possible about the art of waging it". During 1938, Neave completed his third-class degree in the study of jurisprudence. By his own admission, while at Oxford University, Neave did only the minimal amount of academic work that was required of him by his tutors.
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Alan Johnson
Alan Arthur Johnson (born 17 May 1950) is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that, he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Johnson has been the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle since 1997.
Born in London on 17 May 1950, the son of Stephen and Lillian Johnson, he was orphaned at the age of 12 when his mother died. Johnson was then in effect brought up by his older sister when the two were assigned a council flat by their child welfare officer. He passed the 11 plus exam and attended Sloane Grammar School in Chelsea, now part of Pimlico Academy, and left school at the age of 15. He then stacked shelves at Tesco before becoming a postman at 18. He was interested in music and joined two pop music bands. Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers, becoming a branch official. He joined the Labour Party in 1971, although he considered himself a Marxist ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain. A full-time union official from 1987, he became General Secretary of the newly formed Communication Workers Union in 1993 following a series of union mergers.
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Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn (born 27 January 1958) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Darlington from 1992 until 2010. He served for five years in the Cabinet, firstly as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1998 to 1999, and subsequently as Secretary of State for Health until 2003, when he resigned, citing a lack of balance with his family life, before briefly rejoining it as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in order to manage Labour's 2005 re-election campaign. In June 2009, he told his local party he would not be standing at the 2010 general election, saying "Standing down as an MP will give me the chance to balance my work and my family life with the time to pursue challenges other than politics."
Milburn was born in the village of Tow Law in County Durham, England and grew up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
He was educated at John Marlay School, Newcastle and Stokesley Comprehensive School. He went on to Lancaster University. After leaving university, he returned to Newcastle where, with Martin Spence, he operated a small radical bookshop in the Westgate Road, called Days of Hope (the shop was given the spoonerised nickname Haze of Dope). From there he worked as a co-ordinator at the Trade Union Studies Information Unit. During this period, he married future Labour MEP Mo O'Toole, but the couple split up in the late 1980s.
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Alan Sked
Alan Sked is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics (LSE). He studied History at Glasgow, then Merton College, Oxford. His doctoral supervisor at Oxford was A. J. P. Taylor, who was a major influence on Sked. In particular, Sked's writings on the Habsburg Monarchy owe much to Taylor, although their interpretations are very different. Sked himself is now a world authority on Habsburg history but has also written standard texts on British political and European history. His books have been translated into German, Italian, Czech, Portuguese, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. At LSE he teaches popular courses on US and modern intellectual history as well as on the history of sex, race and slavery.
He once stood as a Liberal candidate, but later rejected the party's pro-European Union (EU) stance. He served for ten years (1980–1990) as Convenor of European Studies, a postgraduate MA programme at LSE, where he examined many theses on the EU and served as joint Chairman of LSE's European Research Seminar. He came to believe that the EU was corrupt and anti-democratic, and a liability to the British economy. He was a founding member of the Bruges Group and until 1991, when he was expelled by its executive committee. This was because in November 1991 he had founded the Anti-Federalist League (AFL), an anti-EU political party that promised to run candidates in the 1992 general election. It did so, which Sked believed to cause the defeat at Bath of Chris Patten, Conservative Party Chairman, by forcing him to refuse to apologise for the poll tax.[citation needed]
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Alan Thornhill
Alan Thornhill (born 1921) is a British artist and sculptor whose long association with clay developed from pottery into sculpture. His evolved methods of working enabled the dispensing of the sculptural armature to allow improvisation, whilst his portraiture challenges notions of normality through rigorous observation.
Born in London, he grew up in Fittleworth, West Sussex, attended Radley College, and then in 1939 went to New College, Oxford to read Modern History. In 1944 he returned to Oxford, having been released from the Army for conscientious objection. He obtained his degree, and spent a year in Italy based in Florence, teaching English at Pisa University. He then stayed six months in Oslo undergoing Reichian therapy, from which came the decision to try working with his hands.
In 1949 he was accepted for the pottery course at Camberwell School of Art under Dick Kendall and Nora Braden, followed by a year at Farnham under Henry Hammond and Paul Barron, before moving in 1951 to Eastcombe, Gloucestershire, where Hawkley Pottery was set up at Toadsmoor. In 1958, frustrated by the repetition involved in making and selling pots, he started to gravitate towards claywork and sculpture, and in 1959 moved to London, having found a property in Putney which included a semi-derelict outbuilding that became his studio. His studio still remains there, although he is now largely based near Stroud, Gloucestershire.
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Alexander Bassano
Alexander Bassano (10 May 1829 – 21 October 1913) was the leading high society portrait photographer in Victorian London.
He was the second youngest child of Clemente Bassano, originally a fishmonger of Cranbourne Street, later an oilman and Italian warehouseman of Jermyn Street, London. He opened his first studio in 1850 in Regent Street. The studio then moved to Piccadilly 1859-1863, to Pall Mall and then to 25 Old Bond Street in 1877. Bassano also had studios at: 122 Regent Street, 1862–76; 72 Piccadilly, 1870–81; 25 Old Bond Street, 1878–1903; 182 Oxford Street, 1889; 42 Pall Mall, 1891–92; 18 Alpha Road, 1892-96. There was also a company named "Bassano and Davis" at 122 Regent Street in 1866, a firm named "Bassano Limited" at 25 Old Bond Street from 1906 and a "Bassano's Studio's Ltd" at 25 Old Bond Street, 1904-05. The National Portrait Gallery, owner of a large number of Bassano's photographs, states that Bassano's firm was based at 25 Old Bond Street from 1876 to 1921.
The Old Bond Street studio was decorated with carbon photographic prints and plaster busts, and was large enough to accommodate an 80-foot panoramic background scene mounted on rollers, which provided a variety of outdoor scenes or court backgrounds. He had taken portraits of William Ewart Gladstone and even Queen Victoria. Bassano's head of Lord Kitchener formed the basis of the First World war recruiting poster Your Country Needs You. Bassano retired from work at the studio around 1903, when the premises were extensively refurbished and relaunched as "Bassano Ltd, Court Photographers".
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Alf Garnett
Alf Garnett is a fictional character in the British sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part, Till Death... and In Sickness and in Health, and chat show The Thoughts of Chairman Alf. He was created by Johnny Speight and played by Warren Mitchell.
Alf was born in Wapping around 1919. He was always unpopular as a lad and it was said he only met his wife Else, whom he had known since they were children, after Alf's mother asked Else to go out with him. A courtship followed for two years during the first part of World War Two and the pair married in 1941 (the film Till Death Us Do Part from 1968 showed the couple marry in 1939 but the actual series always stated them to have been married in 1941). Alf and Else had a daughter Rita by 1942 and raised her in the slums of Wapping where Alf worked on the docks and Else stayed home and tended to the house.
Rita married her long haired layabout socialist boyfriend Mike in 1966 shortly after the general election of 31 March and they moved into the Wapping house. Alf was horrified by this and he and Mike rarely got along, the only time they did was when they both went to the 1966 World Cup Final, England v W.Germany. Alf was still proud when the couple had a son together in September 1972. Else eventually left Alf in 1974 and moved to Australia to live with her sister Maud whom Alf hated. She later wired Alf in 1975 on his birthday asking him for a divorce and the same day Alf lost his job.
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Allan Warren
Michael Allan Warren (born 26 October 1948 in Wimbledon, London) is an English society-photographer, writer and former actor. His work encompasses works of many celebrities during the late 1960s, 70s and into the 80s, such as members of the British Royal Family, influential politicians and artists in both music and literature as well as some of the most important people in Hollywood at their time.
After growing up in post-war London, Warren attended Terry's Juveniles, a stage school based in the Drury Lane Theatre. It was during this time that he attended auditions through which he received several assignments. One such piece of work was as a child presenter in "The Five O'clock Club", which afforded him the opportunity to associate with a variety of people, including a young Marc Bolan (then performing as "Toby Tyler") who would later employ Warren as his first manager.
Warren started his photographic career at the age of 17 when he was acting in Alan Bennett's play Forty Years On with John Gielgud in the West End at the Apollo Theatre. Around this time Warren bought his first second-hand camera and started to take photographs of his fellow actors. His first major assignment was when his friend Mickey Deans asked him to cover his wedding to Judy Garland, which marked the beginning of Warren's work as a professional photographer. Upon travelling to New York for personal reasons, he attended an audition for the Broadway production of Minnie's Boys. However, he later declined the role offered to him in favour of returning to London and pursuing photography as his vocation.
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Andrew Lansley
Andrew David Lansley, CBE, MP (born 11 December 1956) is a British politician who has been the Secretary of State for Health since 2010, the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for South Cambridgeshire since the 1997 general election, and was the Shadow Secretary of State for Health from June 2004 until becoming Secretary of State for Health in May 2010. Lansley's Health and Social Care Act 2012 is one of the most controversial plans of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, resulting in strong opposition from both the Royal College of Nursing and British Medical Association.
Born in Hornchurch, Essex, Lansley was educated at Brentwood School and the University of Exeter, gaining a BA in politics. During his time at Exeter University, Lansley was elected as President of the Guild of Students (Student Union), as a Broad Left candidate. His father, Thomas, worked in a pathology laboratory and was co-founder of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine and chair of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Scientists.
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Andrew Roth
Andrew Roth (23 April 1919, New York City – 12 August 2010) was a biographer and journalist known for his compilation of Parliamentary Profiles, a directory of British Members of Parliament, which is available online in The Guardian. A well-known figure amongst the politicians and journalists in Westminster for fifty years, he was also known for his appearances on British television.
He scoured Hansard, gossip columns, vote papers, and committee reports to compile his profiles of the personnel of the U.K. Parliament and assessed their character traits, history, opinions, and psychological drives. The profiles also included cartoon caricatures by Terry Roth.
Roth's detailed obituaries were composed for international and national figures of note, using the skills and information he collected in his biographical research. A catalogue of his published obituaries in the archives of The Guardian provides an insightful and historical perspective to contemporary news as the deaths of the noteworthy are documented and he reviews their lives.
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Andy Burnham
Andrew Murray Burnham (born 7 January 1970) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leigh since 2001. He served in the Cabinet under Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Culture Secretary and Health Secretary. He was a candidate in the 2010 Labour leadership election, coming fourth out of five candidates. Burnham was initially appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education within Ed Miliband's Shadow Cabinet, but was moved back to the Shadow Department for Health in a reshuffle.
Burnham was born Old Roan, Aintree, Lancashire (now Merseyside), the son of a telephone engineer father and a receptionist mother, and brought up in Culcheth, near Warrington where his family moved to when his father was promoted to a job in Manchester. He was educated at St. Lewis' Primary School and St Aelred's Roman Catholic High School (now St Aelred's Catholic Technology College) in Newton-le-Willows, Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, before moving on to study English at London Metropolitan University.
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Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan (pronounced /əˈnaɪrɪn/; Welsh: [aˈnəɨ.rin]; 15 November 1897 – 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people. He was a long-time Member of Parliament (MP), representing Ebbw Vale for 31 years, and became recognised as one of the leaders of the party’s left wing, and of left-wing British thought generally. His most famous accomplishment came when, as Minister of Health in the post-war Attlee government, he spearheaded the establishment of the National Health Service, which provides medical care free at point-of-need to all Britons.
Bevan was born in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, in the South Wales Valleys and on the northern edge of the South Wales coalfield, the son of miner David Bevan and Phoebe née Prothero, a seamstress. Both Bevan's parents were Nonconformists; his father was a Baptist and his mother a Methodist. One of ten children, Bevan did poorly at school and his academic performance was so bad that his headmaster made him repeat a year. At age 13, Bevan left school and began working in the local Tytryst Colliery. David Bevan had been a supporter of the Liberal Party in his youth, but was converted to socialism by the writings of Robert Blatchford in the Clarion and joined the Independent Labour Party.
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Angus Maude
Angus Edmund Upton Maude, Baron Maude of Stratford-upon-Avon PC (8 September 1912 – 9 November 1993), was a Conservative Party politician and British cabinet member from 1979 until 1981. He was the father of Conservative MP Francis Maude.
Maude was educated at Rugby School and Oriel College, Oxford. He worked as a journalist and author.
Maude was elected Member of Parliament for Ealing South in 1950. He continued to work in journalism and was Director of the Conservative Political Centre, 1951–55. In 1958, he resigned his seat to become editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, a post which he held until 1961. He returned to Parliament to represent the constituency of Stratford-on-Avon from a by-election in 1963 until 1983.
Maude was shadow aviation spokesman, but was sacked in 1967 by Edward Heath after criticising party policy. When Margaret Thatcher became leader, she brought him back into the fold after he played a key role in her bid for the leadership in 1975. When she came to power in May 1979, he was appointed to the position of Paymaster-General with a seat in the cabinet, but resigned relatively soon after, in January 1981.
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Anthony Barber
Anthony Perrinott Lysberg Barber, Baron Barber, PC, DL (4 July 1920 – 16 December 2005) was a British Conservative politician who served as a member of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Barber was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by Edward Heath in 1970 after the early death of Iain Macleod, serving in that capacity until he retired in 1974. Barber became Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank until 1987.
Barber was the third son of John Barber and his Danish wife, Musse. Barber's unusual forenames arose from his mother, who contributed the "Lysberg", and French grandmother, who contributed the "Perrinott". His father was secretary-director of a Doncaster confectionery works. He had two brothers: Noel, who became a well-known journalist and novelist, and Kenneth, who became secretary of Midland Bank.
Barber was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Retford, Nottinghamshire. He became an articled clerk, but joined the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry shortly before the Second World War started. He was commissioned into the Territorial Army Royal Artillery in 1939 and served in France with a unit from Doncaster as part of the British Expeditionary Force. He was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, but later he became a pilot in the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit of the RAF. He ran out of fuel on a reconnaissance mission on 25 January 1942 and ditched near Mont St Jean, but was captured by the Germans. He was Mentioned in Dispatches for helping escapes from the prison camp at Stalag Luft III: he himself once escaped as far as Denmark. His POW experiences were recalled by his friend and fellow RAF pilot POW Thomas D. Calnan who met Barber at Oflag IX-A/H at Spangenberg in February 1942:
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Arthur Greenwood
Arthur Greenwood CH (8 February 1880 – 9 June 1954) was a prominent member of the Labour Party from the 1920s until the late 1940s. He rose to prominence within the party as secretary of its research department from 1920 and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health in the short-lived Labour government of 1924. In 1940, he was instrumental in resolving that Britain would continue fighting Nazi Germany in World War II. He was also noted for problems with alcoholism.
Greenwood became deputy leader of the Labour Party under Clement Attlee. Arguably his most famous moment came on 2 September 1939 when, acting for an absent Attlee, he was called to respond to Neville Chamberlain's ambivalent speech on whether Britain would aid Poland. Preparing to respond, he was interrupted by an angry Conservative backbencher, Leo Amery, who exclaimed "Speak for England, Arthur!" A flustered Greenwood proceeded to denounce Chamberlain's remarks, to the applause of his colleagues. When the wartime coalition government was formed, Winston Churchill appointed him to the British War Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio in 1940. He was generally seen as ineffectual, but in May 1940 he emerged as Churchill's strongest and most vocal supporter in the lengthy War Cabinet debates on whether to accept or reject a peace offer from Germany. Without the vote in favour of fighting on by Greenwood and Clement Attlee, Churchill would not have had the slim majority he needed to do so.
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British people
British people (also referred to as the British, Britons, or informally as Brits or Britishers) are citizens or natives of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, of any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants.British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, which can be acquired, for instance, by birth in the UK or by descent from British nationals. When used in a historical context, the term British people refers to the ancient Britons, the indigenous inhabitants of Great Britain south of the Forth.
Although early assertions of being British date from the Late Middle Ages, the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 triggered a sense of British national identity. The notion of Britishness was forged during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and the First French Empire, and developed further during the Victorian era. The complex history of the formation of the United Kingdom created a "particular sense of nationhood and belonging" in Great Britain; Britishness became "superimposed on much older identities", of English, Scots and Welsh cultures, whose distinctiveness still resist notions of a homogenised British identity. Because of longstanding ethno-sectarian divisions, British identity in Northern Ireland is controversial, but it is held with strong conviction by unionists.
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Clare Boothe Luce
Clare Boothe Luce (March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was one of the first American women ambassadors, a versatile author, and wife of Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life and Fortune. Her writings extended across fashion journalism, war-reporting and drama, notably the play The Women with its all-female cast.
Politically she was a lifelong right-wing Republican, twice a Congresswoman for Connecticut, who campaigned for Eisenhower in 1952. This earned her the job of Ambassador to Italy, where she promoted her strong anti-communist beliefs.
The Clare Boothe Luce Program continues to provide support for women in science, mathematics and engineering.
Luce was born Ann Clare Boothe in New York City on March 10, 1903, the second child of dancer Anna Clara Schneider (aka Anna Snyder; aka Anne Boothe) and William Franklin Boothe. Her parents were not married and would separate in 1912. Her father, a violinist and patent-medicine salesman, instilled in his daughter a love of music and literature. Parts of her childhood were spent in Chicago, Illinois, Memphis, Tennessee, Union City, New Jersey and New York City. Clare Boothe had an elder brother, David Franklin Boothe.
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Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was also the first person to hold the office of Deputy Prime Minister, under Winston Churchill in the wartime coalition government, before leading the Labour Party to a landslide election victory over Churchill's Conservative Party in 1945. He was the first Labour Prime Minister to serve a full Parliamentary term, and the first to command a Labour majority in Parliament.
The government he led put in place the post-war settlement, based upon the assumption that full employment would be maintained by Keynesian policies, and that a greatly enlarged system of social services would be created – aspirations that had been outlined in the wartime Beveridge Report. Within this context, his government undertook the nationalisation of major industries and public utilities as well as the creation of the National Health Service. After initial Conservative opposition to Keynesian fiscal policy, this settlement was broadly accepted by all parties until Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979.
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Demosthenes
Demosthenes (English pronunciation: /dɪˈmɒs.θəniːz/, Greek: Δημοσθένης, Dēmosthénēs [dɛːmostʰénɛːs]; 384–322 BC) was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by studying the speeches of previous great orators. He delivered his first judicial speeches at the age of 20, in which he argued effectively to gain from his guardians what was left of his inheritance. For a time, Demosthenes made his living as a professional speech-writer (logographer) and a lawyer, writing speeches for use in private legal suits.
Demosthenes grew interested in politics during his time as a logographer, and in 354 BC he gave his first public political speeches. He went on to devote his most productive years to opposing Macedon's expansion. He idealized his city and strove throughout his life to restore Athens' supremacy and motivate his compatriots against Philip II of Macedon. He sought to preserve his city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon, in an unsuccessful attempt to impede Philip's plans to expand his influence southwards by conquering all the other Greek states. After Philip's death, Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new King of Macedonia, Alexander the Great. However, his efforts failed and the revolt was met with a harsh Macedonian reaction. To prevent a similar revolt against his own rule, Alexander's successor in this region, Antipater, sent his men to track Demosthenes down. Demosthenes took his own life, in order to avoid being arrested by Archias, Antipater's confidant.
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Denis Healey
Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC, MC (born 30 August 1917) is a retired British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.
Healey was born in Mottingham, London, but moved with his family to Keighley in the West Riding of Yorkshire when he was five. His middle name is in honour of Winston Churchill.
Healey was one of three siblings. His father was an engineer who worked his way up from humble origins studying at night school. His paternal grandfather was a tailor from Enniskillen in Ireland. Healey was educated at Bradford Grammar School. In 1936 he won an exhibition to Balliol College, Oxford, to read Greats where he was involved in Labour politics, although he was not active in the Oxford Union Society. At Oxford Healey joined the Communist Party in 1937 during the Great Terror but left in 1940 after the fall of France. Also at Oxford, Healey met future Conservative Prime Minister Teddy Heath (as he was then known), whom he succeeded as president of Balliol College Junior Common Room and who was to be a life-long friend and political rival. Healey achieved a double first for his degree, awarded in 1940.
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Douglas Schoen
Douglas Schoen is an American political analyst, pollster, author, and commentator. He is a political analyst for Fox News. He partnered with political strategist Mark Penn and Michael Berland in the firm of Penn, Schoen & Berland. He believes that lower taxes would be a successful Democratic strategy, opposed President Obama's Affordable Care Act, warned the Democratic Party to reject the Occupy Wall Street protest, and recommended that President Obama not run for reelection in 2012.
Schoen attended Horace Mann School in New York City. While still a high school student, he canvassed the Upper West Side for Dick Morris. He graduated from Harvard College (magna cum laude) and Harvard Law School Schoen went to high school with Mark Penn and then worked together with him on The Harvard Crimson.
He has worked on the campaigns of many Democratic party candidates including Ed Koch and Bill Clinton, as well as on behalf of corporate clients. He also did work for Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Schoen was a consultant for Jeff Greene in the 2010 Florida Senate election.
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Duncan Sandys
Duncan Edwin Sandys, Baron Duncan-SandysCH PC (24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987) was a British politician and a minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was for some years the son-in-law of Sir Winston Churchill.
Sandys was the son of George John Sandys, a Conservative member of parliament (1910–1918) and was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford. He entered the diplomatic service in 1930, serving at the Foreign Office in London as well as at the embassy in Berlin.
He became Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwood in South London in a by-election in March 1935. In the same year, he married Diana Churchill, daughter of the future prime minister (after being opposed at Norwood by a candidate put up by Randolph Churchill).
In May 1935 he was in effect saying that Germany should have a predominant place in central Europe, so as to avoid clashing with Britain as an Imperial Power.
In 1938 Sandys asked questions in the House of Commons on matters of national security. He was subsequently approached by two unidentified men, presumably representing the secret services, and threatened with prosecution under section 6 of the Official Secrets Act 1920. Sandys reported the matter to the Committee of Privileges who held that the disclosures of Parliament were not subject to the legislation though an MP could be disciplined by the House. The Official Secrets Act 1939 was enacted in reaction to this incident.
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Eddie McGrady
Edward Kevin McGrady, known as Eddie McGrady (born 3 June 1935, Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland) is an Irish nationalist politician and a former member of the United Kingdom Parliament.
One of eleven children, McGrady was educated at St. Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick and at Belfast Technical College, where he trained as a chartered accountant, subsequently entering his family's accountancy firm. He entered politics in 1961 as an independent nationalist councillor on Downpatrick Urban Council, serving as chairman from 1964 until the council was replaced by Down District Council in 1973. In the late 1960s he joined the National Democrats and stood for the party in the 1969 election to the Parliament of Northern Ireland in East Down, losing to the sitting MP and future Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Brian Faulkner. In 1970, he became a founder member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) later serving as its first chairman (from 1971-1973.) He sat on Down district council from 1973 to 1989, serving as chairman from 1974–1975 and was also elected to all three regional assemblies in 1973, 1975 and 1982 representing South Down. In the 1973 power sharing executive he was appointed as Head of the Department of Executive Planning and Co-ordination serving from January to May 1974.
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Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC (12 January [NS] 1729– 9 July 1797) was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party.
He is mainly remembered for his support of the cause of the American Revolutionaries, and for his later opposition to the French Revolution. The latter led to his becoming the leading figure within the conservative faction of the Whig party, which he dubbed the "Old Whigs", in opposition to the pro–French Revolution "New Whigs", led by Charles James Fox.
Burke was praised by both conservatives and liberals in the 19th century.[citation needed] Since the 20th century, he has generally been viewed as the philosophical founder of modern Conservatism, as well as a representative of classical liberalism.
Burke was born in Dublin, Ireland, to a prosperous solicitor father (Richard; d. 1761) of the Church of Ireland. It is unclear if this is the same Richard Burke who converted from Catholicism. His mother Mary (c. 1702–1770), whose maiden name was Nagle, was a Roman Catholic and came from an impoverished but genteel County Cork family. The Burke dynasty descended from an Anglo-Norman surnamed de Burgh (Latinised as de Burgo) who arrived in Ireland in 1185 following the Norman invasion of Ireland by Henry II of England in 1171.)
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Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1970–74) and as Leader of the Conservative Party (1965–75).
Born in Broadstairs, Kent, Heath studied at Oxford and served in the Second World War. He was first elected in the 1950 general election, for Bexley and was government Chief Whip during the 1950s. Entering the Cabinet as Minister of Labour in 1959, he was then Lord Privy Seal responsible for Macmillan's unsuccessful EEC entry negotiations, then President of the Board of Trade. In 1965 Heath won the leadership of the Conservative Party against Reginald Maudling and Enoch Powell. The general election of 1966 saw the Labour government of Harold Wilson achieve a large increase in seats, however Heath remained Conservative leader.
Heath became Prime Minister after winning the 1970 general election. In 1971, Heath oversaw the decimalisation of British coinage and in 1972, he implemented major reform to the UK's system of local government. In foreign policy, Heath took the UK into the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973. Heath's premiership oversaw the height of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, with the suspension of the Stormont parliament and the imposition of direct British rule. Unofficial talks with IRA delegates were unsuccessful, as was the Sunningdale Agreement of 1973, which caused Ulster Unionists to withdraw from the Conservative whip.
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Edward Norman
Edward Robert Norman (born 22 November 1938) was Canon Chancellor of York Minster and is an ecclesiastical historian.
Norman was educated at the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow, London. He won an Open Scholarship to Selwyn College, Cambridge, of which he was a Fellow (1962-4), before moving to Jesus College as a Fellow. Norman lectured in history at the University of Cambridge; he is an emeritus Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and was Dean of Peterhouse for seventeen years and Dean and Chaplain at Christ Church College, Canterbury and Professor of History at the University of York. He is a member of the Peterhouse school of history.
Norman was the BBC Reith Lecturer in 1978. For his series of six radio lectures, entitled "Christianity and the World", he discussed the relationship between religion and politics. Margaret Thatcher once invited him to Chequers, although Norman insists he is not a Thatcherite and says he is "appalled by the results of naked capitalism".
Norman left the Church of England and has converted to the Roman Catholic Church, although he claims these two actions are independent of each other.[citation needed]
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Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, linguist and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP (1950–74), Ulster Unionist Party MP (1974–1987), and Minister of Health (1960–63). He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech against immigration. He was then controversially sacked from his position as Shadow Defence Secretary (1965–68) in the Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath. He had few friends in the establishment, but a poll said that 74% of the population agreed with him.
However, his supporters claim that the large public following that Powell attracted may have helped the Conservatives to win the 1970 general election, and perhaps cost them the February 1974 general election, at which Powell turned his back on the Conservatives by endorsing a vote for Labour, who returned as a minority government in early March following a hung parliament. He returned to the House of Commons in October 1974 as the Ulster Unionist Party MP for the Northern Irish constituency of South Down until he was defeated in the 1987 general election.
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Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as the Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs, listen (help·info)), was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought.
He was a highly decorated officer in World War I, and was awarded the Pour le Mérite for his exploits on the Italian front. In World War II, he further distinguished himself as the commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France. However, it was his leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African campaign that established the legend of the Desert Fox. He is considered to have been one of the most skilled commanders of desert warfare in the conflict.[page needed] He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion in Normandy.
As one of the few generals who consistently fought the Western Allies (he was never assigned to the Eastern Front), Rommel is regarded as having been a humane and professional officer. His Afrikakorps was never accused of war crimes. Soldiers captured during his Africa campaign were reported to have been treated humanely. Furthermore, he ignored orders to kill captured commandos, Jewish soldiers and civilians in all theaters of his command.
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Frank Dobson
Frank Gordon Dobson, (born 15 March 1940) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health from 1997 to 1999, and was the official Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in 2000, ultimately finishing third in the election, behind Conservative Steven Norris and winner Ken Livingstone.
Dobson's father was a railwayman. Dobson was born in York, England where he attended Dunnington County Church of England Primary School and the Archbishop Holgate Grammar School (which became Archbishop Holgate's School in 1985). He then studied Economics at the London School of Economics, gaining a BSc in 1962. He worked at the headquarters of the Central Electricity Generating Board from 1962 to 1970 and for the Electricity Council from 1970 to 1975. From 1975 to 1979, he was Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Local Ombudsman. After fighting for a seat on Camden London Borough Council in 1964, he was elected in 1971 and was chosen as Labour Group Leader (and therefore Leader of the Council) after the resignation of Millie Miller in 1973.
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Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche ( /ˈniːtʃə/;German pronunciation: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈniːtsʃə]; October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) was a German philosopher, poet, cultural critic and classical philologist. He wrote critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and aphorism.
Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism, nihilism and postmodernism. His style and radical questioning of the value and objectivity of truth have resulted in much commentary and interpretation, mostly in the continental tradition. His key ideas include the death of God, the Übermensch, the eternal recurrence, the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy, perspectivism and the will to power. Central to his philosophy is the idea of "life-affirmation", which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines that drain life's expansive energies, however socially prevalent and radical those views might be.
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Gerald Scarfe
Gerald Anthony Scarfe, CBE, RDI, (born 1 June 1936) is an English cartoonist and illustrator. He worked as editorial cartoonist for The Sunday Times and illustrator for The New Yorker. His most famous work outside of the United Kingdom was for rock group Pink Floyd, particularly on the The Wall album (1979), film (1982), and tour (1980-81, 2010-12) and his work as the production designer on the Disney animated feature, Hercules.
He is married to Jane Asher, whom he met in 1971 and married in 1981. They had a daughter in 1974 and two sons in 1981 and 1984.
Scarfe was born in St John's Wood, London, and was severely asthmatic as a child. He spent many of his early years bed-ridden, and drawing became a means of entertainment as well as a creative outlet. It has been speculated that the grotesque and diseased images that often characterise his work are a result of these experiences. He has himself stated that the irreverence apparent in much of his work can be traced back to "dodgy treatments" and a reliance on what he feels were incompetent doctors.
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Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam ( /ˈɡɒf ˈwɪtləm/ GOFF WIT-ləm), served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Prime Minister to have his commission terminated in that manner.
Whitlam entered Parliament in 1952, as an ALP member of the House of Representatives. In 1960 he was elected deputy leader of the ALP and in 1967, after party leader Arthur Calwell retired, he assumed the leadership and became Leader of the Opposition. After narrowly losing the 1969 election, Whitlam led Labor to victory at the 1972 election after 23 years of Liberal-Country Coalition government.
In his time in office, Whitlam and his government implemented a large number of new programs and policy changes, including the elimination of military conscription and criminal execution, institution of universal health care and fee-free tertiary schooling (university), and the implementation of legal aid programs. He won the 1974 election with a reduced majority. Subsequently, the Opposition, which controlled the Senate, was emboldened by government scandals and a flagging economy to challenge Whitlam. In late 1975, there was a weeks-long deadlock over the passage of appropriation bills, which was resolved by Kerr's dismissal of Whitlam and commissioning of Opposition leader Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister. Labor lost the subsequent 1975 election in a landslide.
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Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC, FRS (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963.
Nicknamed 'Supermac' and known for his pragmatism, wit and unflappability, Macmillan achieved notoriety before the Second World War as a Tory radical and critic of appeasement. Rising to high office as a protégé of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he believed in the post-war settlement and the necessity of a mixed economy, and in his premiership pursued corporatist policies to develop the domestic market as the engine of growth. During his time as prime minister, average living standards steadily rose while numerous social reforms were carried out such as the 1956 Clean Air Act, the 1957 Housing Act, the 1960 Offices Act, the 1960 Noise Abatement Act, the Factories Act 1961, and the introduction of a graduated pension scheme to provide an additional income to retirees.
As a One Nation Tory of the Disraelian tradition, haunted by memories of the Great Depression, he championed a Keynesian strategy of public investment to maintain demand, winning a second term in 1959 with an increased majority on an electioneering budget. Benefiting from favourable international conditions, he presided over an age of affluence, marked by low unemployment and high if uneven growth. In his Bedford speech of July 1957 he told the nation they had 'never had it so good', but warned of the dangers of inflation, summing up the fragile prosperity of the 1950s.
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Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British Labour politician and Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the February 1974 general election resulted in a hung parliament. He is the most recent British Prime Minister to have served non-consecutive terms.
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Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛlmuːt ˈkoːl]; born 3 April 1930) is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 (of West Germany between 1982 and 1990 and of the reunited Germany between 1990 and 1998) and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. His 16-year tenure was the longest of any German chancellor since Otto von Bismarck and oversaw the end of the Cold War and the German reunification. Kohl is widely regarded as one of the main architects of the German reunification and, together with French President François Mitterrand, the Maastricht Treaty, which contributed to the creation of the European Union.
Kohl and Mitterrand were the joint recipients of the Karlspreis in 1988. In 1998, Kohl was named Honorary Citizen of Europe by the European heads of state or government for his extraordinary work for European integration and cooperation, an honour previously only bestowed on Jean Monnet. In 1996, he won the prestigious Prince of Asturias Award in International Cooperation.
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Herodotus
Herodotus ( /hɨˈrɒdətəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἡρόδοτος Hēródotos) was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria (modern day Bodrum, Turkey) and lived in the fifth century BC (circa 484 – 425 BC). He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a well-constructed and vivid narrative.The Histories—his masterpiece and the only work he is known to have produced—is a record of his "inquiry" (or ἱστορία historía, a word that passed into Latin and acquired its modern meaning of "history"), being an investigation of the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars and including a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information. Although some of his stories were fanciful, he claimed he was reporting only what had been told to him. Little is known of his personal history.
The Histories, otherwise known as The Researches or The Inquiries, were divided by later Alexandrian editors into nine books, named after the nine Muses: the "Muse of History", Clio, representing the first book, then Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope for books 2 to 9, respectively. At its simplest and broadest level of meaning, The Histories is structured as a dynastic history of four Persian kings:
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Hilary Marquand
Hilary Adair Marquand (24 December 1901 – 6 November 1972) was a British Labour Party politician.
He was educated at Cardiff High School and at University College, Cardiff (State Scholar) where he studied history and economics. He was a lecturer in Economics at the University of Birmingham from 1926–1930, and Professor of Industrial Relations, University College, Cardiff, 1930-1945.
He was Director of Industrial Surveys of South Wales, 1931 and 1936, Member of the Cardiff Advisory Committee UAB. He spent a year in the USA in the study of Industrial Relations, 1932–1933 and was Visiting Professor of Economics at Wisconsin University 1938-1939. He was an Acting Principal at the Board of Trade, 1940–1941, and Deputy Controller, Wales Division, of the Ministry of Labour, 1941–1942 and Labour Adviser to the Ministry of Production, 1943-1944.
He was elected as Member of Parliament for Cardiff East from 1945–1950, and for Middlesbrough East from 1950-1961. He was Secretary for Overseas Trade from 1945–1947; Paymaster-General, 1947–1948; Minister of Pensions, 1948–1951; and Minister of Health, January–October 1951. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1949.
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Iain Macleod
Iain Norman Macleod (11 November 1913 – 20 July 1970) was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.
Iain Macleod was born at Clifford House, Skipton, Yorkshire on 11 November 1913. His parents were from the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland. They moved to Skipton in 1907. Macleod grew up with strong personal and cultural ties to Scotland, as his parents bought in 1917 part of the Leverhulme estate on the Isle of Lewis. Macleod's father, Dr. Norman Alexander Macleod, was a well-respected general practitioner in Skipton, with a substantial poor-law practice.
He was educated at Ermysted's Grammar School in Skipton, North Yorkshire and Fettes College in Edinburgh. Macleod showed no great academic talent but did develop an enduring love of literature, especially poetry, which he read and memorised in great quantity and his results were good enough for him in 1932 to go to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he obtained a Lower Second in History three years later, in 1935.
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Ian Gow
Ian Reginald Edward Gow, TD (11 February 1937 – 30 July 1990) was a British Conservative politician and solicitor. While serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Eastbourne, he was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who exploded a bomb under his car outside his home in East Sussex.
Ian Gow was born at 3 Upper Harley Street, London, the son of Alexander Edward Gow, a prominent London doctor attached to St Bartholomew's Hospital who died in 1952. Ian Gow was educated at Winchester College, where he was president of the debating society. During a period of national service from 1955-58 he was commissioned in the 15th/19th Hussars and served in Northern Ireland, Germany and Malaya. He served in the territorial army until 1976, reaching the rank of Major.
After completing national service he took up a career in the law and qualified as a solicitor in 1962. He eventually became a partner in the London practice of Joynson-Hicks and Co. He also became a Conservative Party activist. He stood for Parliament in the Coventry East constituency for the 1964 general election, but lost to Richard Crossman. He then stood for the Clapham constituency, a Labour held London marginal seat, in the 1966 general election. An account in The Times of his candidature described him in the following terms : He is a bachelor solicitor, aged 29, wearing his public school manner as prominently as his rosette. Words such as "overpowering", "arrogant", and "bellicose" are used to describe him.
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Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC (born 6 April 1926) is a politician and former church minister from Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007. Paisley retired from religious ministry on 27 January 2012.
In addition to co-founding the DUP and leading it from 1971 to 2008, he is a founding member and was Moderator for 57 years of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. In 2005, Paisley's political party became the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland, displacing his long-term rivals, the Ulster Unionists (UUP), who had dominated unionist politics in Northern Ireland since before the partition of Ireland.
On 4 March 2008 Paisley announced that he would step down as First Minister and leader of the DUP after the US-Northern Ireland Investment Conference in May 2008.Peter Robinson took over as DUP leader on 31 May 2008, and replaced Paisley as First Minister on 5 June 2008. Paisley was made a life peer in the Dissolution Honours List of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, ennobled on 18 June 2010 as Baron Bannside, of North Antrim in the County of Antrim.
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Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada (c. 1924 – 16 August 2003) was the military dictator and third President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military coup of January 1971, deposing Milton Obote. He later promoted himself to Field Marshal while he was the head of state. While serving in the British Regiment he toured Kenya.
Amin's rule was characterised by gross human rights abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. During his years in power, Amin shifted in allegiance from being a pro-Western ruler enjoying considerable Israeli support to being backed by Libya's Muammar al-Gaddafi, the Soviet Union and East Germany.
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Jeffrey Donaldson
Jeffrey Mark Donaldson, MP (born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley belonging to the Democratic Unionist Party. He is best known for his opposition to Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader David Trimble during the Northern Ireland peace process, especially from 1998 to 2003.
Donaldson was born in Kilkeel, County Down, in Northern Ireland. He attended the Kilkeel High School then Castlereagh College. He joined the Ulster Unionist Party and the Orange Order as a young man and later worked for the MP Enoch Powell.
Two of Donaldson's cousins were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary: Sam Donaldson was killed in 1970 and Alex Donaldson, a Chief Inspector, died in a mortar attack on a Newry police station in 1985.
In 1985, following the death of Raymond McCullough, Donaldson was elected in a by-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent South Down. In 1996 he was first placed candidate on the UUP list for the 1996 forum elections, virtually guaranteeing him a seat. This led to his selection in 1997, for the Westminster Parliament where he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lagan Valley constituency. At that time he was tipped as a potential future leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.
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John Donne
John Donne ( /ˈdʌn/ DUN) (between 24 January and 19 June 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and priest. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donne's style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of British society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. Another important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and theorising about. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits.
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John Major
Sir John Major, KG, CH, PC, ACIB (born 29 March 1943) is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. He held the posts of Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Cabinet of Margaret Thatcher and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001.
Despite Thatcher's "notorious" assertion that "she expected to continue in control as a backseat driver," Major's mild and consensual style was seen as complete contrast to Thatcher's forceful and confrontational manner. Early in his term, he presided over British participation in the First Gulf War (March 1991) and negotiated "Game, Set and Match for Britain" at the Maastricht Treaty (December 1991). Despite the British economy then being in recession he led the Conservatives to a fourth consecutive election victory, winning the most votes in British electoral history in the 1992 general election, albeit with a much reduced majority in the House of Commons. He is to date, the last Conservative leader to win an outright majority in a general election.
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John Redwood
John Alan Redwood (born 15 June 1951) is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wokingham. He was formerly Secretary of State for Wales in Prime Minister John Major's Cabinet and was an unsuccessful challenger for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995. He is currently Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party's Policy Review Group on Economic Competitiveness, and a leading Tory thinker. He is notably employed by NM Rothschild and Sons.
Redwood was born in Dover, Kent. He was the only child to William Charles and his wife, Amy Emma Redwood (nee Champion.) His parents lived in a council house in Canterbury until Redwood was four years old. Redwood was educated locally, attending Kent College, Canterbury on a scholarship before going up to Magdalen College, Oxford where he obtained the degree of BA in Modern History in 1971. He later studied at St Antony's College, Oxford, taking the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1975.
From 1974 to 1977, he was an investment analyst at Robert Fleming & Co. From 1977 to 1978, he was a Bank Clerk at N M Rothschild & Sons, becoming a Manager in 1978, Assistant Director in 1979 and a Director of the Overseas Division from 1980 to 1983. From 1986 to 1987, he was Overseas Corporate Finance Director and Head of International (non-UK) Privatisation.
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John Wheatley
John Wheatley (19 May 1869 – 12 May 1930) was a Scottish socialist politician. He was a prominent figure of the Red Clydeside era.
Wheatley was born in Bonmahon, County Waterford, Ireland, to Thomas and Johanna Wheatley. In 1876 the family moved to Braehead, Lanarkshire in Scotland. Initially, he worked as a miner, as his father had done in Ireland, and then briefly as a publican, but he later ran his own successful printing business which specialised in publishing leftist political works, many of which Wheatley wrote himself such as The Catholic Workingman (1909), Miners, Mines and Misery (1909), Eight Pound Cottages for Glasgow Citizens (1913), Municipal Banking (1920) and The New Rent Act (1920).
A deeply religious man and practising Roman Catholic, he was influenced by early Christian-socialist thinkers, and in 1907 he joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP). He founded and was the first chairman of the Catholic Socialist Society.[citation needed]
He campaigned against the UK's involvement in the First World War, campaigning against conscription, and assisting in organising rent strikes in Glasgow.[citation needed]
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Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta[pron.] (1894 – 22 August 1978) served as the first Prime Minister (1963–1964) and President (1964–1978) of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation.
In Kenya, Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi's main street and main streets in many Kenyan cities and towns, numerous schools, two Universities (Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology), the country's main referral hospital, markets, and housing estates are named after him. A statue in downtown Nairobi and monuments all over Kenya stand in his honor. Kenya observed a public holiday every 20 October in his honor until the new 2010 constitution abolished Kenyatta Day and replaced it with Mashujaa (Heroes') day. Kenyatta's face adorns Kenyan currency notes and coins of all denominations, but this is expected to change as the new constitution bans the use of the portrait of any person on Kenya's currency.
Jomo Kenyatta was born Kamau wa Ngengi to parents Ngengi wa Muigai and Wambui in the village of Gatundu, in British East Africa (now Kenya), a member of the Kikuyu. His date of birth, sometime in the early-to-mid 1890s, is unclear, and was unclear even to him, as his parents were almost certainly not literate, and no formal birth records of native Africans were kept in Kenya at that time. His father died while Kamau was very young after which, as per custom, he was adopted by his uncle Ngengi, who also inherited his mother, to become Kamau wa Ngengi. When his mother died during childbirth, young Kamau moved from Ng'enda to Muthiga to live with his medicine man grandfather Kũngũ wa Magana, to whom he became very close.
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Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University.
Born in London, Chamberlain made his career in Birmingham, first as a manufacturer of screws and then as a notable Mayor of the city. During his early adulthood he was a radical Liberal Party member and a campaigner for educational reform. He entered the House of Commons aged almost forty, relatively late in life for a front-rank politician. Rising to power through his influence with the Liberal grassroots organisation, he served as President of the Board of Trade in Gladstone's Second Government (1880–85). At the time, Chamberlain was notable for his attacks on the Conservative leader Lord Salisbury, and in the 1885 general election he proposed the "Unauthorised Programme" of benefits for newly enfranchised agricultural labourers. Chamberlain resigned from Gladstone's Third Government in 1886 in opposition to Irish Home Rule, and after the Liberal Party split he became a Liberal Unionist, a party which included a bloc of MPs based in and around Birmingham.
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Judith Hart
Judith Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark DBE PC (née Ridehalgh; 18 September 1924 – 8 December 1991) was a British Labour Party politician. She served as a government minister during the 1960s and 1970s before entering the House of Lords in 1988.
Born as Constance Mary Ridehalgh, she was educated at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, the London School of Economics and the University of London. She adopted the name Judith, aged twelve and married Anthony Bernard Hart in 1946. She was a lecturer at a teacher training college. She was a member of the Fabian Society and a branch secretary of the Association of Scientific Workers.
After joining the Labour Party aged 18, Hart was unsuccessful Labour candidate for Bournemouth West in 1951, and Aberdeen South in 1955. She was elected as member for Lanark in 1959, holding the seat until 1983. Thereafter she sat for Clydesdale until 1987.
She held ministerial office as joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1964 to 1966, Minister of State, Commonwealth Office (1966–1967), Minister of Social Security (1967–1968), Paymaster-General (with a seat in the Cabinet) from 1968 to 1969, and as Minister of Overseas Development from 1969 to 1970, 1974 to 1975 and 1977 to 1979. In so doing, Hart became the fifth woman ever to have been included in a government cabinet in the history of Britain.
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Keith Joseph
Keith Sinjohn Joseph, Baron Joseph, Bt, CH, PC (17 January 1918 – 10 December 1994), was a British barrister and politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet under three Prime Ministers (Harold Macmillan, Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher), and is widely regarded to have been the "power behind the throne" in the creation of what came to be known as "Thatcherism". He was known for most of his political life as Sir Keith Joseph, 2nd Baronet.
Joseph was the son of a wealthy and influential Jewish family. His father, Samuel Joseph, an active political kingmaker, headed the vast family construction and development-finance company, Bovis, and was Lord Mayor of London in 1942–43. At the end of his term he was created a baronet.
On the death of his father on 4 October 1944, 26-year-old Keith inherited the baronetcy.
Joseph was educated at Lockers Park School in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, followed by Harrow School in Harrow in north-west London, and Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, where he studied Jurisprudence, obtaining first class honours. Shortly thereafter he was elected a Fellow of All Souls College.
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Ken Maginnis
Kenneth Wiggins Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of Drumglass (born 21 January 1938) is a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist politician who sits in the House of Lords. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 1983 to 2001.
Maginnis was educated at the Royal School Dungannon, Dungannon, and Stranmillis College in Belfast, he worked as a teacher for a number of years before joining the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1971. After leaving the Army with the rank of Major in 1981, he became Ulster Unionist spokesman on internal security and defence, and was that same year elected to Dungannon District Council, on which he sat for twelve years until he lost his seat in 1993 when he was eliminated by less than 1 vote (0.74 votes).
Maginnis was the Ulster Unionist candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the second by-election in 1981, coming second. This by-election came about with the death of Bobby Sands on hunger strike. As a result of changes to the electoral law with the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1981, another hunger striker could not be nominated. Instead Owen Carron, who had served as Sands' election agent in the earlier election, was nominated and elected as a "Anti-H-Block Proxy Political Prisoner".
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Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, PC, QC, MP (born 2 July 1940) is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government in 1972. One of Britain's best-known politicians, his past government roles include Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Since 1997 he has been President of the Tory Reform Group.
Clarke was a minister throughout the 18 years of successive Conservative governments from 1979 to 1997, serving in the cabinets of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major. After the Conservative defeat in the 1997 general election Clarke became a backbencher. He has contested the Conservative Party leadership three times—in 1997, 2001 and 2005—and was defeated each time. Although he is considered popular with the general public, his pro-European integration views conflict with the modern Conservative Party's EU-sceptic stance. Notably, he is President of the Conservative Europe Group and Vice-President of the European Movement UK. Despite this conflict, and his involvement with the tobacco industry, Conservative leader David Cameron returned Clarke to the Shadow Cabinet in March 2009 as Shadow Business Secretary. When Cameron became Prime Minister in May 2010 he appointed Clarke Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
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Kenneth Robinson
Sir Kenneth Robinson PC (19 March 1911 – 16 February 1996) was a British Labour politician who served as Minister of Health in Harold Wilson's first government, from 1964 to 1968, when the position was merged into the new title of Secretary of State for Social Services.
The son of Dr Clarence Robinson and a nurse, Ethel Marion Linell, Kenneth Robinson was born on 19 March 1911 in Warrington, north west England and educated at Oundle School up to the point of his father dying when he was just 15 years old. After his mother pulled him from the school on cost grounds he later worked as a writer, insurance broker and company secretary. He joined the Royal Navy during World War II as an ordinary seaman, was commissioned in 1942 and promoted to lieutenant-commander in 1944. He served on the HMS King George V. Robinson's education was remarkable in that he received no further education after the age of 15 and was entirely self-taught.
[1] Obituary in Independent 21 February 1996
Robinson was a St Pancras borough councillor 1945-1949. He was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for St. Pancras North in a by-election in 1949. He was a government assistant whip from 1950 until 1951. He joined the cabinet and was made a Privy Counsellor in 1964. Reforms he oversaw include the banning on cigarette television advertising and the reintroduction of prescription charges. When his position of Minister of Health was abolished in 1968, Robinson was appointed Minister for Planning and Land, only for this position to be abolished a year later. Robinson left Parliament in 1970.
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Kingsley Wood
Sir Howard Kingsley Wood (19 August 1881 – 21 September 1943) was an English Conservative politician. The son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister, he qualified as a solicitor, and successfully specialised in industrial insurance. He became a member of the London County Council and then a Member of Parliament.
Wood served as junior minister to Neville Chamberlain at the Ministry of Health, establishing a close personal and political alliance. His first cabinet post was Postmaster General, in which he transformed the British Post Office from a bureaucracy to a business. As Secretary of State for Air in the months before the Second World War he oversaw a huge increase in the production of warplanes to bring Britain up to parity with Germany. When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, Wood was made Chancellor of the Exchequer, in which post he adopted policies propounded by John Maynard Keynes, changing the role of HM Treasury from custodian of government income and expenditure to steering the entire British economy.
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Lawrence Orr
Captain Lawrence Percy Story Orr (16 September 1918 - 11 July 1990) was an Ulster Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for South Down from 1950 until he retired at the October 1974 general election, preceding Enoch Powell.
Orr was chairman of the Ulster Unionist MPs in the House of Commons from 1964 to 1974 and also Imperial Grand Master of the Orange Order.
He defended the influence of Orangemen in the UUP, saying they are "neither bigoted nor uncharitable ... we do not seek to injure or upbraid a man on account of his religious opinions ... and that they treated those who differed from them with all the common courtesies of a civilised community." Orr warned members not to "follow any narrow-minded part or copy the medieval Roman church in restricting the liberty of conscience of our members."
He also resisted attempts by Westminster to interfere in Northern Ireland's affairs. He married Jean Hughes and bore five children: William Orr "Willie",Katherine Mary Orr "Katie"(1942-1968), John Orr, Robin Orr and Christopher Orr.
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Malcolm MacDonald
Malcolm John MacDonald OM, PC (17 August 1901 – 11 January 1981) was a British politician and diplomat.
MacDonald was the son of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and Margaret MacDonald. Like his father he was born in Lossiemouth, Moray. Similarly, he was initially a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) who then joined the National Government and was consequently expelled from the Labour Party.
He was educated at Bedales School and Queen's College, Oxford.
MacDonald was first elected to Parliament for Bassetlaw in the 1929 general election and proved notable as a "loyal" son, in contrast to Conservative leader Stanley Baldwin's son Oliver who was also elected a Labour MP. In 1931 the Labour government broke up and MacDonald's father formed the National Government with representatives drawn from all political parties. Very few Labour members would support it however and so Malcolm was appointed to a junior ministerial post as Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. When the Labour MPs met to discuss the formation of the government, Malcolm was the only one present who spoke in favour of his father's actions and voted against a condemnatory resolution. MacDonald held his seat in the 1931 general election as a National Labour candidate, and continued to build up a reputation as a highly competent minister. When his father retired in 1935, the new Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, appointed Malcolm to the Cabinet for the first time as Secretary of State for the Colonies. His father had become Lord President of the Council and they became only the third father and son to sit together in the same Cabinet.
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Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS, née Roberts (born 13 October 1925) is a British politician and the longest-serving (1979–1990) British prime minister of the 20th century, and the only woman ever to have held the post. A Soviet journalist nicknamed her the "Iron Lady", which later became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As prime minister, she implemented conservative policies that have come to be known as Thatcherism.
Originally a research chemist before becoming a barrister, Thatcher was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley in 1959. Edward Heath appointed her Secretary of State for Education and Science in his 1970 government. In 1975 Thatcher defeated Heath in the Conservative Party leadership election and became Leader of the Opposition, as well as the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. She became prime minister after winning the 1979 general election.
After entering 10 Downing Street, Thatcher introduced a series of political and economic initiatives to reverse what she perceived as Britain's precipitous national decline. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation (particularly of the financial sector), flexible labour markets, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Thatcher's popularity during her first years in office waned amid recession and high unemployment, until economic recovery and the 1982 Falklands War brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her re-election in 1983. Thatcher was re-elected for a third term in 1987, but her Community Charge (popularly referred to as "poll tax") was widely unpopular and her views on the European Community were not shared by others in her Cabinet. She resigned as Prime Minister and party leader in November 1990, after Michael Heseltine launched a challenge to her leadership.
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Martin Flannery
Martin Henry Flannery (2 March 1918 – 16 October 2006) was a British politician. Originally a Communist, he continued to hold decidedly left-wing views after he joined the Labour Party, and was Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hillsborough for 18 years, from February 1974 to 1992.
Flannery was born in Hillsborough, in Sheffield. His father, who was born in County Tipperary, was a foreman at a steel works (and a former soldier in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers). His mother was born in Sheffield, but was of Irish parentage on both sides. He was educated at the Sacred Heart School in Hillsborough and the De La Salle School (a Catholic grammar school in Sheffield). He attended Sheffield College of Education and Sheffield Teachers' Training College, and began to work as a teacher, but then volunteered to join the British Army in the Second World War. He joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots; he was sent to India in 1942, and was wounded in Burma in 1945. He was a warrant officer when he was demobilised.
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Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC (23 July 1913 – 3 March 2010) was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992. He was deputy leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980, and later became the Leader of the Opposition from 1980 to 1983.
Associated with the Labour left for most of his career, he was a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and British withdrawal from the European Economic Community. He was first promoted to Cabinet as Employment secretary under Harold Wilson in 1974, and later served as Leader of the House of Commons under James Callaghan. A passionate orator, he was Labour leader at the 1983 general election when the party received its lowest share of the vote since 1918.
His parallel career as a journalist included appointments as editor of Tribune, on several occasions, and the Evening Standard newspaper. Among the books he authored are Guilty Men (an attack on Neville Chamberlain and others for the policy of appeasement), a biography of Jonathan Swift (The Pen and the Sword, 1957) and a biography of Aneurin Bevan.
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Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (born 21 March 1933) is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. In 1990, he stood for leadership of the Conservative Party against Margaret Thatcher, and whilst he was unsuccessful, this triggered Thatcher's eventual resignation.
A self-made millionaire, Heseltine entered parliament in 1966, entered the Cabinet in 1979 as Secretary of State for the Environment, and was Secretary of State for Defence from 1983 to 1986. In the latter role, he was instrumental in the political battle against the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Heseltine was widely considered an adept media performer and charismatic Minister, although frequently at odds with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1986 over the Westland Affair and returned to the backbenches. Following Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech in November 1990, Heseltine challenged the incumbent Margaret Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative Party, polling well enough to deny her an outright victory on the first ballot. Following her resignation in a dramatic Tory "palace coup", Heseltine returned to the Cabinet under her successor John Major.
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Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo (born 26 May 1953) is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister. Portillo was first elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in 1984; a strong admirer of Margaret Thatcher, and a Eurosceptic, Portillo served as a junior minister under both Thatcher and John Major, before entering the cabinet in 1992. Seen as a likely challenger to Major during the 1995 Conservative leadership election, Portillo ultimately stayed loyal. As Defence Secretary, Portillo pressed for a purist Thatcherite course of "clear blue water", separating the policies of the Conservatives from Labour.
Portillo unexpectedly lost his Enfield Southgate seat at the 1997 general election; political commentators widely believe that he would have been elected Conservative leader had he retained it. Returning to the Commons through a by-election in Kensington and Chelsea in 1999, Portillo rejoined the front bench as Shadow Chancellor, although his relationship with Conservative Leader William Hague was strained. Standing for the leadership of the party in 2001, Portillo came a narrow third place behind Iain Duncan Smith and Kenneth Clarke. Portillo retired from the Commons at the 2005 general election, and has since pursued his media interests, presenting a wide range of television and radio programmes.
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Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: Михаи́л Серге́евич Горбачёв, tr. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov; IPA: [mʲɪxɐˈil sʲɪrˈɡʲejəvʲɪtɕ ɡərbɐˈtɕof] ( listen); born 2 March 1931) is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the Soviet Union, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991. He was the only general secretary in the history of the Soviet Union to have been born during the Communist rule.
Gorbachev was born in Stavropol Krai into a peasant Ukrainian–Russian family, and in his teens operated combine harvesters on collective farms. He graduated from Moscow State University in 1955 with a degree in law. While he was at the university, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and soon became very active within it. In 1970, he was appointed the First Party Secretary of the Stavropol Kraikom, First Secretary to the Supreme Soviet in 1974, and appointed a member of the Politburo in 1979. Within three years of the deaths of Soviet Leaders Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko, Gorbachev was elected General Secretary by the Politburo in 1985. Before he reached the post, he had occasionally been mentioned in western newspapers as a likely next leader and a man of the younger generation at the top level.
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Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman (July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006) was an American economist, statistician, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades. He was a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, and is known for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory, and the complexity of stabilization policy. As a leader of the Chicago school of economics, he influenced the research agenda of the economics profession. A survey of economists ranked Friedman as the second most popular economist of the twentieth century behind John Maynard Keynes, and The Economist described him as "the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century…possibly of all of it."
Friedman's challenges to what he later called "naive Keynesian" (as opposed to New Keynesian) theory began with his 1950s reinterpretation of the consumption function, and he became the main advocate opposing activist Keynesian government policies. In the late 1960s he described his own approach (along with all of mainstream economics) as using "Keynesian language and apparatus" yet rejecting its "initial" conclusions. During the 1960s he promoted an alternative macroeconomic policy known as "monetarism". He theorized there existed a "natural" rate of unemployment, and argued that governments could increase employment above this rate (e.g., by increasing aggregate demand) only at the risk of causing inflation to accelerate. He argued that the Phillips curve was not stable and predicted what would come to be known as stagflation. Friedman argued that, given the existence of the Federal Reserve, a constant small expansion of the money supply was the only wise policy.
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Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (French: Napoléon Bonaparte [napoleɔ̃ bɔnɑpaʁt]) (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. His legal reform, the Napoleonic Code, has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide, but he is best remembered for his role in the wars led against France by a series of coalitions, the so-called Napoleonic Wars. He established hegemony over most of continental Europe and sought to spread the ideals of the French Revolution, while consolidating an imperial monarchy which restored aspects of the deposed Ancien Régime. Due to his success in these wars, often against numerically superior enemies, he is generally regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time and his campaigns are studied at military academies throughout much of the world.
Napoleon was born in Corsica to parents of noble Genoese ancestry, and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France. He rose to prominence under the French First Republic and led successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions arrayed against France. In 1799, he staged a coup d'état and installed himself as First Consul; five years later the French Senate proclaimed him emperor. In the first decade of the 19th century, the French Empire under Napoleon engaged in a series of conflicts—the Napoleonic Wars—involving every major European power.
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Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. When Adolf Hitler continued his aggression by invading Poland, Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of the Second World War.
After working in business and local government and after a short spell as Director of National Service in 1916 and 1917, Chamberlain followed his father and older half-brother in becoming a Member of Parliament in the 1918 general election at age 49. He declined a junior ministerial position, remaining a backbencher until 1922. He was rapidly promoted in 1923 to Minister of Health and then Chancellor of the Exchequer. After a short Labour-led government, he returned as Minister of Health, introducing a range of reform measures from 1924 to 1929. He was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in the National Government in 1931.
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Nicholas Budgen
Nicholas William Budgen (3 November 1937 – 26 October 1998), often called Nick Budgen, was a British Conservative Party politician.
Named after St. Nicholas Church in Newport, Shropshire of which his grandfather (who was later Dean of Lichfield Cathedral) was priest, Budgen was baptised at Lichfield Cathedral by his grandfather, who had also- in 1912- baptised his parliamentary predecessor and fellow Conservative Enoch Powell. Thirty-seven years later he would succeed Powell as the Conservative member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West.
Nicholas Budgen was educated at St Edward's School in Oxford and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Budgen was raised by his grandfather after his father had been killed during the Second World War, one of his uncles having been killed during the First World War and another during the second. During his National Service he rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the North Staffordshire Regiment. In 1959 he transferred to the Staffordshire Yeomanry. He became a barrister at Gray's Inn in 1962.
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Nigel Hastilow
Nigel Hastilow (born 1956) is a journalist, author, businessman and politician. He is a former editor of the Birmingham Post and was Conservative Party candidate for Birmingham Edgbaston in the 2001 general election. In April 2007, Hastilow was selected a prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for the Conservative Party for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency but stepped down after he received criticism about a newspaper column he wrote for the Express & Star which included the statement "Enoch Powell was right", sparking a national controversy about immigration and racism.
Hastilow was born in Birmingham and educated at Mill Hill School in London. After graduating from the University of Birmingham, he trained as a journalist.
Working for a variety of local newspapers in Birmingham, Hastilow became first political correspondent and then editor of the Birmingham Post. He subsequently became a columnist, set up his own publishing company which he later sold and also worked for the Institute of Directors and the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He writes regularly for the Express & Star and is author of The Last of England and Tomorrow's England.
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Nigel Lawson
Nigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, PC (born 11 March 1932), is a British Conservative politician and journalist. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974–92, and served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the government of Margaret Thatcher from June 1983 to October 1989. He was made a life peer in 1992.
Lawson is the father of food writer and celebrity cook Nigella Lawson, and journalist Dominic Lawson.
Lawson was born to a wealthy family in Hampstead in 1932. His father, Ralph Lawson (1904–1982), was the owner of a commodity-trading firm in the City of London, while his mother, Joan Elisa Davis, was from a wealthy family of stockbrokers. His family was Jewish. His paternal-grandfather Gustav Leibson, a merchant from Mitau (now Jelgava in Latvia) changed his name from Leibson to Lawson after becoming a British Citizen in 1911. Nigel was educated at Westminster School (following in the footsteps of his father, who had also been sent there) and Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained a first class honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, he carried out his military service in the Royal Navy – during which time he commanded a small torpedo boat. Lawson began his career as a financial journalist and progressed to the positions of city editor of The Sunday Telegraph in 1961 and editor of The Spectator (1966–1970).
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Norman Fowler
(Peter) Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler,PC (born 2 February 1938) is a British Conservative politician who was from 1981 to 1990 a member of Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet.
He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, in the county of Essex; after which he did National Service as a Second Lieutenant in the Essex Regiment. Whilst studying at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he was Chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association in Michaelmas 1960, in which term he entertained both the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and Home Secretary (and de facto Deputy Prime Minister, although he did not hold the title until 1962) Rab Butler. He then became a journalist, and worked on The Times.
During the mid 1970s Fowler was shadow Minister of Transport. In April 1976 he was photographed outside the Palace of Westminster having just taken delivery of his third four cylinder MG MGB GT, having reportedly rejected the idea of buying a V8 version on account of the cost. At a time when a recently promoted Minister of Transport had imputed ownership of the family car to his wife, apparently on grounds of political correctness, former journalist Fowler's acknowledgment of his choice of a sports car provided an interesting contrast.
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Norman Tebbit
Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, CH, PC (born 29 March 1931), is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet from 1981 to 1987 as Secretary of State for Employment (1981–83), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1983–85), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1985–87) and Chairman of the Conservative Party (1985–87). He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1970 to 1992, representing the constituencies of Epping (1970–74) and Chingford (1974–92). In 1984, he was injured in the Provisional Irish Republican Army's bombing of the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton, and his wife Margaret was left permanently disabled.
Born into a working class family in Ponders End, Middlesex, Tebbit went to Edmonton County School, an academically selective state school in north London. He was then a journalist for the Financial Times before serving with the Royal Air Force, during which he flew Meteor and Vampire jets and once had to break open the cockpit canopy of a burning Mosquito aircraft to escape from it. On leaving the RAF he joined BOAC in 1953 as a pilot, during which time he was an official in the British Air Line Pilots' Association. He was elected MP for Epping in 1970 and then for Chingford in Feb 1974. He is recorded as an MP member of the Conservative Monday Club in 1970.
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Orde Wingate
Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, DSO and two bars (26 February 1903 – 24 March 1944), was a British Army officer and creator of special military units in Palestine in the 1930s and in World War II.
A highly religious Christian, Wingate became a supporter of Zionism, seeing it as his religious and moral duty to help the Jewish community in Palestine form a Jewish state. Assigned to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1936, he set about training members of the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary organization, which became the Israel Defense Forces with the establishment in 1948 of the state of Israel. Wingate became known to the Jewish men he commanded during the Arab Revolt as "The Friend". He is most famous for his creation of the Chindits, airborne deep-penetration troops trained to work behind enemy lines in the Far East campaigns against the Japanese during World War II.
Wingate was born 26 February 1903, in Naini Tal, near Almora, in Kumaon, India to a military family. His father had become a committed member of the Plymouth Brethren early in his army career in India, and at the age of 46 married the oldest daughter of a family who were also Plymouth Brethren, after wooing her for 20 years. His father reached retirement from the army two years after Wingate was born.
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Patricia Hewitt
Patricia Hope Hewitt (born 2 December 1948) is a British Labour Party politician, who served in the Cabinet until 2007, most recently as Health Secretary.
Originally a Tory, Hewitt soon became a high-profile left-winger and supporter of Tony Benn, being classified by MI5 as a communist sympathiser. After nine years as General Secretary of the National Council for Civil Liberties, she became press secretary to Neil Kinnock, whom she assisted in the modernisation of the Labour Party. In 1997, she became the first female MP for Leicester West, a safe Labour seat, which she represented for thirteen years.
In 2001, she joined Blair's cabinet as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, before becoming Health Secretary in 2005, chiefly remembered for getting smoking banned in public places, against heavy opposition. Hewitt has sparked many controversies, notably her selection of a female job-applicant over a stronger male candidate, and her theory that fathers may not be a useful influence in the upbringing of children.
wn.com/Patricia_Hewitt -
Paul Foot
Paul Mackintosh Foot (8 November 1937 — 18 July 2004) was a British investigative journalist, political campaigner, author, and long-time member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). He was the grandson of Isaac Foot, who had been a Liberal MP, and the son of Hugh Foot (who was the last Governor of Cyprus and Jamaica and, as Lord Caradon, the British Ambassador to the United Nations from 1964 to 1970). He was the nephew of Michael Foot, former leader of the Labour Party.
Foot was born in Haifa, then part of the British Mandate for Palestine, and spent his youth at his uncle's house in Devon, in Italy with his grandmother and with his parents (who lived abroad) in Cyprus and Jamaica. He was sent to what he described as "a ludicrously snobbish prep school, Ludgrove [near Wokingham in Berkshire], and then to an only slightly less absurd public school, Shrewsbury, in Shropshire." Contemporaries at Shrewsbury included Richard Ingrams, Willie Rushton, Christopher Booker and several other friends who would later become involved in Private Eye.
wn.com/Paul_Foot -
Rab Butler
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC (9 December 1902 – 8 March 1982), who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician. Butler was one of only two British politicians (the other being John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon) to have served in three of the four Great Offices of State (Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary) but never to have achieved the Premiership, for which he was twice passed over.
Butler was born in Attock Serai, Attock in India (now Punjab, Pakistan) to Sir Montagu Sherard Dawes Butler and his wife, Anne Gertrude (née Smith). His maternal uncles were Charles Aitchison Smith, Sir George Adam Smith and Sir James Dunlop Smith. His father later remarried and thus he gained a half-sister, Iris Mary Butler, who became Iris Portal upon her marriage.
Butler's was a family of Cambridge dons and Indian Governors; as a child his right arm was injured in a riding accident, leaving his hand never again fully functional. His limp handshake and inevitable lack of military experience (and stooping donnish manner at a time when many politicians were former officers) were political handicaps in later life. He was educated at Marlborough College and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union Society in the summer term of his third year; in March 1924, as a newly-elected President, he entertained the Opposition Leader Stanley Baldwin at a debate.
wn.com/Rab_Butler -
Reginald Maudling
Reginald Maudling PC (7 March 1917 – 14 February 1979) was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had been spoken of as a prospective Conservative leader since 1955, and was twice seriously considered for the post; he was Edward Heath's chief rival in 1965. He also held many directorships in the British financial world.
As Home Secretary, he was responsible for the British Government's Northern Irish policy during the period that included Bloody Sunday in 1972; shortly thereafter, he left office because of an unrelated scandal in one of the companies of which he was director.
Reginald Maudling was born in Woodside Park, North Finchley, and was named after his father, Reginald George Maudling, an actuary, who contracted to do actuarial and financial calculations as the Commercial Calculating Company Ltd. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Bexhill, to escape German air raids; he won scholarships to the Merchant Taylors' School and Merton College, Oxford. At Oxford, Maudling stayed out of undergraduate politics and studied the works of Georg Wilhelm Hegel; he was to formulate his conclusions later as the inseparability of economic and political freedom: "the purpose of State control and the guiding principle of its application is the achievement of true freedom". He obtained his degree in Classics with first class honours.
wn.com/Reginald_Maudling -
Richard Crossman
Richard Howard Stafford (Dick) Crossman OBE (15 December 1907 – 5 April 1974) was a British author and Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson, and was the editor of the New Statesman. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists. Crossman is noted for his colourful if highly subjective three-volume Diaries of a Cabinet Minister.
The son of a judge, Crossman was born in either Cropredy, Oxfordshire, or Bayswater, London, and grew up in Buckhurst Hill, Essex. He was educated at Twyford School, and at Winchester College, where he became head boy. He excelled academically and on the football field. He studied Classics at New College, Oxford, receiving a double first and becoming a Fellow in 1931. He taught philosophy at the university before becoming a lecturer for the Workers' Educational Association. He was a councillor on Oxford City Council, and became head of the Labour group in 1935.
At the outbreak of World War II Crossman joined the Political Warfare Executive under Robert Bruce Lockhart, where he headed the German Section. He produced anti-Nazi propaganda broadcasts for Radio of the European Revolution, set up by the Special Operations Executive. He eventually became Assistant Chief of the Psychological Warfare Division of SHAEF and was awarded an OBE for his wartime service. In the spring of 1945 he was one of the first British officers to enter the Dachau concentration camp.
wn.com/Richard_Crossman -
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley FRSL (born 28 December 1932) is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.
Roy Hattersley has been a socialist and Labour supporter from his youth, electioneering at the age of 12 for his local MP and city councillors, beginning in 1945. His own mother, Enid Hattersley, was a city councillor, and later, Lord Mayor of Sheffield (in 1981). Enid Hattersley kept the fact secret from her son (until he was in his 50s) that his father, who died an atheist, had been a Roman Catholic priest, Father Frederick Hattersley, and had renounced the Church to marry her.
He won a scholarship to Sheffield City Grammar School and went from there to study at the University of Hull. Having been accepted to read English at the University of Leeds, he was diverted into reading Economics when told by a Sheffield colleague of his mother that it was necessary for a political career.
wn.com/Roy_Hattersley -
Roy Lewis
Roy Lewis (6 November 1913 – 1996) was an English writer and small press printer.
Although born in Felixstowe, Lewis was brought up in Birmingham and educated at King Edward's School. After studying at University College, Oxford, earning his BA in 1934, he went on to study at the London School of Economics. He began his career as an economist, but after serving as an editor on the journal, Statist, he became interested in journalism. He took a sabbatical in 1938 to travel to Australia and India. He married Christine Tew in 1939, after returning to England. They had two daughters.
From 1943 to 1946, he worked for the Peking Syndicate, a firm specialising in investments in China, but left to work as a journalist for the weekly, Scope. Hired by the Economist magazine, he served as its Washington, DC correspondent from 1952 to 1961. He settled full time in England in 1961, where he became a feature writer for The Times, remaining with the newspaper until he retired in 1971. In 1957 he had set up the Keepsake Press, initially to hand print family ephemera. He soon began serious, though small-scale, production and by the time infirmity forced him to discontinue in 1990 he had brought out over a hundred titles.
wn.com/Roy_Lewis -
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic: صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي Ṣaddām Ḥusayn ʿAbd al-Maǧīd al-Tikrītī; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and later, the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party and its regional organisation Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region, which espoused ba'athism, a mix of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup, later referred to as the 17 July Revolution, that brought the party to long-term power of Iraq.
As vice president under the ailing General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, and at a time when many groups were considered capable of overthrowing the government, Saddam created security forces through which he tightly controlled conflict between the government and the armed forces. In the early 1970s, Saddam nationalized oil and other industries. The state-owned banks were put under his control, leaving the system eventually insolvent mostly due to the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War, and UN sanctions. Through the 1970s, Saddam cemented his authority over the apparatuses of government as oil money helped Iraq's economy to grow at a rapid pace. Positions of power in the country were filled with Sunnis, a minority that made up only a fifth of the population.
wn.com/Saddam_Hussein -
Simon Heffer
Simon James Heffer (born 18 July 1960) is a British journalist, columnist and writer.
Heffer was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Heffer rejoined The Daily Telegraph in October 2005 as a columnist and associate editor, after having served as a columnist for the Daily Mail from 1995. Martin Newland, the The Daily Telegraph's editor at the time, described the newspaper as Heffer's "natural journalistic home." He left the Telegraph in May 2011 to "pursue a role in journalism and broadcasting" and "complete a major literary project".
Heffer has written biographies of the historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and of the politician Enoch Powell (Like the Roman), which was described by The New Statesman as "a lucid and majestic tribute" to the politician.
In September 2010, Heffer published Strictly English: the Correct Way to Write... and Why it Matters, a guide to English grammar and usage. The book met with a mostly negative reception. Writing in the New Statesman, David Crystal observed that, although "there are some excellent points here about ambiguity, honesty and the importance of clarity", "inconsistencies permeate the book",. In a review for Times Higher Education, Geoff Pullum described Heffer's claims about grammar as "staggeringly erroneous" and his approach as "intellectual abdication", concluding that "Heffer should be ashamed of himself, and Random House should be ashamed of this book."
wn.com/Simon_Heffer -
Stephen Dorrell
Stephen James Dorrell (born 25 March 1952) is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage (1994–95) and Secretary of State for Health (1995–97). He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Charnwood in northern Leicestershire, and is a Patron of the Tory Reform Group.
Dorrell was born in Worcester. He was educated at Uppingham School, an independent school for boys in the small market town of Uppingham in Rutland in central England, followed by Brasenose College, Oxford, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree. Dorrell was a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve for two years from 1971.
During the February 1974 general election, Dorrell acted as a personal assistant to Conservative minister Peter Walker. He contested the safe Labour seat of Hull East at the October 1974 general election, when aged only 22, but was soundly defeated by the sitting MP and later Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who was returned with a majority of 25,793 votes.
wn.com/Stephen_Dorrell -
Sylvia Hermon
Sylvia Eileen Hermon, Lady Hermon (née Paisley; born 11 August 1955) is a Northern Irish politician. Since 2001, she has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Down, first elected for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), but now an independent. She is the widow of Sir Jack Hermon, former Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
On 25 March 2010, Lady Hermon announced that she was quitting the Ulster Unionist Party, and would fight the next general election as an Independent candidate. Her decision was triggered by the UUP's alliance with the Conservative Party. She successfully retained her seat at the May 2010 election with a large gain in her share of the vote, increasing her majority.
Born Sylvia Eileen Paisley in Galbally, Dungannon, County Tyrone. Her father was Robert Paisley, a farmer, and she had three sisters. The family saw tragedy when Sylvia's mother accidentally drowned when Sylvia was four. She went to Dungannon High School before studying Law at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, obtaining a First and the highest mark in her year.
wn.com/Sylvia_Hermon -
Thucydides
Thucydides (/θ[unsupported input]ˈsɪdɪˌdiz/; Greek: Θουκυδίδης, Thoukydídēs; c. 460 BC – c. 395 BC) was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientific history", because of his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods, as outlined in his introduction to his work.
He has also been called the father of the school of political realism, which views the relations between nations as based on might rather than right. His text is still studied at advanced military colleges worldwide, and the Melian dialogue remains a seminal work of international relations theory.
More generally, Thucydides showed an interest in developing an understanding of human nature to explain behaviour in such crises as plague, massacres, as in that of the Melians, and civil war.
wn.com/Thucydides -
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC (born 3 April 1925), formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British Labour Party politician, who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for fifty years, and was also a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.
His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963. In the Labour Government of 1964–1970 he served first as Postmaster General, where he oversaw the opening of the Post Office Tower, and later as a notably "technocratic" Minister of Technology. In the period when the Labour Party was in Opposition, Benn served for a year as the Chairman of the Labour Party. In the Labour Government of 1974–1979, he returned to the Cabinet, initially serving as Secretary of State for Industry, before being made Secretary of State for Energy, retaining his post when James Callaghan replaced Wilson as Prime Minister. During the Labour Party's time in Opposition during the 1980s, he was seen as the party's prominent figure on the left, and the term "Bennite" has come to be used in Britain for someone of a more radical left-wing position.
wn.com/Tony_Benn -
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (October 15, 70 BC – September 21, 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil /ˈvɜrdʒəl/ in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues (or Bucolics), the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid. A number of minor poems, collected in the Appendix Vergiliana, are sometimes attributed to him.
Virgil is traditionally ranked as one of Rome's greatest poets. His Aeneid has been considered the national epic of ancient Rome from the time of its composition to the present day. Modeled after Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the Aeneid follows the Trojan refugee Aeneas as he struggles to fulfill his destiny and arrive on the shores of Italy—in Roman mythology the founding act of Rome. Virgil's work has had wide and deep influence on Western literature, most notably the Divine Comedy of Dante, in which Virgil appears as Dante's guide through hell and purgatory.
Virgil's biographical tradition is thought to depend on a lost biography by Varius, Virgil's editor, which was incorporated into the biography by Suetonius and the commentaries of Servius and Donatus, the two great commentators on Virgil's poetry. Although the commentaries no doubt record much factual information about Virgil, some of their evidence can be shown to rely on inferences made from his poetry and allegorizing; thus, Virgil's biographical tradition remains problematic.
wn.com/Virgil -
Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, PC, DL (née Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell Garnett, born 12 March 1948, Dunoon, Scotland) is a British Conservative Party politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage in 2005. Considered to be a "One Nation Conservative", Bottomley is a Life Member of the Tory Reform Group. Virginia is a member of the Supervisory Board of AkzoNobel NV, an NED on BUPA and a Trustee of The Economist Newspaper. As part of her pro-bono activities, Virginia is Chancellor of the University of Hull and Governor of the London School of Economics. She is a member of the UK Advisory Council of the International Chamber of Commerce. She has been Chair of the Board Practice at executive head hunting firm Odgers Berndtson since 2001.
Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell Garnett was born in Dunoon to W. John Garnett, former director of what was then called The Industrial Society, and Barbara Rutherford-Smith, former pupil of the School of St Helen and St Katharine, teacher and elected Conservative member of the Inner London Education Authority. Her aunt on her father's side was Labour Greater London Council Member Peggy Jay. She met Peter, now Sir Peter Bottomley her husband, when she was 12.
wn.com/Virginia_Bottomley -
Welsh people
The Welsh people (Welsh: Cymry) are an ethnic group and nation native to Wales and associated with the Welsh language. Welsh people historically spoke the Welsh language; however, in recent years English has predominated in most of Wales.
John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have been spoken in Wales far longer. The term Welsh people applies to people from Wales and people of Welsh ancestry perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and shared ancestral origins. Today Wales is a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of people living in Wales are British citizens.
An analysis of the geography of Welsh surnames commissioned by the Welsh Government found that 718,000 people, or nearly 35% of the Welsh population, have a family name of Welsh origin, compared with 5.3% in the rest of the United Kingdom, 4.7% in New Zealand, 4.1% in Australia, and 3.8% in the United States, with an estimated 16.3 million people in the countries studied having Welsh ancestry.
wn.com/Welsh_people -
Wikipedia Persondata
wn.com/Wikipedia_Persondata -
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, PC, DL, FRS, Hon. RA (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British Conservative politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century, he served as Prime Minister twice (1940–45 and 1951–55). A noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He is the only British prime minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States.
Churchill was born into the aristocratic family of the Dukes of Marlborough. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a charismatic politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer; his mother, Jenny Jerome, was an American socialite. As a young army officer, he saw action in British India, the Sudan, and the Second Boer War. He gained fame as a war correspondent and wrote books about his campaigns.
wn.com/Winston_Churchill
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Enoch Powell Odd Man Out Documentary 1995
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 45:03
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
Enoch Powell Odd Man Out Documentary 1995
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Odd_Man_Out_Documentary_1995
Enoch Powell Odd Man Out Documentary 1995
Enoch Powell Interview Frost On Friday 1969
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 61:23
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
One of the most controversial MPs of the twentieth century, by 1968 Powell had been sacked from his position as Shadow Defence Secretary due to his inflammatory and divisive "Rivers of Blood" speech. A poet, author, classical scholar and soldier (he achieved the rank of Brigadier in World War II) Powell's radical oratory on immigration polarised a generation and remains contentious to this day. Scheduled only to run for the standard 39 minutes, Frost's interview with Powell was so powerful that a decision was made during it's live transmission to extend it by a further twenty minutes, after the News at Ten. Sixty minutes of continuous cut-and-thrust debate highlight this programme as one of the benchmark interviews of David Frost's career.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Interview_Frost_On_Friday_1969
One of the most controversial MPs of the twentieth century, by 1968 Powell had been sacked from his position as Shadow Defence Secretary due to his inflammatory and divisive "Rivers of Blood" speech. A poet, author, classical scholar and soldier (he achieved the rank of Brigadier in World War II) Powell's radical oratory on immigration polarised a generation and remains contentious to this day. Scheduled only to run for the standard 39 minutes, Frost's interview with Powell was so powerful that a decision was made during it's live transmission to extend it by a further twenty minutes, after the News at Ten. Sixty minutes of continuous cut-and-thrust debate highlight this programme as one of the benchmark interviews of David Frost's career.
- published: 16 Sep 2012
- views: 1849
- author: BritishNorthChannel
Enoch Powell: British Hero Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:04
- Updated: 08 Jan 2013
A rather devious BBC documentary on Enoch Powell. The conclusion of this piece is totally wrong. Enoch was right in that race DOES MATTER. The average IQ level of people of African genetic heritage is well below that of White Europeans. Blacks are also more prone to violent crime and rape. This is the real cause of "White flight". www.youtube.com www.amren.com tinyurl.com But, this subtle smear piece tries to imply that it's not race that matters, but cultural differences. Namely... it's Islam which is subltly implied as the problem. If this is the case then why are we being forced to accept large amounts of Islamic immigrants? Divide and conquer, that's why. Those in the know realise we in the West are being set up for a world war for control of the Middle East. And it's not for the benefit of us in the West. www.trumanlibrary.org
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_British_Hero_Part_1
A rather devious BBC documentary on Enoch Powell. The conclusion of this piece is totally wrong. Enoch was right in that race DOES MATTER. The average IQ level of people of African genetic heritage is well below that of White Europeans. Blacks are also more prone to violent crime and rape. This is the real cause of "White flight". www.youtube.com www.amren.com tinyurl.com But, this subtle smear piece tries to imply that it's not race that matters, but cultural differences. Namely... it's Islam which is subltly implied as the problem. If this is the case then why are we being forced to accept large amounts of Islamic immigrants? Divide and conquer, that's why. Those in the know realise we in the West are being set up for a world war for control of the Middle East. And it's not for the benefit of us in the West. www.trumanlibrary.org
- published: 09 Mar 2008
- views: 37877
- author: VersionOnePointOne
Michael Foot, Enoch Powell, Roy Jenkins & Reginald Maudling — 15-07-1973
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 44:45
- Updated: 08 Jan 2013
Discussion chaired by Robin Day: the last of a series of programmes on Radio 4 named 'Politics in the 70s'. This discussion focuses on the state of conservatism & the Conservative Party in Britain in the 70's.
http://wn.com/Michael_Foot,_Enoch_Powell,_Roy_Jenkins_Reginald_Maudling_—_15-07-1973
Discussion chaired by Robin Day: the last of a series of programmes on Radio 4 named 'Politics in the 70s'. This discussion focuses on the state of conservatism & the Conservative Party in Britain in the 70's.
- published: 24 Nov 2012
- views: 502
- author: Tannhauser108
Enoch Powell, Rivers of Blood
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:13
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
This vid had over 25000 viewing on my CommonSenseAnon channel before it was "permanently disabled" without any warnings, simply for the reason that Muslims cannot tolerate any discussion of Islam. On the other hand they are able to post atrocious stuff showing beheadings, and other vids that urge violence and death to non Muslims. Democracy and free speech has nothing to do with YouTube. If you were a subscriber to my CommonSenseAnon channel please subscribe to this one.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell,_Rivers_of_Blood
This vid had over 25000 viewing on my CommonSenseAnon channel before it was "permanently disabled" without any warnings, simply for the reason that Muslims cannot tolerate any discussion of Islam. On the other hand they are able to post atrocious stuff showing beheadings, and other vids that urge violence and death to non Muslims. Democracy and free speech has nothing to do with YouTube. If you were a subscriber to my CommonSenseAnon channel please subscribe to this one.
- published: 28 Nov 2008
- views: 42527
- author: CommonSense4ever
Enoch Powell on the European Union (1 of 3)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:55
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
Enoch Powell speaks on December 29, 1976 on Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, today morphed into the EU. He frames the debate as a battle over Britain's national existence and parliamentary independence; and a fight for the continued existence of the nation itself.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_on_the_European_Union_1_of_3
Enoch Powell speaks on December 29, 1976 on Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, today morphed into the EU. He frames the debate as a battle over Britain's national existence and parliamentary independence; and a fight for the continued existence of the nation itself.
- published: 15 Dec 2008
- views: 13791
- author: MarcusCMarcellus
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:23
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
Forty years after Enoch Powell's infamous speech predicting that mass immigration would lead to violence on our streets, filmmaker Denys Blakeway explores the impact of the maverick Conservative MP's words and legacy. Powell was a member of Edward Heath's Shadow Cabinet when he made the Rivers of Blood speech in 1968, so-called because he quoted the Roman poet Virgil's prophesy: "I see the Tiber foaming with much blood". He was immediately sacked, but not before sparking furious debate, with his words dividing the nation. This film examines Powell's speech in unprecedented detail, discovering how his core argument was ignored in favour of his incendiary language. It questions what led him to speak out in the first place and traces the speech's effect on immigration policy in Britain.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Rivers_of_Blood_Part_1
Forty years after Enoch Powell's infamous speech predicting that mass immigration would lead to violence on our streets, filmmaker Denys Blakeway explores the impact of the maverick Conservative MP's words and legacy. Powell was a member of Edward Heath's Shadow Cabinet when he made the Rivers of Blood speech in 1968, so-called because he quoted the Roman poet Virgil's prophesy: "I see the Tiber foaming with much blood". He was immediately sacked, but not before sparking furious debate, with his words dividing the nation. This film examines Powell's speech in unprecedented detail, discovering how his core argument was ignored in favour of his incendiary language. It questions what led him to speak out in the first place and traces the speech's effect on immigration policy in Britain.
- published: 26 Mar 2008
- views: 133770
- author: JimmyGB
Enoch Powell. Rivers of Blood (Short Edit)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:28
- Updated: 07 Jan 2013
Compilation of clips.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Rivers_of_Blood_Short_Edit
ENOCH WAS RIGHT - Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:36
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
The video contains excerpts from Denys Blakeway's Rivers of Blood, which was first seen on BBC 2, 8 March 2008.
http://wn.com/ENOCH_WAS_RIGHT_Part_1
The video contains excerpts from Denys Blakeway's Rivers of Blood, which was first seen on BBC 2, 8 March 2008.
- published: 13 Mar 2008
- views: 297515
- author: ironwand
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood Part 2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:52
- Updated: 03 Jan 2013
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood P2
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Rivers_of_Blood_Part_2
Enoch Powell's Phrophecy
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:17
- Updated: 24 Nov 2012
Enoch Powell's speech having been re-elected in the 1970 general election.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell's_Phrophecy
Enoch Powell's speech having been re-elected in the 1970 general election.
- published: 03 Oct 2010
- views: 4931
- author: unrepentantbriton
Enoch Powell: British Hero Part 2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:49
- Updated: 09 Jan 2013
A rather devious BBC documentary on Enoch Powell. The conclusion of this piece is totally wrong. Enoch was right in that race DOES MATTER. The average IQ level of people of African genetic heritage is well below that of White Europeans. Blacks are also more prone to violent crime and rape. This is the real cause of "White flight". www.youtube.com www.amren.com tinyurl.com But, this subtle smear piece tries to imply that it's not race that matters, but cultural differences. Namely... it's Islam which is subltly implied as the problem. If this is the case then why are we being forced to accept large amounts of Islamic immigrants? Divide and conquer, that's why. Those in the know realise we in the West are being set up for a world war for control of the Middle East. And it's not for the benefit of us in the West. www.trumanlibrary.org
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_British_Hero_Part_2
A rather devious BBC documentary on Enoch Powell. The conclusion of this piece is totally wrong. Enoch was right in that race DOES MATTER. The average IQ level of people of African genetic heritage is well below that of White Europeans. Blacks are also more prone to violent crime and rape. This is the real cause of "White flight". www.youtube.com www.amren.com tinyurl.com But, this subtle smear piece tries to imply that it's not race that matters, but cultural differences. Namely... it's Islam which is subltly implied as the problem. If this is the case then why are we being forced to accept large amounts of Islamic immigrants? Divide and conquer, that's why. Those in the know realise we in the West are being set up for a world war for control of the Middle East. And it's not for the benefit of us in the West. www.trumanlibrary.org
- published: 09 Mar 2008
- views: 14512
- author: VersionOnePointOne
British MEP Daniel Hannan on the NHS, Enoch Powell, and His Libertarian Plan for Britain
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:02
- Updated: 09 Jan 2013
Reason senior editor Michael C. Moynihan sits down with Daniel Hannan, the Milton Friedman-loving member of European Parliament representing South East England, to discuss his infamous showdown with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Enoch Powell, his opinion of the British National Health Service, and what the Republicans could learn from the recent successes of Britain's Conservative Party. Read about the huge row Reason.tv's interview has caused in Britain at reason.com Reason.tv interviewed Hannan in early August before he spoke at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. His talk can be viewed here: heritage.org
http://wn.com/British_MEP_Daniel_Hannan_on_the_NHS,_Enoch_Powell,_and_His_Libertarian_Plan_for_Britain
Reason senior editor Michael C. Moynihan sits down with Daniel Hannan, the Milton Friedman-loving member of European Parliament representing South East England, to discuss his infamous showdown with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Enoch Powell, his opinion of the British National Health Service, and what the Republicans could learn from the recent successes of Britain's Conservative Party. Read about the huge row Reason.tv's interview has caused in Britain at reason.com Reason.tv interviewed Hannan in early August before he spoke at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. His talk can be viewed here: heritage.org
- published: 25 Aug 2009
- views: 37409
- author: ReasonTV
enoch powell dec 1976 a prophecy
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:56
- Updated: 31 Dec 2012
a speech by Enoch Powell on the european union dec 1976 a prophesy
http://wn.com/enoch_powell_dec_1976_a_prophecy
a speech by Enoch Powell on the european union dec 1976 a prophesy
- published: 16 Jun 2010
- views: 11252
- author: edinburgh9000
Enoch Powell's prophecies and Leftist John Cleese's realizations.
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:03
- Updated: 07 Jan 2013
"London no more an English city" the realization of a left liberal actor on the aftermath of the mass immigration policy implementation.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell's_prophecies_and_Leftist_John_Cleese's_realizations
"London no more an English city" the realization of a left liberal actor on the aftermath of the mass immigration policy implementation.
- published: 23 Sep 2011
- views: 1323
- author: AmetReloads
Enoch Powell radio interview 1968
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:38
- Updated: 14 Oct 2012
Enoch Powell radio interview 1968 about hisrivers of blood speech.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_radio_interview_1968
Enoch Powell radio interview 1968 about hisrivers of blood speech.
- published: 05 Sep 2006
- views: 36023
- author: dave777
Enoch Powell: From Nation to Province (1 of 3)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:46
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
Enoch Powell speaks (1 of 3) in 1976 on Britains decision to enter the EEC and its inevitable movement from a sovereign nation to a province of Brussels.
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_From_Nation_to_Province_1_of_3
Enoch Powell speaks (1 of 3) in 1976 on Britains decision to enter the EEC and its inevitable movement from a sovereign nation to a province of Brussels.
- published: 22 Dec 2008
- views: 4490
- author: MarcusCMarcellus
Strikeforce UK - Enoch Powell Was Right
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:24
- Updated: 23 Nov 2012
Stikeforce UK point out that more people should have actually listened to Enoch. If they had we'd be in a much better situation now. Great song with lyrics that every nationalist can agree with!
http://wn.com/Strikeforce_UK_Enoch_Powell_Was_Right
Stikeforce UK point out that more people should have actually listened to Enoch. If they had we'd be in a much better situation now. Great song with lyrics that every nationalist can agree with!
- published: 18 Oct 2009
- views: 23575
- author: uk28skinhead
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood Part 3
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:33
- Updated: 18 Dec 2012
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood P3
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Rivers_of_Blood_Part_3
Enoch Powell's Rivers Of Blood Speech
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:07
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
"Rivers of Blood" speech on Saturday, April 20, 1968 by Enoch Powell en.wikipedia.org Stop Islamisation of Britain! United we stand, divided we fall...
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell's_Rivers_Of_Blood_Speech
"Rivers of Blood" speech on Saturday, April 20, 1968 by Enoch Powell en.wikipedia.org Stop Islamisation of Britain! United we stand, divided we fall...
- published: 08 Aug 2010
- views: 18986
- author: britainawake1
How Enoch Powell saved the NHS
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:09
- Updated: 18 Jun 2012
For the past 45 years Asian doctors have provided the back-bone of the NHS, caring for white working class communities in some of the most deprived parts of the United Kingdom. Today, in addition to many Afro-Caribbean and African NHS workers, a quarter of Britain's NHS staff are Asian, largely thanks to a scheme launched in the early 1960s by the Tory anti-immigrant politician Enoch Powell (!) to fill shortages of NHS staff with migrants from Britain's former colonies. Racists like Nick Griffin and the BNP constantly misrepresent the legacy of the British Empire. The BNP refuse to acknowledge that the true legacy of the Empire's greatness IS multiculturalism, and refuse to acknowledge that immigrants have contributed to as well as benefitted from the UK's Welfare State... www.youtube.com The BNP refuse to acknowledge that the roots of British multiculturalism lie in the positive contributions that immigrants made (and still make) to the provision of essential services, and in the massive contribution that 2.5 million Hindu, Sikh and Muslim volunteer soldiers made to saving the British Empire from Italian and Japanese Fascism in WW2... www.youtube.com Nick Griffin and the BNP "blame" liberal values, the left-wing and Labour Party etc for immigration - the irony being that it was the BNP's hero Enoch Powell who contributed so much to British multiculturalism in the first place! As for Enoch Powell himself, nothing shows the hypocrisy and cynicism of Powell's "Rivers of ...
http://wn.com/How_Enoch_Powell_saved_the_NHS
For the past 45 years Asian doctors have provided the back-bone of the NHS, caring for white working class communities in some of the most deprived parts of the United Kingdom. Today, in addition to many Afro-Caribbean and African NHS workers, a quarter of Britain's NHS staff are Asian, largely thanks to a scheme launched in the early 1960s by the Tory anti-immigrant politician Enoch Powell (!) to fill shortages of NHS staff with migrants from Britain's former colonies. Racists like Nick Griffin and the BNP constantly misrepresent the legacy of the British Empire. The BNP refuse to acknowledge that the true legacy of the Empire's greatness IS multiculturalism, and refuse to acknowledge that immigrants have contributed to as well as benefitted from the UK's Welfare State... www.youtube.com The BNP refuse to acknowledge that the roots of British multiculturalism lie in the positive contributions that immigrants made (and still make) to the provision of essential services, and in the massive contribution that 2.5 million Hindu, Sikh and Muslim volunteer soldiers made to saving the British Empire from Italian and Japanese Fascism in WW2... www.youtube.com Nick Griffin and the BNP "blame" liberal values, the left-wing and Labour Party etc for immigration - the irony being that it was the BNP's hero Enoch Powell who contributed so much to British multiculturalism in the first place! As for Enoch Powell himself, nothing shows the hypocrisy and cynicism of Powell's "Rivers of ...
- published: 24 Oct 2009
- views: 3112
- author: UKfightback
Dispatches : Enoch Powell (1 sur 4) sous titres français
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:51
- Updated: 06 Jan 2013
Dispatches : Enoch Powell (1 sur 4) sous titres français Partie 1 : www.youtube.com Partie 2 : www.youtube.com Partie 3 : www.youtube.com Partie 4 : www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Dispatches_Enoch_Powell_1_sur_4_sous_titres_français
Dispatches : Enoch Powell (1 sur 4) sous titres français Partie 1 : www.youtube.com Partie 2 : www.youtube.com Partie 3 : www.youtube.com Partie 4 : www.youtube.com
- published: 30 May 2008
- views: 46365
- author: powellenoch
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood Part 4
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:37
- Updated: 18 Dec 2012
Enoch Powell - Rivers of Blood P4
http://wn.com/Enoch_Powell_Rivers_of_Blood_Part_4
photo: AP / Mohamed Sheikh Nor
12 Jan 2013
Helicopter raid fails to rescue agent 'Denis Allex' from Islamist group al-Shabaab, as French combat pilot killed in Mali. French secret service hostage 'Denis Allex' pictured in Somalia in October 2012. Photograph. SITE Monitoring Service/AFP/Getty Images. A French hostage and two French soldiers have been killed during a failed secret service rescue mission in Somalia ... The group said it had also captured a wounded French commando ... ....(size: 4.7Kb)
photo: US Navy / MCS2 Gretchen Albrecht
13 Jan 2013
The draft version of the US National Climate Assessment, released on Friday, makes remarkable reading – not just for Americans but for all humanity. Put together by a special panel of more than 240 scientists, the federally commissioned report reveals that the US is already reeling under the impact of global warming ... Nor is there any doubt about the cause of these rising temperatures ... A bitter struggle lies ahead ... Sender's name ... ....(size: 6.2Kb)
photo: AP / Remy de la Mauviniere
11 Jan 2013
The executions of three Kurdish women in Paris have sparked questions over the motives for the high-level assassinations. FRANCE 24 asks Kendal Nezan, president of the Kurdish Institute in Paris, for his views on the mysterious murders. By Ségolène ALLEMANDOU (text). ... Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan and Leyla Soylemez were found shot dead inside the Kurdish Institute of Paris. Screen grab of Firatnews ... France 24 ... Kendel Nezan ... FRANCE 24 ... ....(size: 9.7Kb)
photo: AP / Arshad Butt
11 Jan 2013
QUETTA, Pakistan -- A series of bombings killed 115 people in Pakistan yesterday, including 81 who died in a sectarian attack on a billiard hall in the southwest city of Quetta, officials said. The blasts punctuated one of the deadliest days in recent years in Pakistan, where the government faces a bloody insurgency by militants in the northwest and Baluch militants in the southwest ... No group claimed responsibility for the attack.. . .....(size: 7.7Kb)
photo: AP / NSW Rural Fire Service, Kerry Lawrence
12 Jan 2013
Australian firefighters are continuing to tackle more than 100 bushfires, which have gutted houses and thousands of hectares of land. Officials say temperatures are lower than feared, but gusty winds are making it hard to contain the blazes in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Six people have been treated for heat exposure, but nobody has died ... ....(size: 1.8Kb)
The Daily Telegraph
13 Jan 2013
Kate Winslet's new sister-in-law makes her society debut as she models for the 'Girls in Pearls' page in 'Country Life' magazine. Kate Winslet with her new husband, Ned Rocknroll. Photo. REUTERS. By Richard Eden. 7.26AM GMT 13 Jan 2013. Comments ... His sister, Henrietta, is, however, not so camera-shy ... Annabel, whose father, Greville, was Enoch Powell’s private secretary, is to marry David Wilson, who writes as D W Wilson ... ... ....(size: 9.6Kb)
noodls
12 Jan 2013
(Source. University of London). The winners. (l-r) Sally Salvesen, Frederick Smith, History Today editor Paul Lay, Pauline Hubner, Bill Schwarz. Photo © History Today Friday 11 January 2013 ... Memories of Empire ... It works back from the response to Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech in 1968, when "racial whiteness had come to signify defeat and desperation" ... Professor Schwarz comments ... Glyn Parry's The Arch Conjuror of England....(size: 3.7Kb)
American Spectator
08 Jan 2013
Enoch Powell becomes Secretary of State for India in a German-allied government. Huh? Enoch Powell, who wrote to his parents after Chamberlain visited Hitler at Berchtesgaden that. ... According to the Daily Mail, Powell’s aged widow Pamela is “furious” with Sansom ... ....(size: 1.4Kb)
The Daily Mail
06 Jan 2013
The Observer
06 Jan 2013
Jonathan Miller. 'a high impression of his intellectual standing and little time for those who disagree'. Photograph. Eamonn McCabe ... In Two Minds ... Despite having been vice-president of the Campaign For Homosexual Equality, for instance, he isn't shy of referring to "disgusting old opera queens", a remark that would lead his erstwhile Fringe colleague Alan Bennett to call him "the Enoch Powell of the sexual world" ... What did you think? ... ....(size: 6.3Kb)
The Independent
02 Jan 2013
In one lifetime, the boy from Derry has progressed from being an armed republican rebel to holding a feudal office whose previous occupants include Enoch Powell and Ian Paisley – except that we can be sure that McGuinness never asked whether he wanted to be a steward or a bailiff of anywhere, and would have said no, if asked. We have been here before ... The dour Sinn Fein leader was not amused. In a furious statement, he protested ... Query ... ....(size: 3.9Kb)
noodls
02 Jan 2013
(Source. University of Sydney) Coral, cubism and the Colosseum. University of Sydney museums this summer. 2 January 2013. Kids aged six to 12 can enjoy arts and crafts, short expert talks, stories, artefacts and dress ups at the University museums over the summer holidays ... A fragment of The Iliad purchased by Enoch Powell and an ivory furniture inlay lovingly restored by Agatha Christie are among the fascinating objects on show ... Biology ... W....(size: 5.8Kb)
The Daily Telegraph
30 Dec 2012
Enoch Powell once said that the best way to keep a secret was to announce it on the floor of the House of Commons, so little notice was taken of anything that went on there. 'There is a growing concern that in the political rush towards a referendum on Britain’s relationship with the EU, where exit is a distinct possibility, the voice of the finance community is not being heard.' Photo. Getty Images. By Kamal Ahmed ... Comments ... ....(size: 15.2Kb)
The Independent
30 Dec 2012
A Nobel prize-winning scientist whose discovery at a British university will help the UK economy become more competitive launched a blistering attack yesterday on the Government's "stupid" immigration policy ... It is exceedingly tough, and could transform the development of touch-screen technology, clothing fabric and even energy creation ... He said ... Enoch Powell criticises immigration policy in his "Rivers of blood" speech....(size: 9.8Kb)
The Daily Telegraph
29 Dec 2012
Four factors conspire to make a Tory majority an outright impossibility. No chance of an encore. David Cameron, flanked by his wife Samantha, takes power after the 2010 election Photo. AP. By Paul Goodman. 9.00PM GMT 29 Dec 2012. Comments ... So, 2012 closes with a paradox ... Memories of Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech (a phrase which its maker didn’t use) and of Norman Tebbit’s cricket test linger ... View....(size: 17.3Kb)
The Independent
27 Dec 2012
David Cameron has ordered a drive to increase the number of black and Asian Conservative parliamentary candidates, amid fears within the party that its unpopularity among ethnic minorities could spell disaster at the next election ... He said ... They have been told the Conservatives suffer a serious "brand" problem dating back to Enoch Powell's "rivers of blood" speech ... He said ... Alok Sharma (Reading West)....(size: 5.4Kb)
NZ Herald
25 Dec 2012
It is said that Napoleon, on being told of the impressive attributes of a new general, asked, "But is he lucky?". Napoleon, it seems, understood that in war, as in politics, luck - and timing - are everything. Most politicians will ride their luck while they can but will come unstuck when their luck runs out. That is why Enoch Powell once said famously, and with only slight exaggeration, that "all political careers end in failure" ... By ... ....(size: 5.4Kb)
Irish Times
15 Dec 2012
DONALD CLARKE ... It seems as if poor wee white Americans will, by 2043, cease to enjoy majority status ... Forty-four years have passed since Enoch Powell kicked up hysteria about immigration by disingenuously suggesting black children were pushing dog poo through letter boxes in the English west midlands ... Obviously you’d expect a romantic colonialist such as Powell to favour a white, English-speaking, tea-drinking majority in the UK ... ....(size: 5.3Kb)
| The Right Honourable Enoch Powell MBE |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Portrait taken by Allan Warren | |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 27 July 1960 – 18 October 1963 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Derek Walker-Smith |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Barber |
| Financial Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 1957–1958 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Henry Brooke |
| Succeeded by | Jack Simon |
| Shadow Defence Secretary | |
| In office July 1965 – 21 April 1968 |
|
| Leader | Edward Heath |
| Preceded by | Peter Thorneycroft |
| Succeeded by | Reginald Maudling |
| Member of Parliament for South Down |
|
| In office 10 October 1974 – 11 June 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | Lawrence Orr |
| Succeeded by | Eddie McGrady |
| Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West |
|
| In office 23 February 1950 – 28 February 1974 |
|
| Preceded by | Constituency Created |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Budgen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Enoch Powell 16 June 1912 (1912-06-16) Birmingham, England |
| Died | 8 February 1998 (1998-02-09) (aged 85) London, England |
| Nationality | British (but registered as an Australian (then under common citizenship) when he joined the Army) |
| Political party | Conservative (1950–74) Ulster Unionist (1974–87) |
| Spouse(s) | Miss Pamela Wilson, 1952–98 (his death; 46 years) |
| Children | 2 girls |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge SOAS |
| Occupation | • Member of Parliament 1950–87 • Conservative Research Department 1945–50 • Professor of Greek at Sydney University 1937–39 |
| Profession | • Politician, • Classical scholar, • Poet, published works 1937, 1939, 1951. |
| Religion | Anglican |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  British Army• Royal Warwickshire Regiment • General Service Corps • Intelligence Corps |
| Years of service | 1939–45 |
| Rank | • Private in 1939 • Brigadier by 1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II • North African Campaign • India |
| Awards | _ribbon.png){kind=small} British War Medal20px Africa Star  Military OBE |
John Enoch Powell, MBE (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, linguist and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP (1950–74), Ulster Unionist Party MP (1974–1987), and Minister of Health (1960–63). He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech against immigration. He was then controversially sacked from his position as Shadow Defence Secretary (1965–68) in the Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath. He had few friends in the establishment, but a poll said that 74% of the population agreed with him.[1]
However, his supporters claim that the large public following[2][3] that Powell attracted may have helped the Conservatives to win the 1970 general election,[4]:568 and perhaps cost them the February 1974 general election[4]:710–2, at which Powell turned his back on the Conservatives by endorsing a vote for Labour, who returned as a minority government in early March following a hung parliament. He returned to the House of Commons in October 1974 as the Ulster Unionist Party MP for the Northern Irish constituency of South Down until he was defeated in the 1987 general election.
Before entering politics, he had been a classical scholar, becoming a full Professor of Ancient Greek at the age of 25. During the Second World War, he served in both staff and intelligence positions, reaching the rank of brigadier in his early thirties. He also wrote poetry, his first works being published in 1937, as well as many books on classical and political subjects.
Early years and education[link]
Enoch Powell was born in Stechford, Birmingham, England. He lived there for the first six years of his life before moving to King's Norton in 1918, where he lived until 1930. He was the only child of Albert Enoch Powell (1872–1956), a primary school headmaster, and his wife, Ellen Mary (1886–1953). Ellen was the daughter of Henry Breese, a Liverpool policeman and his wife Eliza, who had given up her own teaching career after marrying. The Powells were of Welsh descent, having moved to the developing Black Country during the early 19th century. His great-grandfather was a coal miner, and his grandfather had been employed in the iron trade.[5]
Powell was a pupil at King's Norton Boys' School before moving to King Edward's School, Birmingham, where he studied classics (which would later influence his 'Rivers of Blood' speech), and was one of the few pupils in the school's history to attain 100% in an end-of-year English examination. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1930 to 1933, during which time he fell under the influence both of the poet A. E. Housman, then Professor of Latin at the university, and of the writings of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He took no part in politics at university.
It was while at Cambridge Powell is recorded as having enjoyed one of his first close relationships.[6] Indeed, according to John Evans, Chaplain of Trinity and Extra Preacher to the Queen,[7] instructions were left with him to reveal after Powell's death that at least one of the romantic affairs of his life had been homosexual. Powell had particularly drawn the Chaplain's attention to lines in his First Poems (published 1937). Biographers such as Simon Heffer dispute this and have argued that this did not mean that he was homosexual; merely that he had not yet met any girls.[4]
While at University, in one Greek prose examination lasting three hours, he was asked to translate a passage into Greek. Powell walked out after one and a half hours, having produced translations in the styles of Plato and Thucydides. For his efforts, he was awarded a double starred first in Latin and Greek, this grade being the best possible and extremely rare. As well as his education at Cambridge, Powell took a course in Urdu at the School of Oriental Studies, now the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, because he felt that his long-cherished ambition of becoming Viceroy of India would be unattainable without knowledge of an Indian language.[4]
Prewar career[link]
After graduating from Cambridge, Powell stayed on at Trinity College as a Fellow, spending much of his time studying ancient manuscripts in Latin and producing academic works in Greek and Welsh.[5]:18–20[8] In 1937, he was appointed Professor of Greek at Sydney University aged 25 (failing in his aim of beating Friedrich Nietzsche's record of becoming a professor at 24). Among his pupils was future Prime Minister of Australia Gough Whitlam. He revised Stuart-Jones's edition of Thucydides' Historiae for the Oxford University Press in 1938, and his most lasting contribution to classical scholarship was his Lexicon to Herodotus, published the same year.
Soon after arrival in Australia, he was appointed Curator of the Nicholson Museum at Sydney University. He stunned the vice-chancellor by informing him that war would soon begin in Europe and that when it did, he would be heading home to enlist in the army.[5]:29 By the time Powell had left King Edward's School in 1930, he had confirmed his instinctive belief that the Armistice was merely temporary and that Britain would be at war with Germany again.[4]:10 During his time in Australia as a professor, he grew increasingly angry at the appeasement of Nazi Germany and what he saw as a betrayal of British national interests. After Neville Chamberlain's first visit to Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden, Powell wrote in a letter to his parents of 18 September 1938:
I do here in the most solemn and bitter manner curse the Prime Minister of England [sic] for having cumulated all his other betrayals of the national interest and honour, by his last terrible exhibition of dishonour, weakness and gullibility. The depths of infamy to which our accurst "love of peace" can lower us are unfathomable.[4]:47
In another letter to his parents in June 1939, before the beginning of war, Powell wrote: "It is the English, not their Government; for if they were not blind cowards, they would lynch Chamberlain and Halifax and all the other smarmy traitors".[4]:53 At the outbreak of war, Powell immediately returned to Britain, but not before buying a Russian dictionary, since he thought "Russia would hold the key to our survival and victory, as it had in 1812 and 1916".[4]:55
War years[link]
During October 1939, almost a month after returning home, Powell enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as an Australian. In a poem he wrote of men joining the army like "bridegrooms going to meet their brides", but his biographer points out that it is unlikely that other men shared his joy[9]:39.
In later years, he recorded his appointment from private to lance-corporal in his Who's Who entry, on other occasions describing it as a greater promotion than entering the Cabinet[9]:40. Early in 1940, he was trained for a commission after, whilst working in a kitchen, answering the question of an inspecting brigadier with a Greek proverb; on several occasions, he told colleagues that he expected to be at least a major-general by the end of the war[4]:57–8. He passed out top from his officer training[9]:40.
He was commissioned on the General List in 1940 but almost immediately transferred to the Intelligence Corps. He was almost immediately promoted to captain and posted as GSO3 (Intelligence) to the 1st (later 9th) Armoured Division. During this time he taught himself the Russian language as he was convinced that Adolf Hitler would eventually invade the Soviet Union. On one occasion, he was arrested as a suspected German spy for singing Horst-Wessel-Lied.[9]:41 He was sent to the Staff College at Camberley.[9]:41
In October 1941, Powell was posted to Cairo and transferred back to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. As Secretary to the Joint Intelligence Committee, Middle East, he was soon doing work that would normally have been done by a more senior officer and was (May 1942, backdated to December 1941[4]:68) promoted to major. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in August 1942, telling his parents that he was doing the work of three people and expected to be a brigadier within a year or two[4]:70, and in that role helped plan the Second Battle of El Alamein, having previously helped plan the attack on Rommel's supply lines. Powell and his team began work at 0400 each day to digest radio intercepts and other intelligence data (such as estimating how many tanks Rommel currently had and what his likely plans were) ready to present to the Chiefs of Staff at 0900[9]:41. The following year, he was honoured as a member of the Order of the British Empire for his military service.
It was in Algiers that the beginning of Powell's dislike of the United States was planted. After talking with some senior American officials, he became convinced that one of America's main war aims was to destroy the British Empire. Writing home on 16 February 1943, Powell stated: "I see growing on the horizon the greater peril than Germany or Japan ever were... our terrible enemy, America...."[4]:75 Powell's conviction of the anti-British attitude of the Americans continued during the war. Powell cut out and retained all his life an article from the New Statesman newspaper of 13 November 1943, in which the American Clare Boothe Luce said in a speech that Indian independence would mean that the "USA will really have won the greatest war in the world for democracy".[4]:86–7
Powell desperately wanted to go to the Far East to help the fight against Japan because "the war in Europe is won now, and I want to see the Union Flag back in Singapore" before, Powell thought, the Americans beat Britain to it.[4]:76 He attempted to join the Chindits, and jumped into a taxicab in Cairo to bring the matter up with Orde Wingate,[4]:82 but his duties and rank precluded the assignment. He was eventually posted to Delhi in India as Lieutenant-Colonel in Military Intelligence in August 1943, having declined at least two jobs carrying the rank of full colonel in the now-moribund North African theatre and having offered to drop in rank to major in order to get a posting to the Far East[4]:82.
Powell soon became Secretary to the Joint Intelligence Committee for India and Louis Mountbatten's South East Asia Command[9]:50, involved in planning an amphibious offensive against Akyab, an island off the coast of Burma. Orde Wingate, also involved in planning that operation, had taken such a dislike to Powell that he asked a colleague to restrain him if he was tempted to "beat his brains in".[9]:54
On one occasion, Powell's yellow skin (he was recovering from jaundice), overly formal dress and strange manner caused him to be mistaken for a Japanese spy.[4]:83 During this period he declined to meet a Cambridge academic colleague, Glyn Daniel, for a drink or dinner as he was devoting his limited leisure time to studying the poet John Donne.[9]:52 Powell had continued to learn Urdu, consistent with his ambition of becoming Viceroy of India, and when Mountbatten transferred his staff to Kandy, Ceylon, Powell chose to remain in Delhi. He was promoted to full colonel at the end of March 1944, as Assistant Director of Military Intelligence in India, giving intelligence support to the Burma campaign of William Slim.
Having begun the war as the youngest professor in the Commonwealth, Powell ended it as a brigadier. He was given the promotion to serve on a committee of generals and brigadiers to plan the postwar defence of India: the resulting 470-page report was almost entirely written by Powell. For a few weeks he was the youngest brigadier in the British Army,[4]:93 and he was one of only two men in the entire war to rise from private to brigadier (the other being Fitzroy Maclean). He was offered a regular commission as a brigadier in the Indian Army, and the post of Assistant Commandant of an Indian Officers' Training Academy, which he declined.[4]:97 He told a colleague that he expected to be Head of all Military Intelligence in "the next war"[9]:54.
Powell never experienced combat and felt guilty for having survived, writing that soldiers who did so carried "a sort of shame with them to the grave" and referring to the Second Battle of El Alamein as a "separating flame" between the living and the dead.[9]:44 When once asked how he would like to be remembered, he at first answered, "Others will remember me as they will remember me", but when pressed he replied, "I should like to have been killed in the war".[10]
Political career[link]
Joining the Conservative Party[link]
Though he voted for the Labour Party in their 1945 landslide victory, because he wanted to punish the Conservative Party for the Munich agreement, after the war he joined the Conservatives and worked for the Conservative Research Department under Rab Butler, where his colleagues included Iain Macleod and Reginald Maudling.[5]:51–3
Powell's ambition to be Viceroy of India crumbled in February 1947, when Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced that Indian independence was imminent. Powell was so shocked by the change of policy that he spent the whole night after it was announced walking the streets of London.[5]:51 He came to terms with it by becoming fiercely anti-imperialist, believing that once India had gone the whole empire should follow it.[citation needed] This logical absolutism explained his later indifference to the Suez crisis, his contempt for the Commonwealth and his urging that Britain should end any remaining pretence that it was a world power.
Election to Parliament[link]
After unsuccessfully contesting the Labour Party's ultra-safe seat of Normanton at a by-election in 1947 (when the Labour majority was 62%),[11] he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton South West in the 1950 general election.
First years as a Backbencher[link]
On 16 March 1950, Powell made his maiden speech, speaking on a White Paper on Defence and beginning by saying,"There is no need for me to pretend those feelings of awe and hesitation which assail any hon. Member who rises to address this House for the first time...."[12]
On 3 March 1953, Powell spoke against the Royal Titles Bill in the House of Commons. He said he found three major changes to the style of the United Kingdom, "all of which seem to me to be evil". The first one was "that in this title, for the first time, will be recognised a principle hitherto never admitted in this country, namely, the divisibility of the crown". Powell said that the unity of the realm had evolved over centuries and included the British Empire: "It was a unit because it had one Sovereign. There was one Sovereign: one realm". He feared that by "recognising the division of the realm into separate realms, are we not opening the way for that other remaining unity-–the last unity of all-–that of the person, to go the way of the rest?"[13]:195–202
The second change he objected to was "the suppression of the word 'British', both from before the words 'Realms and Territories' where it is replaced by the words 'her other' and from before the word 'Commonwealth', which, in the Statute of Westminster, is described as the 'British Commonwealth of Nations'":
To say that he is Monarch of a certain territory and his other realms and territories is as good as to say that he is king of his kingdom. We have perpetrated a solecism in the title we are proposing to attach to our Sovereign and we have done so out of what might almost be called an abject desire to eliminate the expression 'British'. The same desire has been felt... to eliminate this word before the term 'Commonwealth'... Why is it, then, that we are so anxious, in the description of our own Monarch, in a title for use in this country, to eliminate any reference to the seat, the focus and the origin of this vast aggregate of territories? Why is it that this 'teeming womb of royal Kings', as Shakespeare called it, wishes now to be anonymous?[13]:196–9
Powell claimed that the answer was that because the British Nationality Act 1948 had removed allegiance to the crown as the basis of citizenship and replaced that with nine separate citizenships combined together by statute. Therefore, if any of these nine countries became republics the law would not change, as happened with India when it became a republic. Furthermore, Powell went on, the essence of unity was "that all the parts recognise they would sacrifice themselves to the interests of the whole". He denied that there was in India that "recognition of belonging to a greater whole which involves the ultimate consequence in certain circumstances of self-sacrifice in the interests of the whole". Therefore the title 'Head of the Commonwealth', the third major change, was "essentially a sham. They are essentially something which we have invented to blind ourselves to the reality of the position".[13]:199–201
These changes were "greatly repugnant" to Powell:
...if they are changes which were demanded by those who in many wars had fought with this country, by nations who maintained an allegiance to the Crown, and who signified a desire to be in the future as were in the past; if it were our friends who had come to us and said: 'We want this,' I would say: 'Let it go. Let us admit the divisibility of the Crown. Let us sink into anonymity and cancel the word 'British' from our titles. If they like the conundrum 'Head of the Commonwealth' in the Royal style, let it be there'. However, the underlying evil of this is that we are doing it for the sake not of our friends but of those who are not our friends. We are doing this for the sake of those to whom the very names 'Britain' and 'British' are repugnant.... We are doing this for the sake of those who have deliberately cast off their allegiance to our common Monarchy.[13]:201
For the rest of his life, Powell regarded this speech as the finest he ever delivered, not the much more well-known 1968 anti-immigration speech.[4]:184[13]:230
In mid-November 1953 Powell secured a place on the 1922 Committee's executive after the third time of trying. Rab Butler also invited him onto the committee that reviewed party policy for the general election, which he attended until 1955.[4]:189 Powell was a member of the Suez Group of MPs who were against the removal of British troops from the Suez Canal because such a move would demonstrate, Powell argued, that Britain could no longer maintain a position there and that any claim to the Suez Canal would therefore be illogical. However, after the troops had left in 1954 and the Egyptians nationalised the Canal in 1956, Powell opposed the British attempts to retake the Canal in the Suez Crisis because he thought the British no longer had the resources to be a world power.[5]:99–100
Junior Housing Minister[link]
On 21 December 1955, Powell was appointed parliamentary secretary to Duncan Sandys at the Ministry of Housing. He called it "the best ever Christmas box".[4] In early 1956, he spoke for the Housing Subsidies Bill in the Commons and argued for the rejection of an amendment that would have hindered slum clearances. He also spoke in support of the Slum Clearances Bill, which provided entitlement for full compensation for those who purchased a house after August 1939 and still occupied it in December 1955 if this property would be compulsorarily purchased by the government if it was deemed unfit for human habitation.[4]:203–4
In the spring, Powell attended a subcommittee on immigration control as a housing minister and advocated immigration controls. In August, he gave a speech at a meeting of the Institute of Personnel Management and was asked a question about immigration. He answered that limiting immigration would require a change in the law: "There might be circumstances in which such a change of the law might be the lesser of two evils". But he added, "There would be very few people who would say the time had yet come when it was essential that so great a change should be made". Powell later told Paul Foot that the statement was made "out of loyalty to the Government line".[4]:205–6 Powell also spoke for the Rent Bill, which ended wartime rent controls when existing tenants moved out, thereby phasing out regulation.[4]:209
Financial Secretary to the Treasury[link]
At a meeting of the 1922 committee on 22 November, Rab Butler made a speech appealing for party unity in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis. His speech did not go down well and Harold Macmillan, whom Butler had taken along for moral support, addressed them and was a great success. In Powell's view this was "one of the most horrible things that I remember in politics... seeing the way in which Harold Macmillan, with all the skill of the old actor-manager, succeeded in false-footing Rab. The sheer devilry of it verged upon the disgusting". After Macmillan's death in 1986 Powell said "Macmillan was a Whig, not a Tory... he had no use for the Conservative loyalties and affections; they interfered too much with the Whig's true vocation of detecting trends in events and riding them skilfully so as to preserve the privileges, property and interests of his class".[4]:210 However, when Macmillan replaced Eden as Prime Minister, Powell was offered the office of Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 14 January 1957. This office was the Chancellor of the Exchequer's deputy and the most important job outside the Cabinet.[4]:210–1
But in January 1958 he resigned, along with the Chancellor of the Exchequer Peter Thorneycroft and his Treasury colleague Nigel Birch, in protest at government plans for increased expenditure; he was a staunch advocate of disinflation, or in modern terms a monetarist, and a believer in market forces.[5]:180–9 Powell was also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. The by-product of this expenditure was the printing of extra money to pay for it all, which Powell believed to be the cause of inflation, and in effect a form of taxation, as the holders of money find their money is worth less. Inflation rose to 2.5%, a high figure for the era, especially in peacetime.
During the late 1950s, Powell promoted control of the money supply to prevent inflation and, during the 1960s, was an advocate of free market policies, which at the time were seen as extreme and unworkable was unpopular. Powell advocated the privatisation of the Post Office and the telephone network as early as 1964, over 20 years before the latter actually took place;[5]:318 and he both scorned the idea of "consensus politics" and wanted the Conservative Party to become a modern business-like party, freed from its old aristocratic and "old boy network" associations.[5]:319 Perhaps most notably of all, in his 1958 resignation over public spending and what he saw as an inflationary economic policy, he anticipated almost exactly the views that during the 1980s came to be described as "monetarism".[14]
Backbenches[link]
On 27 July 1959, Powell gave his speech on the Hola Camp of Kenya, where eleven Mau Mau were killed after refusing work in the camp. Powell noted that some MPs had described the eleven as "sub-human", but Powell responded by saying: "In general, I would say that it is a fearful doctrine, which must recoil upon the heads of those who pronounce it, to stand in judgement on a fellow human being and to say, 'Because he was such-and-such, therefore the consequences which would otherwise flow from his death shall not flow'."[13]:206–7 Powell also disagreed with the notion that because it was in Africa, different methods were acceptable:
Nor can we ourselves pick and choose where and in what parts of the world we shall use this or that kind of standard. We cannot say, 'We will have African standards in Africa, Asian standards in Asia and perhaps British standards here at home'. We have not that choice to make. We must be consistent with ourselves everywhere. All Government, all influence of man upon man, rests upon opinion. What we can do in Africa, where we still govern and where we no longer govern, depends upon the opinion which is entertained of the way in which this country acts and the way in which Englishmen act. We cannot, we dare not, in Africa of all places, fall below our own highest standards in the acceptance of responsibility.[13]:207
Denis Healey, a member of parliament from 1952 to 1992, later said this speech was "the greatest parliamentary speech I ever heard... it had all the moral passion and rhetorical force of Demosthenes".[4]:252 The Daily Telegraph report of the speech said that "as Mr Powell sat down, he put his hand across his eyes. His emotion was justified, for he had made a great and sincere speech".[4]:254
Minister of Health[link]
Powell returned to the government in July 1960, when he was appointed Health minister,[5]:229ff albeit outside the Cabinet, but this changed in 1962.[5]:270 During a meeting with parents of babies that had been born with deformities caused by the drug thalidomide, he was unsympathetic to the victims, refusing to meet any babies deformed by the drug and saying that "anyone who took so much as an aspirin put himself at risk." Powell also refused to launch a public inquiry, resisted calls to issue a warning against any left-over thalidomide pills that might remain in people's medicine cabinets (as US President John F. Kennedy had done), and said "I hope you're not going to sue the Government.... No one can sue the Government."[15]
In this job, he was responsible for promoting an ambitious ten-year programme of general hospital building and for beginning a debate on the neglect of the huge psychiatric institutions. In his famous 1961 "Water Tower" speech, he said:
There they stand, isolated, majestic, imperious, brooded over by the gigantic water-tower and chimney combined, rising unmistakable and daunting out of the countryside-–the asylums which our forefathers built with such immense solidity to express the notions of their day. Do not for a moment underestimate their powers of resistance to our assault. Let me describe some of the defences which we have to storm.[16]
The speech catalysed a debate that was one of several strands leading to the Care in the Community initiative of the 1980s. In 1993, however, Powell claimed that his policy could have worked. He claimed the criminally insane should have never been released and that the problem was one of funding. He said the new way of caring for the mentally ill would cost more, not less, than the old way because community care was decentralised and intimate as well as being "more human". His successors had not, Powell claimed, provided the money for local authorities to spend on mental health care and therefore institutional care had been neglected whilst at the same time there was not any investment in community care.[4]:941
Later, he oversaw the employment of a large number of Commonwealth immigrants by the understaffed National Health Service.[5]:255 Prior to this, many nonwhite immigrants with full rights of citizenship in Britain were obliged to take the jobs that no one else wanted (such as street cleaning, night-shift assembly production lines), often paid considerably less than their white counterparts.[citation needed]
Backbenches[link]
Along with Iain Macleod, Powell refused to serve in the Cabinet following the appointment of Alec Douglas-Home as Prime Minister. This refusal was not based on antipathy to Douglas-Home personally but was in protest at what Macleod and Powell saw as Macmillan's underhand manipulation of colleagues during the process of choosing a new leader.[5]:302–3,15
During the 1964 general election, Powell said in his election address, "it was essential, for the sake not only of our own people but of the immigrants themselves, to introduce control over the numbers allowed in. I am convinced that strict control must continue if we are to avoid the evils of a "colour question" in this country, for ourselves and for our children".[4]:360 Norman Fowler, then a reporter for The Times, interviewed Powell during the election and asked him what the biggest issue was: "I expected to be told something about the cost of living but not a bit of it. "Immigration," replied Enoch. I duly phoned in my piece but it was never used. After all, who in 1964 had ever heard of a former Conservative cabinet minister thinking that immigration was an important political issue?"[4]:360
Following the Conservatives' defeat in the election, he agreed to return to the front bench as Transport Spokesman.[5]:316 In 1965, he stood in the first-ever party leadership election but came a distant third to Edward Heath, who appointed him Shadow Secretary of State for Defence.[5]:327ff
Shadow Defence Secretary[link]
In his first speech to the Conservative Party conference as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence on 14 October 1965, Powell outlined a fresh defence policy, jettisoning what he saw as outdated global military commitments left over from Britain's imperial past and stressing that Britain was a European power and therefore an alliance with Western European states from possible attack from the East was central to Britain's safety. He defended Britain's nuclear weapons and argued that it was "the merest casuistry to argue that if the weapon and the means of using it are purchased in part, or even altogether, from another nation, therefore the independent right to use it has no reality. With a weapon so catastrophic, it is possession and the right to use which count".[17] Also, Powell called into question Western military commitments East of Suez:
However much we may do to safeguard and reassure the new independent countries in Asia and Africa, the eventual limits of Russian and Chinese advance in those directions will be fixed by a balance of forces which will itself be Asiatic and African. The two Communist empires are already in a state of mutual antagonism; but every advance or threat of advance by one or the other calls into existence countervailing forces, sometimes nationalist in character, sometimes expansionist, which will ultimately check it. We have to reckon with the harsh fact that the attainment of this eventual equilibrium of forces may at some point be delayed rather than hastened by Western military presence.[4]:391
The Daily Telegraph journalist David Howell remarked to Andrew Alexander that Powell had "just withdrawn us from East of Suez, and received an enormous ovation because no-one understood what he was talking about".[4]:391 However, the Americans were worried by Powell's speech as they wanted British military commitments in South-East Asia as they were still fighting in Vietnam. A transcript of the speech was sent to Washington and the American embassy requested to talk to Heath about the "Powell doctrine". The New York Times said Powell's speech was "a potential declaration of independence from American policy".[4]:391–2 During the election campaign of 1966, Powell claimed that the British government had contingency plans to send at least a token British force to Vietnam and that, under Labour, Britain "has behaved perfectly clearly and perfectly recognisably as an American satellite".
Lyndon B. Johnson had indeed asked Wilson for some British forces for Vietnam, and when it was later suggested to Powell that Washington understood that the public reaction to Powell's allegations had made Wilson realise he would not have favourable public opinion and so could not go through with it, Powell responded: "The greatest service I have performed for my country, if that is so".[4]:406 Labour was returned with a large majority, and Powell was retained by Heath as Shadow Defence Secretary as he believed Powell "was too dangerous to leave out".[4]:410
In a controversial speech on 26 May 1967, Powell criticised Britain's post-war world role:
In our imagination the vanishing last vestiges... of Britain's once vast Indian Empire have transformed themselves into a peacekeeping role on which the sun never sets. Under God's good providence and in partnership with the United States, we keep the peace of the world and rush hither and thither containing Communism, putting out brush fires and coping with subversion. It is difficult to describe, without using terms derived from psychiatry, a notion having so few points of contact with reality.[4]:431
In 1967, Powell spoke of his opposition to the influx of Kenyan Asians to the United Kingdom after the African country's leader Jomo Kenyatta's discriminatory policies led to the flight of Asians from that country.[18] The biggest argument Powell and Heath had during Powell's time in the Shadow Cabinet was over a dispute over the role of Black Rod, who would go to the Commons to summon them to the Lords to hear the Royal Assent of Bills. In November 1967, he arrived during a debate on the EEC and was met with cries of "Shame" to "'Op it".
At the next Shadow Cabinet meeting Heath said this "nonsense" must be stopped. Powell suggested that Heath did not mean it should be ended. He asked whether Heath realised that the words Black Rod used went back to the 1307 Parliament of Carlisle and were ancient even then. Heath reacted furiously, saying that the British people "were tired of this nonsense and ceremonial and mummery. He would not stand for the perpetuation of this ridiculous business etc".[19]
"Rivers of Blood" speech[link]
Main article: Rivers of Blood speech
Powell was noted for his oratorical skills, and for being a maverick. On 20 April 1968, he made a controversial speech in Birmingham, in which he warned his audience of what he believed would be the consequences of continued unchecked immigration from the Commonwealth to Britain. It was an allusion to the Roman poet Virgil towards the end of the speech, which has been remembered and gave the speech its common title:
As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see 'the River Tiber foaming with much blood'. That tragic and intractable phenomenon which we watch with horror on the other side of the Atlantic but which there is interwoven with the history and existence of the States itself, is coming upon us here by our own volition and our own neglect. Indeed, it has all but come. In numerical terms, it will be of American proportions long before the end of the 20th century. Only resolute and urgent action will avert it even now.
The Times newspaper declared it "an evil speech", stating, "This is the first time that a serious British politician has appealed to racial hatred in this direct way in our postwar history."[20]
The main political issue addressed by the speech was not immigration as such, however. It was the introduction by the Labour Government of the Race Relations Act 1968, which Powell found offensive and immoral. The Act would prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race in certain areas of British life, particularly housing, where many local authorities had been refusing to provide houses for immigrant families until they had lived in the country for a certain number of years.
One feature of his speech was the extensive quotation of a letter he claimed to have received detailing the experiences of one of his constituents in Wolverhampton. The writer described the fate of an elderly woman who was supposedly the last white person living in her street. She had repeatedly refused applications from nonwhites requiring rooms-to-let, which resulted in her being called a racist outside her home and receiving excrement through her letterbox.
Heath sacked Powell from his Shadow Cabinet the day after the speech, and he never held another senior political post. Powell received almost 120,000 (predominantly positive) letters and a Gallup poll at the end of April showed that 74% of those asked agreed with his speech and only 15% disagreed, 11% unsure.[21] After The Sunday Times branded his speeches "racialist", Powell sued it for libel but withdrew when he was required to provide the letters he had quoted from because he had promised anonymity from the writer, who refused to waive it.
Powell had also expressed his opposition to the race relations legislation being put into place by Labour prime minister Harold Wilson at this time.[22]
Powell had issued an advance copy of his speech to media personnel and their appearance at the speech may have been because they realised the content was explosive.[23]
In July 1965, he had come third in the Conservative Party leadership contest, obtaining only 15 votes, just below the result Hugh Fraser gained in the 1975 contest. After the 'Rivers of Blood' speech, however, Powell was transformed into a national public figure and won huge support across Britain. Three days after the speech, on 23 April, as the Race Relations Bill was being debated in the House of Commons, 1,000 dockers marched on Westminster protesting against Powell's "victimisation", and the next day 400 meat porters from Smithfield market handed in a 92-page petition in support of Powell.
"Morecambe Budget"[link]
Powell made a speech in Morecambe on 11 October 1968 on the economy, setting out alternative, radical free-market policies that would later be called the 'Morecambe Budget'. Powell used the financial year of 1968–9 to show how income tax could be halved from 8s 3d to 4s 3d in the pound (basic rate cut from 41% to 21%)[4][24]:484 and how capital gains tax and selective employment tax could be abolished without reducing expenditure on defence or the social services. These tax reductions required a saving of £2,855 million, and this would be funded by eradicating losses in the nationalised industries and denationalising the profit-making state concerns; ending all housing subsidies except for those who could not afford their own housing; ending all foreign aid; ending all grants and subsidies in agriculture; ending all assistance to development areas; ending all investment grants;[9]:375–6 and abolishing the National Economic Development Council and the Prices and Incomes Board.[4]:485 The cuts in taxation would also allow the state to borrow from the public to spend on capital projects such as hospitals and roads and spend on "the firm and humane treatment of criminals".[4]:485–6
House of Lords reform[link]
During the summer of 1968, The House of Lords in the Middle Ages was published after 20 years' work. At the press conference for its publication, Powell said if the government introduced a Bill to reform the Lords. he would be its "resolute enemy".[4]:474 Later in 1968, when the government published its Bills for the new session, Powell was angry at Heath's acceptance of the plan drawn up by the Conservative MP Iain Macleod and Labour's Richard Crossman to reform the Lords, titled the Parliament (No. 2) Bill.[4]:489 Crossman, opening the debate on 19 November, said the government would reform the Lords in five ways: removing the voting rights of hereditary peers; making sure no party had a permanent majority; ensuring the government of the day usually passed its laws; weakening the Lords' powers to delay laws; and abolishing the power to refuse subordinate legislation if it had been voted for by the Commons.[4]:495
Powell spoke in the debate, opposing these plans. He said the reforms were "unnecessary and undesirable" and that there was no weight in the claim that the Lords could "check or frustrate the firm intentions" of the Commons. He claimed that only election or nomination could replace the hereditary nature of the Lords. If they were elected it would pose the dilemma of which House was truly representative of the electorate. He also had another objection: "How can the same electorate be represented in two ways so that the two sets of representatives can conflict and disagree with one another?" Those nominated would be bound to the Chief Whip of their party through a sort of oath and Powell asked "what sort of men and women are they to be who would submit to be nominated to another chamber upon condition that they will be mere dummies, automatic parts of a voting machine?"
The inclusion of 30 crossbenchers was "a grand absurdity" because they would have been chosen "upon the very basis that they have no strong views of principle on the way in which the country ought to be governed".[4]:496 Powell claimed the Lords derived their authority not from a strict hereditary system but from its prescriptive nature: "It has long been so, and it works". He then added that there was not any widespread desire for reform: he indicated a recent survey of working-class voters that showed that only a third of them wanted to reform or abolish the Lords, with another third believing the Lords were an "intrinsic part of the national traditions of Britain". Powell deduced from this, "As so often the ordinary rank and file of the electorate have seen a truth, an important fact, which has escaped so many more clever people–the underlying value of that which is traditional, that which is prescriptive".[4]:497
After more speeches against the Bill during early 1969 and with left-wing Labour MPs against Lords reform as well (they wanted its abolition), Harold Wilson announced on 17 April that the Bill was being rescinded. Wilson's statement was brief, with Powell intervening: "Don't eat them too quickly", which provoked much laughter in the House.[4]:521 Later that day Powell said in a speech to the Primrose League:
There was an instinct, inarticulate but deep and sound, that the traditional, prescriptive House of Lords posed no threat and injured no interests, but might yet, for all its illogicalities and anomalies, make itself felt on occasion to useful purpose. The same sound instinct was repelled by the idea of a new-fashioned second chamber, artificially constructed by power, party and patronage, to function in a particular way. Not for the first time, the common people of this country proved the surest defenders of their traditional institutions.[4]:521
Powell's biographer, Simon Heffer, described the defeat of Lords reform as "perhaps the greatest triumph of Powell's political career".[4]:521
In 1969, when it was first suggested that the United Kingdom would join the European Economic Community, Powell spoke openly of his opposition to such a move.
Departure from the Conservative Party[link]
Powell's supporters claim that he contributed to the Conservatives' surprise victory in the 1970 general election, which showed a late surge in Conservative support. In "exhaustive research" on the election, the American pollster Douglas Schoen and University of Oxford academic R.W. Johnson believed it "beyond dispute" that Enoch Powell had attracted 2.5 million votes to the Conservatives, but the Conservative vote had increased by only 1.7 million since 1966.[4]:568 A February 1969 Gallup poll showed Powell the 'most admired person' in British public opinion.[2] A Daily Express poll in 1972 showed Powell being the most popular politician in the country.[3]
In a defence debate in March 1970, he claimed that "the whole theory of the tactical nuclear weapon, or the tactical use of nuclear weapons, is an unmitigated absurdity" and that it was "remotely improbable" that any group of nations engaged in war would "decide upon general and mutual suicide", and advocated enlargement of Britain's continental army. However when fellow Conservative Julian Amery later in the debate criticised Powell for his antinuclear pronouncements, Powell responded: "I have always regarded the possession of the nuclear capability as a protection against nuclear blackmail. It is a protection against being threatened with nuclear weapons. What it is not a protection against is war".[4]:549
Powell had voted against the Schuman Declaration in 1950 and had supported entry[clarification needed] only because he believed that the Common Market was simply a means to secure free trade. In March 1969, he opposed Britain's joining the European Economic Community. Opposition to entry had hitherto been confined largely to the Labour Party but now, he said, it was clear to him that the sovereignty of Parliament was in question, as was Britain's very survival as a nation. This nationalist analysis attracted millions of middle-class Conservatives and others, and as much as anything else it made Powell the implacable enemy of Heath, a fervent pro-European, but there was already enmity between the two.
The Conservatives had promised at the 1970 election[25] in relation to the Common Market. "Our sole commitment is to negotiate; no more, no less". When Heath signed an accession treaty before Parliament had even debated the issue, the second reading of the Bill to put the Treaty into law was passed by just eight votes on second reading, and it became clear that the British people would have no further say in the matter, he declared hostility to his party's line. He voted against the government on every one of the 104 divisions in the course of the European Communities Bill. When finally he lost this struggle, he decided he could no longer sit in a parliament that he believed was no longer sovereign. During the summer of 1972, he prepared to resign and changed his mind only because of fears of a renewed wave of immigration from Uganda after the accession of Idi Amin, who had expelled Uganda's Asian residents.
During 1972, the same year he again spoke publicly of his opposition to the immigration of Ugandan Asians, Powell was also defeated in his struggle against the European Communities Bill, which helped prepare the UK to join the common market, which he had spent three years campaigning to prevent from happening.
However, on 23 February 1974 (with a general election five days away), Powell turned his back on the Conservative Party, mainly because it had taken the UK into the EEC and because it abandoned its manifesto commitments so he could not advocate it at the election.[26] Monetarist economist Milton Friedman sent Powell a letter praising him as principled.[4]:703 Powell had his friend, Andrew Alexander, talk with Labour Party leader Harold Wilson's press secretary, Joe Haines, on Powell's timing of his speeches against Heath. Powell had been talking with Wilson irregularly since June 1973 during chance meetings in the gentlemen's toilets of the aye lobby in the House of Commons.[4]:701–2 Wilson and Haines had ensured that Powell would dominate the newspapers of the Sunday and Monday before election day by having no Labour frontbencher give a major speech on 23 February, the day of Powell's speech.[4]:704–5 Powell gave this speech at the Mecca Dance Hall in the Bull Ring, Birmingham to an audience of 1,500, with some press reports estimating that 7,000 had to be turned away. Powell said the issue of British membership of the EEC was one where "if there be a conflict between the call of country and that of party, the call of country must come first":
Curiously, it so happens that the question 'Who governs Britain?' which at the moment is being frivolously posed, might be taken, in real earnest, as the title of what I have to say. This is the first and last election at which the British people will be given the opportunity to decide whether their country is to remain a democratic nation, governed by the will of its own electorate expressed in its own Parliament, or whether it will become one province in a new European superstate under institutions which know nothing of the political rights and liberties that we have so long taken for granted.[13]:454
Powell went on to criticise the Conservative Party for obtaining British membership despite promising at the general election that they would "negotiate: no more, no less" and that Britain needed "the full-hearted consent of Parliament and people" if Britain were to join. He also denounced Heath for accusing his political opponents of lacking respect for Parliament whilst being "the first Prime Minister in three hundred years who entertained, let alone executed, the intention of depriving Parliament of its sole right to make the laws and impose the taxes of this country".[13]:456–7 He then advocated a vote for the Labour Party:
The question is: can they now be prevented from taking back into their own hands the decision about their identity and their form of government which truly was theirs all along? I do not believe they can be prevented: for they are now, at a general election, provided with a clear, definite and practicable alternative, namely, a fundamental renegotiation directed to regain free access to world food markets and recover or retain the powers of Parliament, a renegotiation to be followed in any event by a specific submission of the outcome to the electorate, a renegotiation protected by an immediate moratorium or stop on all further integration of the UK into the Community. This alternative is offered, as such an alternative must be in our parliamentary democracy, by a political party capable of securing a majority in the House of Commons and sustaining a Government.[13]:458
This call to vote Labour surprised some of Powell's supporters who were more concerned with beating socialism than the supposed loss of national independence.[4]:707 On 25 February, he made another speech at Shipley and urged a vote for Labour and saying he did not believe the claim that Wilson would renege his commitment to renegotiation, which Powell believed was ironic because of Heath's premiership: "In acrobatics Harold Wilson, for all his nimbleness and skill, is simply no match for the breathtaking, thoroughgoing efficiency of the present Prime Minister". At this moment a heckler, shouted "Judas!" Powell responded: "Judas was paid! Judas was paid! I am making a sacrifice!"[4]:708–9[27] Later in the speech Powell said, "I was born a Tory, am a Tory and shall die a Tory. It is part of me... it is something I cannot alter".[4]:709 In 1987, Powell said there was no contradiction between urging people to vote Labour whilst proclaiming to be a Tory: "Many Labour members are quite good Tories".[9]:404
Powell, in an interview on 26 February, said he would be voting for Helene Middleweek, the Labour candidate, rather than the Conservative Nicholas Budgen.[4]:709–10 Powell did not stay up on election night to watch the results on television and when on 1 March Powell picked up his copy of The Times from his letterbox and saw the headline "Mr Heath's general election gamble fails", he reacted by singing the Te Deum. He later said: "I had had my revenge on the man who had destroyed the self-government of the United Kingdom".[4]:710–1 The election result was a "hung parliament". Although the Tories had won the most votes, Labour finished five seats ahead of the Conservatives. The national swing to Labour was 1%; 4% in Powell's heartland, the West Midlands conurbation; and 16% in his old constituency (although Budgen won the seat).[4]:712 According to Telegraph journalist Simon Heffer, both Powell and Heath believed that Powell was responsible for the Conservatives' losing the election.[4]:712
Ulster Unionist Party[link]
In a sudden general election in October 1974, Powell returned to Parliament as Ulster Unionist MP for South Down, having rejected an offer to stand as a candidate for the National Front. He repeated his call to vote Labour due to their policy on the EEC.[4]:732–3
Since 1968, Powell had been an increasingly frequent visitor to Northern Ireland, and in keeping with his general British nationalist viewpoint, he sided strongly with the Ulster Unionists in their desire to remain a constituent part of the United Kingdom. From early 1971, he opposed, with increasing vehemence, Heath's approach to Northern Ireland, the greatest breach with his party coming over the imposition of direct rule in 1972. He strongly believed that it would survive only if the Unionists strove to integrate completely with the United Kingdom by abandoning devolved rule in Northern Ireland. He refused to join the Orange Institution, the first Ulster Unionist MP at Westminster never to be a member (and, to date, only one of three, the others being Ken Maginnis and Sylvia Hermon), and he was an outspoken opponent of the more extremist Unionism espoused by the Reverend Ian Paisley and his supporters.
In the aftermath of the Birmingham pub bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) on 21 November 1974, the government passed the Prevention of Terrorism Act. During its second reading, Powell warned of passing legislation "in haste and under the immediate pressure of indignation on matters which touch the fundamental liberties of the subject; for both haste and anger are ill counsellors, especially when one is legislating for the rights of the subject". He said terrorism was a form of warfare that could not be prevented by laws and punishments but by the aggressor's certainty that the war was impossible to win.[4]:742
When Heath called a leadership election at the end of 1974, Powell claimed they would have to find someone who was not a member of the Cabinet that "without a single resignation or public dissent, not merely swallowed but advocated every single reversal of election pledge or party principle".[4]:745 During February 1975, after winning the leadership election, Margaret Thatcher refused to offer Powell a Shadow Cabinet place because "he turned his back on his own people" by leaving the Conservative Party exactly 12 months earlier and telling the electorate to vote Labour. Powell replied she was correct to exclude him: "In the first place I am not a member of the Conservative Party and secondly, until the Conservative Party has worked its passage a very long way it will not be rejoining me".[4]:747 Powell also attributed Thatcher's success to luck, saying that she was faced with "supremely unattractive opponents at the time".[28]
During the 1975 referendum on British membership of the EEC, Powell campaigned for a 'No' vote. However, the electorate voted 'Yes' by a margin of more than two to one. Powell was the second most prominent supporter of the 'No' camp, after Tony Benn.[29]
On 23 March 1977, in a vote of confidence against the minority Labour government, Powell, along with a few other Ulster Unionists, abstained. The government won by 322 votes to 298, and remained in power for another two years.
Powell claimed that the only way to stop the PIRA was for Northern Ireland to be an integral part of the United Kingdom, treated the same as any other of its constituent parts. He claimed the ambiguous nature of the province's status, with its own parliament and prime minister, gave hope to the PIRA that it could be detached from the rest of the UK:
Every word or act which holds out the prospect that their unity with the rest of the United Kingdom might be negotiable is itself, consciously or unconsciously, a contributory cause to the continuation of violence in Northern Ireland.[4]:543
Nonetheless, in the 1987 general election that he lost, Powell campaigned in Bangor for James Kilfedder, the devolutionist North Down Popular Unionist Party MP and against Robert McCartney, who was standing as a Real Unionist on a policy of integration and equal citizenship for Northern Ireland.[30]
In Powell's later career as an Ulster Unionist MP he continued to criticise the United States and claimed that the Americans were trying to persuade the British to surrender Northern Ireland into an all-Irish state because the condition for Irish membership of NATO, Powell claimed, was Northern Ireland. The Americans wanted to close the 'yawning gap' in NATO defence that was the southern Irish coast to northern Spain. Powell had a copy of a State Department Policy Statement[31] from 15 August 1950, in which the American government said that the "agitation" caused by partition in Ireland "lessens the usefulness of Ireland in international organisations and complicates strategic planning for Europe". "It is desirable", the document continued, "that Ireland should be integrated into the defence planning of the North Atlantic area, for its strategic position and present lack of defensive capacity are matters of significance.[4]:635
Though he voted with the Conservatives in a vote of confidence that brought down the Labour government on 28 March, Powell did not welcome the victory of Margaret Thatcher in the May 1979 election. "Grim" was Powell's response when he was asked what he thought of Thatcher's victory, because he believed she would renege like Heath did in 1972. During the election campaign, Thatcher, when questioned, again repeated her vow that there would be no position for Powell in her cabinet if the Conservatives won the forthcoming general election.
After a riot in Bristol in 1980, Powell claimed the media of ignoring similar events in south London and Birmingham and claimed, "Far less than the foreseeable New Commonwealth and Pakistan ethnic proportion would be sufficient to constitute a dominant political force in the United Kingdom able to extract from a government and the main parties terms calculated to render its influence still more impregnable. Far less than this proportion would provide the bases and citadels for urban terrorism, which would in turn reinforce the overt political leverage of simple numbers". He attacked "the false nostrums and promises of those who apparently monopolise the channels of communication. Who then is likely to listen, let alone to respond, to the proof that nothing short of major movements of population can shift the lines along which we are being carried towards disaster?"[32]
In 1980, Powell described the boycott of the Moscow Olympics, following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, as 'pathetic to the point of farce'.[33] In the 1980s Powell began espousing the policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament. In a debate on the nuclear deterrent on 3 March 1981. Powell claimed that the debate was now more political than military; that Britain did not possess an independent deterrent and that through NATO Britain was tied to the nuclear deterrence theory of the United States.[4]:843 In the debate on the address shortly after the general election of 1983, Powell picked up on Thatcher's willingness, when asked, to use nuclear weapons as a "last resort". Powell presented a scenario of what he thought the last resort would be, namely that the Soviet Union would be ready to invade Britain and had used a nuclear weapon on somewhere such as Rockall to demonstrate their willingness to use it:
What would the United Kingdom do? Would it discharge Polaris, Trident or whatever against the main centres of population of the Continent of Europe or in European Russia? If so, what would be the consequence? The consequence would not be that we should survive, that we should repel our antagonist-–nor would it be that we should escape defeat. The consequence would be that we would make certain, as far as is humanly possible, the virtual destruction and elimination of the hope of the future in these islands.... I would much sooner that the power to use it was not in the hands of any individual in this country at all.[4]:876–7
Powell went on to say that if the Soviet invasion had already begun and Britain resorted to a retaliatory strike the results would be the same, "We should be condemning, not merely to death, but as near as may be the non-existence of our population". To Powell, an invasion would take place with or without Britain's nuclear weapons and therefore there was no point in retaining them. He said that after years of consideration, he had come to the conclusion that there were no "rational grounds on which the deformation of our defence preparations in the United Kingdom by our determination to maintain a current independent nuclear deterrent can be justified".[4]:877
On 28 March 1981 Powell gave a speech to Ashton-under-Lyne Young Conservatives where he attacked the "conspiracy of silence" between the government and the opposition over the prospective growth through births of the immigration population and added, "'We have seen nothing yet' is a phrase that we could with advantage repeat to ourselves whenever we try to form a picture of that future". He also criticised those who believed it was "too late to do anything" and that "there lies the certainty of violence on a scale which can only adequately be described as civil war".[34] He also said that the solution was "a reduction in prospective numbers as would represent re-emigration hardly less massive than the immigration which occurred in the first place". The Shadow Home Secretary, Labour MP Roy Hattersley, criticised Powell for using "Munich beer-hall language".[4]:845 Then on 11 April, was a riot in Brixton and when on 13 April Thatcher was quoted Powell's remark that "We have seen nothing yet" by an interviewer she replied: "I heard him say that and I thought it was a very very alarming remark. And I hope with all my heart that it isn't true".[4]:845
In July,, a riot took place in Toxteth, Liverpool. On 16 July, Powell gave a speech in the Commons in which he said the riots could not be understood unless one takes into consideration the fact that in some large cities between a quarter and a half of those under 25 were immigrant or descended from immigrants. He read out a letter he had received from a member of the public about immigration which included the line: "As they continue to multiply and as we can't retreat further there must be conflict". A Labour MP Martin Flannery intervened, saying Powell was making "a National Front speech". Powell predicted "inner London becoming ungovernable or violence which could only effectively be described as civil war" and Flannery intervened again to ask what Powell knew about inner cities.
He replied: "I was a Member for Wolverhampton for a quarter of a century. What I saw in those early years of the development of this problem in Wolverhampton has made it impossible for me ever to dissociate myself from this gigantic and tragic problem". He also criticised the view that the causes of the riots were economic: "Are we seriously saying that so long as there is poverty, unemployment and deprivation our cities will be torn to pieces, that the police in them will be the objects of attack and that we shall destroy our own environment? Of course not". Dame Judith Hart attacked his speech as "an evil incitement to riot". Powell replied: "I am within the judgment of the House, as I am within the judgment of the people of this country, and I am content to stand before either tribunal".[4]:846
After the Scarman Report on the riots was published, Powell gave a speech on 10 December in the Commons. Powell disagreed with Scarman when he said that the black community was alienated because it was economically disadvantaged: the black community was alienated because it was alien. He claimed tensions would worsen because the nonwhite population was growing: whereas in Lambeth it was 25%, of those of secondary school age it was 40%. Powell said that the government should be honest to the people by telling them in thirty years' time, the black population of Lambeth would have doubled in size.[4]:851
John Casey records an exchange between Powell and Thatcher during a meeting of the Conservative Philosophy Group:
Edward Norman (then Dean of Peterhouse) had attempted to mount a Christian argument for nuclear weapons. The discussion moved on to 'Western values'. Mrs Thatcher said (in effect) that Norman had shown that the Bomb was necessary for the defence of our values. Powell: 'No, we do not fight for values. I would fight for this country even if it had a communist government.' Thatcher (it was just before the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands): ‘Nonsense, Enoch. If I send British troops abroad, it will be to defend our values.' 'No, Prime Minister, values exist in a transcendental realm, beyond space and time. They can neither be fought for, nor destroyed.' Mrs Thatcher looked utterly baffled. She had just been presented with the difference between Toryism and American Republicanism.[35]
When Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in April 1982, Powell was given secret briefings on Privy Councillor terms on behalf of his party. On 3 April, Powell said in the Commons that the time for inquests on the government's failure to protect the Falkland Islands would come later and that although it was right to put the issue before the United Nations, Britain should not wait upon that organisation to deliberate but use forceful action now. He then turned to face Thatcher: "The Prime Minister, shortly after she came into office, received a sobriquet as the "Iron Lady". It arose in the context of remarks which she made about defence against the Soviet Union and its allies; but there was no reason to suppose that the right hon. Lady did not welcome and, indeed, take pride in that description. In the next week or two this House, the nation and the right hon. Lady herself will learn of what metal she is made".[36] According to Thatcher's friends this had a "devastating impact" on her and encouraged her resolve.[4]:856
On 14 April, in the Commons, Powell claimed "it is difficult to fault the military and especially the naval measures which the Government have taken". He added: "We are in some danger of resting our position too exclusively upon the existence, the nature and the wishes of the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands... if the population of the Falkland Islands did not desire to be British, the principle that the Queen wishes no unwilling subjects would long ago have prevailed; but we should create great difficulties for ourselves in other contexts, as well as in this context, if we rested our action purely and exclusively on the notion of restoring tolerable, acceptable conditions and self-determination to our fellow Britons on the Falkland Islands.... I do not think that we need be too nice about saying that we defend our territory as well as our people. There is nothing irrational, nothing to be ashamed of, in doing that. Indeed, it is impossible in the last resort to distinguish between the defence of territory and the defence of people".
Powell also criticised the United Nations Security Council's resolution calling for a "peaceful solution". He said whilst he wanted a peaceful solution, the resolution's meaning "seems to be of a negotiated settlement or compromise between two incompatible positions-—between the position which exists in international law, that the Falkland Islands and their dependencies are British sovereign territory and some other position altogether... It cannot be meant that one country has only to seize the territory of another country for the nations of the world to say that some middle position must be found.... If that were the meaning of the resolution of the Security Council, the charter of the United Nations would not be a charter of peace; it would be a pirates' charter. It would mean that any claim anywhere in the world had only to be pursued by force, and points would immediately be gained and a bargaining position established by the aggressor".[37]
On 28 April, Powell spoke in the Commons against the Northern Ireland Secretary's (Jim Prior) plans for devolution to a power-sharing assembly in Northern Ireland: "We assured the people of the Falkland Islands that there should be no change in their status without their agreement. Yet at the very same time that those assurances were being repeated, the actions of the Government and their representatives elsewhere were belying or contradicting those assurances and showing that part at any rate of the Government was looking to a very different outcome that could not be approved by the people of the islands. Essentially, exactly the same has happened over the years to Northern Ireland". He further claimed that power-sharing was a negation of democracy.[38]
The next day Powell, disagreed with the Labour Party leader Michael Foot's claim that the British government was acting under the authority of the United Nations: "The right of self-defence—-to repel aggression and to expel an invader from one's territory and one's people whom he has occupied and taken captive-—is, as the Government have said, an inherent right. It is one which existed before the United Nations was dreamt of".[39]
On 13 May Powell, said the task force was sent "to repossess the Falkland Islands, to restore British administration of the islands and to ensure that the decisive factor in the future of the islands should be the wishes of the inhabitants" but the Foreign Secretary (Francis Pym) desired an "interim agreement": "So far as I understand that interim agreement, it is in breach, if not in contradiction, of each of the three objects with which the task force was dispatched to the South Atlantic. There was to be a complete and supervised withdrawal of Argentine forces... matched by corresponding withdrawal of British forces. There is no withdrawal of British force that 'corresponds' to the withdrawal from the territory of the islands of those who have unlawfully occupied them. We have a right to be there; those are our waters, the territory is ours and we have the right to sail the oceans with our fleets whenever we think fit. So the whole notion of a 'corresponding withdrawal', a withdrawal of the only force which can possibly restore the position, which can possibly ensure any of the objectives which have been talked about on either side of the House, is in contradiction of the determination to repossess the Falklands".[40]
After British forces successfully recaptured the Falklands, Powell asked Thatcher in the Commons on 17 June, recalling his statement to her of 3 April: "Is the right hon. Lady aware that the report has now been received from the public analyst on a certain substance recently subjected to analysis and that I have obtained a copy of the report? It shows that the substance under test consisted of ferrous matter of the highest quality, that it is of exceptional tensile strength, is highly resistant to wear and tear and to stress, and may be used with advantage for all national purposes?" She replied, "I think that I am very grateful indeed to the right hon. Gentleman. I agree with every word that he said".[41] Their mutual friend Ian Gow printed and framed this and the original question and presented it to Thatcher, who hung it in her office.[4]:861
Powell wrote an article for The Times on 29 June, in which he said: "The Falklands have brought to he surface of the British mind our latent perception of ourselves as a sea animal.... No assault on a landward possession would have evoked the same automatic defiance, tinged with a touch of that self sufficiency which belongs to all nations". The United States' response was "very different but just as deep an instinctual reaction... the United States have an almost neurotic sense of vulnerability... its two coastlines, its two theatres, its two navies are separated by the entire length of the New World... she lives with... the nightmare of having one day to fight a decisive sea battle without the benefit of concentration, the perpetual spectre of naval 'war on two fronts'." Powell added: "The Panama Canal from 1914 onwards could never quite exorcise the spectre.... It was the position of the Falkland Islands in relation to that route which gave and gives them their significance—-for the United States above all. The British people have become uneasily aware that their American allies would prefer the Falkland Islands to pass out of Britain's possession into hands which, if not wholly American, might be amenable to American control. In fact, the American struggle to wrest the islands from Britain has only commenced in earnest now that the fighting is over". Powell then said there was "the Hispanic factor": "If we could gather together all the anxieties for the future which in Britain cluster around race relations... and then attribute them, translated into Hispanic terms, to the Americans, we would have something of the phobias which haunt the United States and addressed itself to the aftermath of the Falklands campaign".[42]
Writing in The Guardian on 18 October, Powell asserted that due to the Falklands War, "Britain no longer looked upon itself and the world through American spectacles" and the view was "more rational; and it was more congenial; for, after all, it was our own view". He quoted an observation that Americans thought their country was "a unique society... where God has put together all nationalities, races and interests of the globe for one purpose-–to show the rest of the world how to live". He denounced the "manic exaltation of the American illusion" and compared it to the "American nightmare". Powell also disliked the American belief that "they are authorised, possibly by the deity, to intervene, openly or covertly, in the internal affairs of other countries anywhere in the world". Britain should dissociate herself from American intervention in the Lebanon: "It is not in Britain's self-interest alone that Britain should once again assert her own position. A world in which the American myth and the American nightmare go unchallenged by question or by contradiction is not a world as safe or as peaceable as human reason, prudence and realism can make it".[4]:861–2
Speaking to the Aldershot and North Hants Conservative Association on 4 February 1983, Powell blamed the United Nations for the Falklands War by the General Assembly resolution of December 1967 that stated "its gratitude for the continuous efforts made by the Government of Argentina to facilitate the process of decolonisation" and further called on Britain and Argentina to negotiate. Powell said that "it would be difficult to imagine a more cynically wicked or criminally absurd or insultingly provocative action". As 102 had voted for this resolution, with only Britain voting against it (with 32 abstentions), he claimed it was not surprising that Argentina had continually threatened Britain until this threatening turned into aggression: "It is with the United Nations that the guilt lies for the breach of the peace and the bloodshed". The UN knew that no international forum had ruled against British possession of the Falklands but had voted its gratitude to Argentina who wanted to annexe the Islands from their rightful owners. It was therefore "disgraceful" for Britain to belong to such a body that engaged in "pure spite for spite's sake against the United Kingdom": "We were, and are, the victims of our own insincerity. For over thirty years we have sanctimoniously and dishonestly pretended respect, if not awe, for an organisation which all the time we knew was a monstrous and farcical humbug.... The moral is to cease to engage in humbug, which almost all have happily and self-righteously engaged in for a generation".[43]
In an article for the Sunday Telegraph on 3 April Powell expressed his opposition to the Labour Party's manifesto pledge to outlaw fox hunting. He claimed that angling was much crueler and that it was just as logical to ban the boiling of live lobsters or eating live oysters. The ceremonial part of fox hunting was "a side of our national character which is deeply anti-pathetic to the Labour party".[4]:871 In the 1983 general election, Powell had to face a DUP candidate in his constituency and Ian Paisley denounced Powell as "a foreigner and an Anglo-Catholic".[4]:872
On 31 May Powell gave a speech at Downpatrick against nuclear weapons. Powell claimed that war could not banished because "War is implicit in the human condition". The "true case against the nuclear weapon is the nightmarish unreality and criminal levity of the grounds upon which its acquisition and multiplication are advocated and defended". Thatcher had claimed nuclear weapons were our defence "of last resort". Powell said he supposed this to mean "that the Soviet Union, which seems always to be assumed to be the enemy in question, proved so victorious in a war of aggression in Europe as to stand upon the verge of invading these islands.... Suppose further, because this is necessary to the alleged case for our nuclear weapon as the defence of last resort, that, as in 1940, the United States was standing aloof from the contest but that, in contrast with 1940, Britain and the Warsaw Pact respectively possessed the nuclear weaponry which they do today. Such must surely be the sort of scene in which the Prime Minister is asserting that Britain would be saved by possession of her present nuclear armament. I can only say: 'One must be mad to think it'." Powell pointed out that Britain's nuclear weaponry "is negligible in comparison with that of Russia: if we could destroy 16 Russian cities she could destroy practically every vestige of life on these islands several times over. For us to use the weapon would therefore be equivalent to more than suicide: it would be genocide-–the extinction of our race--in the literal and precise meaning of that much abused expression. Would anybody in their senses contemplate that this ought to be our choice or would be our choice?"
Powell further stated that the continental nations held the nuclear weapon in such esteem that they had conventional forces "manifestly inadequate to impose more than brief delay upon an assault from the East. The theory of nuclear deterrence states that, should Warsaw Pact forces score substantial military successes or make substantial advances this side of the Iron Curtain, the United States would initiate the suicidal duel of strategic nuclear exchanges with the Soviet Union. One can only greet this idea with an even more emphatic 'One must be mad to think of it'. That a nation staring ultimate military defeat in the face would choose self-extermination is unbelievable enough; but that the United States, separated from Europe by the Atlantic Ocean, would regard the loss of the first pawn in the long game as necessitating hara kari is not describable by the ordinary resources of language". The reason why governments, including in the US, supported nuclear weapons was that "enormous economic and financial interests are vested in the continuation and elaboration of nuclear armaments. I believe, however, that the crucial explanation lies in another direction: the nuclear hypothesis provides governments with an excuse for not doing what they have no intention of doing anyhow, but for reasons which they find it inconvenient to specify".[44]
On 2 June, Powell spoke against the stationing of American Cruise missiles in Britain and claimed the United States had an obsessive sense of mission and a hallucinatory view of international relations: "The American nation, as we have watched their proceedings during these last 25 years, will not, when another Atlantic crisis, another Middle East crisis or another European crisis comes, wait upon the deliberations of the British Cabinet, whose point of view and appreciation of the situation will be so different from their own".[45]
In 1983, his local agent was Jeffrey Donaldson, later an Ulster Unionist MP before defecting to the DUP.
In 1984, Powell claimed that the Central Intelligence Agency had murdered Earl Mountbatten of Burma and that the deaths of the MPs Airey Neave and Robert Bradford were carried out by the USA in order to stop Neave's policy of integration for Northern Ireland.[4]:881 Then, in 1986, he again argued that Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) had not killed Neave but that "MI6 and their friends" were responsible instead, claiming to have been told so by Royal Ulster Constabulary officers.[4]:906 Margaret Thatcher however, rejected and dismissed these claims.
In autumn 1985, riots broke out in London and Birmingham, and Powell repeated his belief that civil war would be the result of immigration and called for massive repatriation. Hattersley in response called him "the Alf Garnett of British politics". At a meeting of the Monday Club Powell said when someone compared him to Garnett, "Garnett, Alf Garnett? Who's he? One of the new ministers?"[4]:893
Powell later came into conflict with Thatcher during November 1985 because of her support for the Anglo-Irish Agreement. On the day it was signed, 14 November, Powell asked her in the Commons: "Does the right hon. Lady understand—-if she does not yet understand she soon will—-that the penalty for treachery is to fall into public contempt?" Thatcher replied that she found his remarks "deeply offensive".[46]
Along with other Unionist MPs, Powell resigned his seat in protest and then regaining it at the ensuing by-election.
In 1987 Thatcher, visited the Soviet Union, which signified to Powell a "radical transformation which is in progress in both the foreign policy and the defence policy of the United Kingdom".[47] In a speech in the Commons on 7 April, Powell claimed the nuclear hypothesis had been shaken by two events. The first was the Strategic Defense Initiative or "Star Wars": "Star wars raised the terrible prospect that there might be an effective means of neutralising the inter-continental ballistic missile, whereby the two great giants who held what had become to be seen as the balance of terror would contract out of the game altogether: the deterrent would be switched off by the invulnerability of the two providers of the mutual terror".
America's "European allies were brought along to acquiesce in the United States engaging in the rational activity of discovering whether there was after all some defence against nuclear attack... by the apparent assurance obtained from the United States that it was only engaged in experiment and research, and that, if there were any danger of effective protection being devised, of course the United States would not avail itself of that protection without the agreement of its European allies. That was the first recent event which shook to its foundations the nuclear deterrent with which we had lived these last 30 years". The second event was Mikhail Gorbachev's offer of both the Soviet Union and the United States agreeing to abolish intermediate ballistic missiles. Powell said that Thatcher's "most significant point was when she went on to say that we must aim at a conventional forces balance. So, after all our journeys of the last 30 or 40 years, the disappearance of the intermediate range ballistic missile revived the old question of the supposed conventional imbalance between the Russian alliance and the North Atlantic Alliance".
Powell further claimed that even if nuclear weapons had not existed, the Russians would still not have invaded Western Europe: "What has prevented that from happening was... the fact that the Soviet Union knew... that such an action on its part would have led to a third world war-—a long war, bitterly fought, a war which in the end the Soviet Union would have been likely to lose on the same basis and in the same way as the corresponding war was lost by Napoleon, by the Emperor Wilhelm and by Adolf Hitler. It was that fear, that caution, that understanding, that perception on the part of Russia and its leaders that was the real deterrent against Russia committing the utterly irrational and suicidal act of plunging into a third world war in which the Soviet Union would be likely to find itself confronting a combination of the greatest industrial and economic powers in the world".
Powell said, "In the minds of the Russians the inevitable commitment of the United States in such a war would have come not directly or necessarily from the stationing of American marines in Germany, but, as it came in the previous two struggles, from the ultimate involvement of the United States in any war determining the future of Europe". Thatcher's belief in the nuclear hypothesis "in the context of the use of American bases in Britain to launch an aggressive attack on Libya, that it was 'inconceivable' that we could have refused a demand placed upon this country by the United States. The Prime Minister supplied the reason why: she said it was because we depend for our liberty and freedom upon the United States. Once let the nuclear hypothesis be questioned or destroyed, once allow it to break down, and from that moment the American imperative in this country's policies disappears with it".[48]
At the start of 1987 general election, Powell claimed the Conservatives' prospects did not look good: "I have the feeling of 1945".[4]:909 During the final weekend of the election campaign Powell gave a speech in London reiterating his opposition to the nuclear hypothesis, calling it "barmy", and advocating a vote for the Labour Party, which had unilateral nuclear disarmament as a policy. He claimed that Chernobyl had strengthened "a growing impulse to escape from the nightmare of peace being dependent upon the contemplation of horrific and mutual carnage. Events have now so developed that this aspiration can at last be rationally, logically and–-I dare to add-–patriotically seized by the people of the United Kingdom if they will use their votes to do so".[9]:496
However, Powell lost his seat in the election by 731 votes to the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Eddie McGrady, mainly due to demographic and boundary changes that resulted in there being many more Irish Nationalists in the constituency than before. Ironically, the boundary changes had arisen due to his own campaign for the number of MPs representing Northern Ireland to be increased to the equivalent proportion for the rest of the United Kingdom, as part of the steps towards greater integration. McGrady paid tribute to Powell, recognising the respect he was held by both Unionists and Nationalists in the constituency. Powell said, "For the rest of my life when I look back on the 13 years I shall be filled with affection for the Province and its people, and their fortunes will never be out of my heart". He received a warm ovation from the mostly Nationalist audience and as he walked off the platform, he said the words Edmund Burke used on the death of candidate Richard Coombe: "What shadows we are, what shadows we pursue". When a BBC reporter asked Powell to explain his defeat, he replied: "My opponent polled more votes than me".[4]:911
He was offered a life peerage, which was regarded as his right as a former cabinet minister but declined it. He argued that, as he had opposed the Life Peerages Act 1958, it would be hypocritical for him to take one, but even if he was willing to accept a hereditary peerage (which would have been extinct upon his death as he had no male heir), Thatcher was unwilling to court the controversy that might have arisen as a result.
Post-parliamentary life[link]
He was critical of the Special Air Service (SAS) shootings of three unarmed IRA members in Gibraltar in March 1988.[4]:918
Powell claimed in an article for The Guardian on 7 December 1988 that the new Western-friendly foreign policy of Russia under Mikhail Gorbachev heralded "the death and burial of the American empire". Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany had decided to visit Moscow to negotiate German reunification, signalling to Powell that the last gasp of American power in Europe to be replaced by a new balance of power not resting on military force but on the "recognition of the restraints which the ultimate certainty of failure places upon the ambitions of the respective national states.[4]:922 In an interview for the Sunday People the same month, he claimed the Conservative Party was "rejoining Enoch" on the European Community but repeated his warning of civil war as the consequence of immigration: "I still cannot forsee how a country can be peaceably governed in which the composition of the population is progressively going to change. I am talking about violence on a scale which can only be described as civil war. I cannot see there can be any other outcome". It would not be a race war but "about people who revolt against being trapped in a situation where they feel at the mercy of a built-in racial majority, whatever its colour" and claimed that the government had made contingency plans for such an event. The solution he claimed was repatriation on a large scale and the cost of doing this in welfare payments and pensions was well worth paying.[4]:922
In spring 1989, he made a programme (broadcast in July) on his visit to Russia and his impressions on that country. The BBC originally wanted him to do a programme on India but the Indian high commission in London refused him a visa. When he visited Russia, Powell went to the graves of 600,000 people who died during the siege of Leningrad and saying that he could not believe a people who had suffered so much would willingly start another war. He also went to a veterans' parade (wearing his own medals) and talked with Russian soldiers with the aid of an interpreter. However, the programme was criticised by those who believed that Powell had dismissed the Soviet Union's threat to the West since 1945 and that he had been too impressed with Russia's sense of national identity.[4]:925 When German reunification was on the agenda in summer 1989, Powell claimed that Britain urgently needed to create an alliance with the Soviet Union in view of Germany's effect on the balance of power in Europe.[4]:925
After Thatcher's Bruges speech[49] in September 1988 and her increasing hostility to a European currency in the last years of her premiership, Powell made many speeches publicly supporting her attitude to Europe. When Heath attacked Thatcher's speech in May 1989 Powell called him "the old virtuoso of the U-turn".[4]:925 When inflation crept up that year, he condemned the Chancellor Nigel Lawson's policy of printing money so sterling would shadow the German deutschmark and said that it was for the UK to join the European Monetary System.[4]:926
In early September 1989, a collection of Powell's speeches on Europe was published titled Enoch Powell on 1992 (1992 being the year set for the creation of the Single Market by the Single European Act of 1986). In a speech at Chatham House for the launch of the book on 6 September, he advised Thatcher to fight the next general election on a nationalist theme as many Eastern European nations previously under Russian rule were gaining their freedom.[4]:927 At the Conservative Party conference in October, he told a fringe meeting, "I find myself today less on the fringe of that party than I have done for 20 years".[4]:927 After Thatcher resisted further European integration at a meeting at Strasbourg in November Powell asked her parliamentary private secretary Mark Lennox-Boyd to pass to her "my respectful congratulations on her stand... she both spoke for Britain and gave a lead to Europe–-in the line of succession of Winston Churchill and William Pitt. Those who lead are always out in front, alone". Thatcher replied, "I am deeply touched by your words. They give me the greatest possible encouragement".[4]:927
On 5 January 1990, addressing Conservatives in Liverpool, Powell claimed that if the Conservatives played the "British card" at the next general election, they could win; the new mood in Britain for "self-determination" had given the newly independent nations of Eastern Europe a "beacon", adding that Britain should stand alone, if necessary, for European freedom, adding: "We are taunted–-by the French, by the Italians, by the Spaniards -–for refusing to worship at the shrine of a common government superimposed upon them all... where were the European unity merchants in 1940? I will tell you. They were either writhing under a hideous oppression or they were aiding and abetting that oppression. Lucky for Europe that Britain was alone in 1940".
The Conservative Party would have to, preferably at the next election, ask: "Do you intend still to control the laws which you obey, the taxes you pay and the policies of your government?"[4]:928 Five days after this speech, in an interview for The Daily Telegraph, Thatcher praised Powell: "I have always read Enoch Powell's speeches and articles very carefully.... I always think it was a tragedy that he left. He is a very, very able politician. I say that even though he has sometimes said vitriolic things against me".[4]:928 On the day of the Mid-Staffordshire by-election, Powell claimed that the government should admit that the community charge was "a disaster" and that what mattered most to the people of Mid-Staffordshire was the question of who should govern Britain and that only the Conservative Party was advocating that the British should govern themselves. Thatcher had been labelled "dictatorial" for wanting to "go it alone" in Europe: "Well, I do not mind somebody being dictatorial in defending my own rights and those of my fellow countrymen... lose self-government, and I have lost everything, and for good". This was the first election since 1970 that Powell was advocating a vote for the Conservative Party.[4]:929 However, the Labour Party won the seat from the Conservative Party, mainly because of the community charge.
After Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990, Powell claimed that since Britain was not an ally of Kuwait in the "formal sense" and because the balance of power in the Middle East had ceased to be a British concern after the end of the British Empire, Britain should not go to war. Powell claimed that "Saddam Hussein has a long way to go yet before his troops come storming up the beaches of Kent or Sussex". On 21 October, he wrote, "The world is full of evil men engaged in doing evil things. That does not make us policemen to round them up nor judges to find them guilty and to sentence them. What is so special about the ruler of Iraq that we suddenly discover that we are to be his jailers and his judges?... we as a nation have no interest in the existence or non-existence of Kuwait or, for that matter, Saudi Arabia as an independent state. I sometimes wonder if, when we shed our power, we omitted to shed our arrogance".[4]:933
When Thatcher was challenged by Michael Heseltine for the leadership of the Conservative Party during November 1990, Powell said he would rejoin the party, which he had left in February 1974 over the issue of Europe, if Thatcher won, and would urge the public to support both her and, in Powell's view, national independence. He wrote to one of Thatcher's supporters, Norman Tebbit, on 16 November telling, him Thatcher was entitled to use his name and his support in any way she saw fit. Since she resigned on 22 November, Powell never rejoined the Conservatives. Powell wrote the following Sunday: "Good news is seldom so good, nor bad news so bad, as at first sight it appears".
Her downfall was due to having so few like-minded people on European integration amongst her colleagues and that as she had adopted a line that would improve her party's popularity, it was foolish of them to force her out. However he added, "The battle has been lost, but not the war. The fact abides that, outside the magic circle at the top, a deep rooted opposition has been disclosed in Britain to surrendering to others the right to make our laws, fix our taxes, or decide our policies. Running deep beneath the overlay of years of indifference is still the attachment of the British public to their tradition of democracy. Their resentment on learning that their own decisions can be overruled from outside remains as obstinate as ever". Thatcher had relit the flame of independence and "what has happened once can happen again... sooner or later those who aspire to govern... will have to listen".[4]:934
In December 1991, Powell claimed that "Whether Yugoslavia dissolves into two states or half a dozen states or does not dissolve at all makes no difference to the safety and well being of the United Kingdom". Britain's national interests determined that the country should have "a foreign policy which befits the sole insular and oceanic state in Europe".[4]:936 During the 1992 general election Powell spoke for Nicholas Budgen in his old seat of Wolverhampton South West UK Parliament constituency. He praised Budgen for his opposition to the Maastricht Treaty and condemned the rest of the Conservative Party for supporting it.[4]:936–7
Later life and death[link]
In the autumn of 1992, at 80, Powell was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In 1994, he published The Evolution of the Gospel, A New Translation of the First Gospel with Commentary and Introductory Essay. On 5 November, the European printed an article by Powell in which he said he did not expect the European Communities Act 1972 to be amended or repealed but added, "Still, something has happened. There has been an explosion. Politicians, political parties, the public itself have looked into the abyss... the British people, somehow or other, will not be parted from their right to govern themselves in parliament".[4]:939 The next year, twenty-fifth anniversary of Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech, Powell wrote an article for The Times, in which he claimed the concentration of immigrant communities in inner cities would lead to "communalism", which would have grave effects on the electoral system: "communalism and democracy, as the experience of India demonstrates, are incompatible". In May he spoke for Alan Sked of the Anti-Federalist League (the forerunner of the United Kingdom Independence Party) who was standing at the Newbury by-election. Sked went on to lose his deposit in the by-election, polling only 601 votes (1.0%). At Michael Portillo's fortieth birthday party the same month, Thatcher greeted him enthusiastically and asked him: "Enoch, I haven't seen you since your eightieth-birthday dinner. How are you?" Powell replied, "I'm eighty-one". Powell's opinion of Thatcher had declined after she endorsed John Major at the 1992 election, which he believed to be a repudiation of her fight against European integration after the Bruges speech.[4]:939–40
On 16 May 1994, Powell spoke at the Bruges Group and said Europe had "destroyed one Prime Minister and will destroy another Prime Minister yet" and demanded powers surrendered to the European Court of Justice to be repatriated. In June, he wrote an article for the Daily Mail, where he stated that "Britain is waking from the nightmare of being part of the continental bloc, to rediscover that these offshore islands belong to the outside world and lie open to its oceans". Innovations in contemporary society did not worry him: "When exploration has run its course, we shall revert to the normal type of living to which nature and instinct predispose us. the decline will not have been permanent. The deterioration will not have been irreversible".[4]:943
After his death, Powell's friend Richard Ritchie recorded in 1998 that "during one of the habitual coal crises of recent years he told me that he had no objection to supporting the coal industry, either through the restriction of cheap coal imports or subsidy, if it were the country's wish to preserve local coal communities".[50]
In April 1995, he claimed in an interview that for the Conservatives "defeat [at the next election] would help. It helps one to change one's tune". The party was just "slithering around". The same month, he took part at a debate on Europe at the Cambridge Union and won.
In July 1995 was a leadership election for the Conservative Party, in which Major resigned as leader of the party and stood in the election. Powell wrote, "He says to the Sovereign: I no longer am leader of the majority party in the House of Commons; but I am carrying on as your Prime Minister. Now I don't think anybody can say that-–at least without inflicting damage on the constitution". To seek to offer advice to the Queen whilst unable to feel they could command a majority in the Commons was "tantamount to treating the monarch herself with disrespect and denying the very principle in which our parliamentary democracy is founded". After Major's challenger, John Redwood, was defeated, Powell wrote to him, "Dear Redwood, you will never regret the events of the last week or two. Patience will evidently have to be exercised–and patience is the greatest of the political virtues-–by those of us who want to keep Britain independent and self-governed".[4]:945–6
During the final years of his life, he managed occasional pieces of journalism and co-operated in a BBC documentary about his life in 1995 (Odd Man Out was broadcast on 11 November). In April 1996, he wrote an article for the Daily Express where he said: "Those who consented to the surrender made in 1972 will have to think again. Thinking again means that activity most unthinkable for politicians–-unsaying what has been said. The surrender... we have made is not irrevocable. Parliament still has the power (thank God) to reclaim what has been surrendered by treaty. It is time we told the other European nations what we mean by being self-governed".[4]:948–9 In October, he gave his last interview, to Matthew d'Ancona in the Sunday Telegraph.
He said: "I have lived into an age in which my ideas are now part of common intuition, part of a common fashion. It has been a great experience, having given up so much to find that there is now this range of opinion in all classes, that an agreement with the EEC is totally incompatible with normal parliamentary government.... The nation has returned to haunt us".[4]:949 When Labour won the 1997 general election, Powell told his wife, Pamela Wilson, "They have voted to break up the United Kingdom", was Powell's reply. She rejoined the Conservative Party the next day, but he did not.[4]:950 By then, Powell had been hospitalised several times as a result of a succession of falls.
Powell began but did not complete work on a study of the Gospel of John. It was unfinished at the time of his death, aged 85, at 4:30 a.m., on 8 February 1998 at the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers in the City of Westminster, London. Powell's final words were a few hours after being admitted to hospital, he asked where his lunch was. On being told that he was being fed intravenously, he remarked, "I don't call that much of a lunch".
Dressed in his brigadier's uniform, Enoch Powell was buried in his regiment's plot in Warwick Cemetery, Warwickshire, ten days later, after a family funeral service at Westminster Abbey and a public service at St. Margaret's, Westminster. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.[51]
Personal life[link]
On 2 January 1952, the 39-year-old Powell married 26-year-old Margaret Pamela Wilson, a former colleague from the Conservative Central Office, who provided him with the settled and happy family life that was essential to his political career. They had two daughters, born in January 1954 and October 1956.
Despite his earlier atheism, Powell became a devout member of the Church of England, thinking in 1949 "that he heard the bells of St Peter's Wolverhampton calling him" while walking to his flat in his (then future) constituency.[4]:130 Subsequently, he became a churchwarden of St. Margaret's, Westminster. He spent much of his later life trying to prove, by close textual reading, that Christ had not been crucified but stoned to death.
Powell was reading Ancient Greek by the age of five and learned it from his mother. At the age of 70 he began learning his 12th and final language, Hebrew.
In August 2002, Powell appeared 55th in the List of 100 Greatest Britons of all time (voted for by the public in a BBC nationwide poll).[52]
Powell's rhetorical gifts were also employed, with success, beyond politics. He was a poet of some accomplishment, with four published collections to his name: First Poems; Casting Off; Dancer's End; and The Wedding Gift. His Collected Poems appeared in 1990. He translated Herodotus' Histories and published many other works of classical scholarship. He published a biography of Joseph Chamberlain, which treated the split with William Gladstone over Irish Home Rule in 1886 as the pivotal point of his career, rather than the adoption of tariff reform, and contained the famous line: "All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs". His political publications were often as critical of his own party as they were of Labour, often making fun of what he saw as logical fallacies in reasoning or action. His book Freedom & Reality contained many quotes from Labour party manifestos or by Harold Wilson that he regarded as nonsensical.
Like Tony Benn (a personal friend despite political differences, whose peerage Powell helped to renounce so that Benn remain in the Commons), he was seen by supporters as putting conscience and duty to his constituents before loyalty to his party or the sake of his career.
One young Conservative, during a private meeting at the House of Commons, attempted to express his support for Mr Powell, "Mr Powell, I am a great supporter of your views," he was interrupted by Powell". I do not get letters of support from you, I do not get financial rewards for your support, what is the nature of your support?" he said in his monotone voice. The youth blushed and sat down.[citation needed]
Political beliefs[link]
Main article: Powellism
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The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2010) |
Powell stated, "I have and always will set my face like flint against making any difference between one citizen of this country and another on grounds of his origins".[53] In The Trial of Enoch Powell, a Channel 4 television broadcast in April 1998, on the thirtieth anniversary of his Birmingham speech (and two months after his death), 64% of the studio audience voted that Powell was not a racist. Some in the Church of England took a different view. Upon Powell's death, Wilfred Wood, then Bishop of Croydon, stated, "Enoch Powell gave a certificate of respectability to white racist views which otherwise decent people were ashamed to acknowledge".[54]
Conservative commentator Bruce Anderson has claimed that the "Rivers of Blood" speech would have come as a complete surprise to anyone who had studied his record: he had been a West Midlands MP for 18 years but had said hardly anything about immigration.[55] On this view, the speech was merely part of a badly miscalculated strategy to become party leader if Heath fell. Anderson adds that the speech had no effect on immigration, except to make it more difficult for the subject to be discussed rationally in polite society.[55]
Powell's detractors often assert that he was 'far-right', 'proto-fascist' or 'racist'. His supporters claim that the first two charges clash with his voting record on most social issues, such as homosexual law reform (he was actually a co-sponsor of a bill on this issue in May 1965 and opposed the death penalty, both reforms unpopular among Conservatives at the time, but he kept a low profile to his stance on these non-party "issues of conscience".[5]:318 Powell voted against the reinstitution of the death penalty in 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1987. It was not until the late 1960s that he made speeches on immigration and nationality.
Powell's speeches and TV interviews throughout his political life displayed a suspicion towards "the Establishment" in general, and by the 1980s there was a regular expectation that he would make some sort of speech or act in a way designed to upset the government and ensure he would not be offered a life peerage (and thus be transferred to the House of Lords), which, some believe, had not any intention of accepting so long as Edward Heath sat in the Commons. (Heath remained in the Commons until after Powell's death.) He had opposed the Life Peerages Act and felt it would be hypocritical to accept a life peerage himself since no prime minister ever offered him a hereditary peerage.
Portraits[link]
Enoch Powell sat for sculptor Alan Thornhill for a portrait[56] in clay. The correspondence file relating to the Powell portrait bust is held as part of the Thornhill Papers (2006:56) in the archive[57] of the Henry Moore Foundation's Henry Moore Institute in Leeds and the terracotta remains in the collection of the artist.
There are 24 images of Powell in the National Portrait Gallery Collection including work by Bassano's studios and Anne-Katrin Purkiss[58]
The National Portrait Gallery collection includes a 1971 cartoon by Gerald Scarfe.[59]
Writings[link]
- The Rendel Harris Papyri (1936)
- First Poems (1937)
- A Lexicon to Herodotus (1938)
- The History of Herodotus (1939)
- Casting-off, and other poems (1939)
- Herodotus, Book VIII (1939)
- Llyfr Blegywryd (1942)
- Thucydidis Historia (1942)
- Powell, Enoch (1949) (translation), Herodotus .
- One Nation (1950, jointly)
- Powell, Enoch (1951) (poems), Dancer's End and The Wedding Gift .
- The Social Services, Needs and Means (1952)
- Change is our Ally (1954)
- Powell, Enoch; Maude, Angus (1970) [1955], Biography of a Nation (second ed.), London, ISBN 0-212-98373-3 .
- Great Parliamentary Occasions (1960)
- Saving in a Free Society (1960)
- A Nation not Afraid (1965)
- Powell, Enoch (1976) [1966], Medicine and Politics (revised ed.) .
- Powell, Enoch; Wallis, Keith (1968), The House of Lords in the Middle Ages .
- Powell, Enoch (1999) [1969], Freedom and Reality, Kingswood, ISBN 0-7160-0541-7 (includes the text of the Rivers of Blood speech.)
- Common Market: The Case Against (1971)
- Still to Decide (1972), Kingswood, ISBN 0-7160-0566-2
- Common Market: Renegotiate or Come Out (1973)
- No Easy Answers (1973), London, ISBN 0-85969-001-6
- Wrestling With the Angel (1977), London, ISBN 0-85969-127-6
- Joseph Chamberlain (1977) , London, ISBN 0-500-01185-0
- Powell, Enoch (1978), Ritchie, Richard, ed., A Nation or No Nation, London, ISBN 0-7134-1542-8 .
- Powell, Enoch (1989), Ritchie, Richard, ed., Enoch Powell on 1992, London, ISBN 1-85470-008-1 .
- Powell, Enoch (1991), Collings, Rex, ed., Reflections of a Statesman, London, ISBN 0‐947792‐88‐0 .
- Collected Poems (1990)
- The Evolution of the Gospel (1994)
See also[link]
- Radio Enoch – Antisocialist pirate radio station that took its name from Powell
- Nigel Hastilow
Notes[link]
- ^ Ottawa, The (2008-06-04). "Part 2: Enoch Powell and the "Rivers of Blood"". Canada.com. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=ac315342-4333-4bcf-8916-fe85d7d21746. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- ^ a b Dumbrell, John (2001), A Special Relationship, pp. 34–35, http://books.google.com/books?id=_izz6hzx1wkC&pg=PA35&dq=Enoch+Powell++February+1969++Gallup&cd=2#v=onepage&q=Enoch%20Powell%20%20February%201969%20%20Gallup&f=false, "A Feb 1969 Gallup poll showed Powell the 'most admired person' in British public opinion"
- ^ a b OnTarget, 8, ALOR, http://www.alor.org/Volume8/Vol8No47.htm, retrieved 2011-01-02
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de Heffer, Simon (1998), Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 978-0-297-84286-6
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Roth .
- ^ Pearce, RD (2008), Enoch Powell, London
- ^ "Lead article, Letters", The Times, 10 February 1998, pp. 1, 19
- ^ "Enoch Powell", The Dictionary of British Classicists, 3, 2004
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Shepherd, Robert (1997), Enoch Powell: A Biography, London: Pimlico
- ^ "Desert Island Discs", Radio, The BBC, 19 February 1989
- ^ Craig, FWS (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ DEFENCE HC Deb 16 March 1950 vol 472 cc1264-399 at hansard.millbanksystems.com, accessed 16 November 2011
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Collings, ed. (1991), Reflections of a Statesman: The Writings and Speeches of Enoch Powell, London: Bellew
- ^ "'One per cent not a triviality': Mr. Powell tells of dilemma", The Times, London, 10 January 1958, p. 8
- ^ Stephens, Trent D; Rock Brynner (2001). Dark Remedy: The Impact of Thalidomide and Its Revival As a Vital Medicine. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0‐7382‐0590‐7. http://books.google.com/books?id=9IGyL1Cwy08C.
- ^ Powell, Enoch (1961). "Water Tower Speech". UK: MDX. http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/xPowell.htm. Retrieved 22 November 2007. [dead link]
- ^ Enoch Powell, Freedom and Reality (Eliot Right Way Books, 1969), p. 224.
- ^ "When Labour played the racist card". New Statesman. 1999-01-22. http://www.newstatesman.com/199901220021. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- ^ Alexander, Andrew; Watkins, Alan (1970), The Making of the Prime Minister, London: MacDonald, p. 82
- ^ The Times editorial comment, Monday 22 April 1968.
- ^ Ethnicity, structured inequality, and the state in Canada and the Federal .... Books.google.co.uk. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_Tl6AAAAMAAJ&q=%22In+general+do+you+agree+or+disagree+with+what+Mr.+Powell+said+in+his+speech?%22&dq=%22In+general+do+you+agree+or+disagree+with+what+Mr.+Powell+said+in+his+speech?%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=K6oJT72BFMja8APZycTBAQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- ^ Background, UK: BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/background/pastelec/ge70.shtml
- ^ Simon Heffer's biography, Like The Roman, discusses the pre-publicity on p. 449. Powell is quoted as remarking to Clem Jones, editor of the local newspaper, that his speech was "going to go up 'fizz' like a rocket". The cameras were from ATV, whose news editor had received an early copy.
- ^ Roy Lewis, Enoch Powell: Principle in Politics (Cassell, 1979), p. 69.
- ^ "Not updated: British Conservative Party election manifesto". Politics Resources. UK: Keele. 11 March 2008. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/con70.htm. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ 1974, Express & Star, http://www.expressandstar.com/days/1950-75/1974.html
- ^ (video) YouTube, Google, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGkAou2uqBA
- ^ The Times, London, 13 February 1975.
- ^ David Butler and Uwe Kitzinger, The 1975 Referendum (Macmillan, 1976), p. 178, p. 194.
- ^ Advertisement in Co Down Spectator of 4 June 1987 from South Down Unionists (with photograph of Powell) calling for return of Kilfedder.
- ^ Gleason, S Everett (1950), Aandahl, ed., Foreign relations of the United States, 1950. Western Europe, III, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/FRUS.FRUS1950v03, retrieved 10 August 2009
- ^ The Times (12 July 1980), p. 2.
- ^ Heffer, Simon (18 November 1998), The Daily Mail
- ^ The Times (30 March 1981), p. 2.
- ^ John Casey, The revival of Tory philosophy, The Spectator, 14 March 2007.
- ^ Falkland Islands HC Deb 3 April 1982 vol 21 cc633–68.
- ^ Falkland Islands HC Deb 14 April 1982 vol 21 cc1146–20.
- ^ Northern Ireland (Devolution) HC Deb 28 April 1982 vol 22 cc850–936.
- ^ Falkland Islands HC Deb 29 April 1982 vol 22 cc980–1059.
- ^ Falkland Islands HC Deb 13 May 1982 vol 23 cc952–1034.
- ^ Engagements HC Deb 17 June 1982 vol 25 cc1080–4.
- ^ The Times (29 June 1982), p. 10.
- ^ The Times (5 February 1983), p. 2.
- ^ The Times (1 June 1983), p. 4.
- ^ The Times (3 June 1983), p. 5.
- ^ Engagements HC Deb 14 November 1985 vol 86 cc681–6.
- ^ Soviet Union (Prime Minister's Visit), HC Deb 2 April 1987 vol 113 cc1217–31.
- ^ Foreign Affairs, HC Deb 7 April 1987 vol 114 cc178–254.
- ^ "Margaret Thatcher.org" (Speech). http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=107332. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ Richard Ritchie, Enoch the unexpected, The Spectator, 14 February 1998.
- ^ Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8616174
- ^ "100 Greatest Britons (BBC Poll, 2002)". Alchemipedia.blogspot.com. 2009-12-08. http://alchemipedia.blogspot.com/2009/12/100-greatest-britons-bbc-poll-2002.html. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- ^ Letter from Enoch Powell, Wolverhampton Express and Star, October 1964, quoted in Humphry Berkeley, "Mr Powell: still Yesterday's Man", The Times, London, 5 September 1972, p. 12
- ^ "Bishops criticise Abbey over Powell honour", Irish Times, 16 February 1998, p. 14
- ^ a b Bruce Anderson, "Enoch Powell made the Rivers of Blood speech out of ambition, not conviction", The Independent, London, 5 November 2007
- ^ (image of sculpture) portrait head of Enoch Powell, Alan Thornhill, http://alanthornhill.co.uk/sm_004.htm
- ^ "HMI Archive". UK: Henry Moore Foundation. http://www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk/matrix_engine/content.php?page_id=584. Retrieved 10 August 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Portrait NPG x29287; (John) Enoch Powell". UK: National Portrait Gallery. http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait.php?firstRun=true&sText=purkiss&search=sa&LinkID=mp10637&page=1&rNo=7&role=art. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ "Portrait NPG 6475; (John) Enoch Powell". UK: National Portrait Gallery. http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait.php?LinkID=mp05680&page=1&rNo=1&role=sit. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
References[link]
- "Obituary of Enoch Powell". The Daily Telegraph (London). 9 February 1998.
- Foot, Paul (1969). The Rise of Enoch Powell. London.
- Heffer, Simon (1998). Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-84286-6.
- Lewis, Roy (1979), Enoch Powell. Principle in Politics, Cassell, London. ISBN 0-304-30072-1
- Roth, Andrew (1970). Enoch Powell: Tory Tribune. London: TBS The Book Service Ltd. ISBN 978-0-356-03150-7.
- Schoen, Douglas E. (1977), Enoch Powell and the Powellites, Macmillan, London. ISBN 0-333-19866-2
- Shepherd, Robert (1998). Enoch Powell. London. ISBN 0-09-179208-8.
- Stacey, Tom (1970). Immigration and Enoch Powell. London. OCLC 151226.
External links[link]
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Enoch Powell |
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Wikisource has original works written by or about: |
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Enoch Powell
- Phillips, Mike (7 February 2001), Obituary, UK: The Guardian, http://politics.guardian.co.uk/politicsobituaries/story/0,1441,563473,00.html .
- Powell, Enoch, Papers, Cambridge, UK: Churchill Archives Centre, http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FPOLL;recurse=1 are accessible to the public.
- (Real) Radio Interview on Immigration, UK: BBC, http://newssearch.bbc.co.uk/media/audio/38480000/rm/_38480813_enoch.ram : Powell interviewed shortly after his controversial "Rivers of Blood" speech (3 min 31 s, requires RealPlayer).
- Griffiths, David (Official portrait), Enoch Powell, UK, http://www.david-griffiths.co.uk/index.php?f=data_gallery&a=0
- Cosgrave, Patrick (9 February 1998), Obituary, UK: The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-enoch-powell-1143867.html .
- (photos) Powell's grave in Warwick Cemetery, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8616174 .
Elections contested[link]
UK Parliament elections
Offices held[link]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West 1950–Feb 1974 |
Succeeded by Nicholas Budgen |
| Preceded by Lawrence Orr |
Member of Parliament for South Down Oct 1974–87 |
Succeeded by Eddie McGrady |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Henry Brooke |
Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1957–58 |
Succeeded by Jocelyn Simon |
| Preceded by Derek Walker-Smith |
Minister of State for Health 1960–63 |
Succeeded by Anthony Barber |
 |
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|---|---|
| Name | Powell, Enoch |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | British politician |
| Date of birth | 16 June 1912 |
| Place of birth | Birmingham, England |
| Date of death | 8 February 1998 |
| Place of death | London, England |
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For other people named Michael Foot, see Michael Foot (disambiguation).
| The Right Honourable Michael Foot FRSL PC |
|
|---|---|
| File:Michael Foot 1982.jpg | |
| Foot in 1982 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 4 November 1980 – 2 October 1983 |
|
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | James Callaghan |
| Succeeded by | Neil Kinnock |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 4 November 1980 – 2 October 1983 |
|
| Deputy | Denis Healey |
| Preceded by | James Callaghan |
| Succeeded by | Neil Kinnock |
| Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 5 April 1976 – 4 November 1980 |
|
| Leader | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Edward Short |
| Succeeded by | Denis Healey |
| Shadow Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 4 May 1979 – 4 November 1980 |
|
| Leader | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Norman St John-Stevas |
| Succeeded by | John Silkin |
| Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 8 April 1976 – 4 May 1979 |
|
| Prime Minister | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Edward Short |
| Succeeded by | Norman St John-Stevas |
| Lord President of the Council | |
| In office 8 April 1976 – 4 May 1979 |
|
| Prime Minister | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Edward Short |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Soames |
| Secretary of State for Employment | |
| In office 5 March 1974 – 8 April 1976 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | William Whitelaw |
| Succeeded by | Albert Booth |
| Member of Parliament for Blaenau Gwent Ebbw Vale (1960-1992) |
|
| In office 17 November 1960 – 9 April 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | Aneurin Bevan |
| Succeeded by | Llew Smith |
| Member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport |
|
| In office 5 July 1945 – 26 May 1955 |
|
| Preceded by | Leslie Hore-Belisha |
| Succeeded by | Joan Vickers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Mackintosh Foot (1913-07-23)23 July 1913 Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Died | 3 March 2010(2010-03-03) (aged 96) Hampstead, London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Jill Craigie (m. 1949–1999, her death) |
| Relations | Isaac Foot (father) |
| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
| Religion | None (Atheism) |
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC (23 July 1913 – 3 March 2010) was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992. He was deputy leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980, and later became the Leader of the Opposition from 1980 to 1983.[1]
Associated with the Labour left for most of his career, he was a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and British withdrawal from the European Economic Community. He was first promoted to Cabinet as Employment secretary under Harold Wilson in 1974, and later served as Leader of the House of Commons under James Callaghan. A passionate orator, he was Labour leader at the 1983 general election when the party received its lowest share of the vote since 1918.[2]
His parallel career as a journalist included appointments as editor of Tribune, on several occasions, and the Evening Standard newspaper. Among the books he authored are Guilty Men (an attack on Neville Chamberlain and others for the policy of appeasement), a biography of Jonathan Swift (The Pen and the Sword, 1957) and a biography of Aneurin Bevan.
Contents |
Family[link]
Foot's parents were Eva (Mackintosh) and Isaac Foot (1880–1960), a solicitor and founder of the Plymouth law firm Foot and Bowden (which merged with another firm to become Foot Anstey). Isaac Foot was an active member of the Liberal Party and was Liberal Member of Parliament for Bodmin in Cornwall 1922–1924 and 1929–1935 and a Lord Mayor of Plymouth.[3]
Michael Foot's elder brothers were Sir Dingle Foot MP (1905–1978), a Liberal and subsequently Labour MP; Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon (1907–1990), a Governor of Cyprus, a representative of the United Kingdom at the United Nations from 1964 to 1970, and father to campaigning journalist Paul Foot (1937–2004) and charity worker Oliver Foot (1946–2008); and Liberal politician John Foot, Baron Foot (1909–1999).
Foot had three other siblings: Margaret Elizabeth Foot (1911–1965), Jennifer Mackintosh Highet[4] (born 1916) and Christopher Isaac Foot (born 1917).[5]
Early life[link]
Michael Foot was born in Lipson Terrace, Plymouth, Devon, the fifth of seven children of Isaac and Eva[6] (née Mackintosh, died 17 May 1946), a Scotswoman.[7] He was educated at Plymouth College Preparatory School and Leighton Park School in Reading. He then went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Wadham College, Oxford. Foot was the President of the Oxford Union. He also took part in the ESU USA Tour (the debating tour of the USA run by the English-Speaking Union). On graduating in 1934, he took a job as a shipping clerk in Birkenhead. Foot was profoundly influenced by the poverty and unemployment that he witnessed in Liverpool, which was on a different scale from anything he had seen in Plymouth. A Liberal up to this time, Foot was converted to socialism by Oxford University Labour Club president David Lewis and others: "... I knew him [at Oxford] when I was a Liberal [and Lewis] played a part in converting me to socialism."[8] Foot joined the Labour Party and first stood for parliament at the age of 22 in the 1935 general election, when he contested Monmouth. During this election Foot criticised the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, for seeking rearmament. In his election address Foot contended that "the armaments race in Europe must be stopped now".[9] Foot also supported unilateral disarmament, after multilateral disarmament talks at Geneva had broken down in 1933.[10]
He became a journalist, working briefly on the New Statesman, before joining the left-wing weekly Tribune when it was set up in early 1937 to support the Unity Campaign, an attempt to secure an anti-fascist United Front between Labour and the parties to its left. The campaign's members were Stafford Cripps's (Labour-affiliated) Socialist League, the Independent Labour Party and the Communist Party of Great Britain (CP). Foot resigned in 1938 after the paper's first editor, William Mellor, was fired for refusing to adopt a new CP policy of backing a Popular Front, including non-socialist parties, against fascism and appeasement. In a 1955 interview, Foot ideologically identified as a libertarian socialist.[11]
Journalism[link]
On the recommendation of Aneurin Bevan, Foot was soon hired by Lord Beaverbrook to work as a writer on his Evening Standard. (Bevan is supposed to have told Beaverbrook on the phone: "I've got a young bloody knight-errant here. They sacked his boss, so he resigned. Have a look at him.") At the outbreak of the Second World War, Foot volunteered for military service, but was rejected because of his chronic asthma. It has been suggested (2011) that he became a member of the secret Auxiliary Units.
In 1940, under the pen-name "Cato" he and two other Beaverbrook journalists (Frank Owen, editor of the Standard, and Peter Howard of the Daily Express) published Guilty Men, a Left Book Club book attacking the appeasement policy of the Chamberlain government that became a run-away best-seller. Beaverbrook made Foot editor of the Evening Standard in 1942 at the age of 28. During the war Foot made a speech that was later featured during The World at War documentary TV series broadcast in February 1974.[12] Foot was speaking in defence of the Daily Mirror, which had criticised the conduct of the war by the Churchill Government. He mocked the notion that the Government would make no more territorial demands of other newspapers if they allowed the Mirror to be censored.
Foot left the Standard in 1945 to join the Daily Herald as a columnist. The Daily Herald was jointly owned by the TUC and Odhams Press, and was effectively an official Labour Party paper. He rejoined Tribune as editor from 1948 to 1952, and was again the paper's editor from 1955 to 1960. Throughout his political career he railed against the increasing corporate domination of the press, entertaining a special loathing for Rupert Murdoch.
Member of Parliament[link]
 |
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010) |
Foot fought the Plymouth Devonport constituency in the 1945 general election. His election agent was Labour activist and life-long friend Ron Lemin. He won the seat for Labour for the first time, holding it until his surprise defeat by Dame Joan Vickers at the 1955 general election. Until 1957, he was the most prominent ally of Aneurin Bevan, who had taken Cripps's place as leader of the Labour left, though Foot and Bevan fell out after Bevan renounced unilateral nuclear disarmament at the 1957 Labour Party conference.
Before the cold war began in the late 1940s, Foot favoured a 'third way' foreign policy for Europe (he was joint author with Richard Crossman and Ian Mikardo of the pamphlet Keep Left in 1947), but in the wake of the communist seizure of power in Hungary and Czechoslovakia he and Tribune took a strongly anti-communist position, eventually embracing NATO.
Foot was however a critic of the west's handling of the Korean War, an opponent of West German rearmament in the early 1950s and a founder member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Under his editorship, Tribune opposed both the British government's Suez adventure and the Soviet crushing of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. In this period he made regular television appearances on the current affairs programmes In The News (BBC) and subsequently Free Speech (ITV). "There was certainly nothing wrong with his television technique in those days", reflected Anthony Howard shortly after Foot's death.[13]
Foot returned to parliament in 1960 at a by-election in Ebbw Vale in Monmouthshire, left vacant by Bevan's death. He had the Labour whip withdrawn in March 1961 after rebelling against the Labour leadership over air force estimates. He only returned to the Parliamentary Labour Group in 1963 when Harold Wilson became Labour leader after the sudden death of Hugh Gaitskell.
Harold Wilson – the subject of an enthusiastic campaign biography by Foot published by Robert Maxwell's Pergamon Press in 1964 – offered Foot a place in his first government, but Foot turned it down. Instead he became the leader of Labour's left opposition from the back benches, dazzling the Commons with his command of rhetoric. He opposed the government's moves to restrict immigration, join the Common Market and reform the trade unions, was against the Vietnam War and Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence, and denounced the Soviet suppression of "socialism with a human face" in Czechoslovakia in 1968. He also famously allied with the Tory right-winger Enoch Powell to scupper the government's plan to abolish the voting rights of hereditary peers and create a House of Lords comprising only life peers – a "seraglio of eunuchs" as Foot put it.
In 1967, Foot challenged James Callaghan but failed to win the post of Treasurer of the Labour Party.
In government[link]
After 1970, Labour moved to the left and Wilson came to an accommodation with Foot. In April 1972, he stood for the Deputy Leadership of the party, along with Edward Short and Anthony Crosland. Short defeated Foot in the second ballot after Crosland had been eliminated in the first.
When, in 1974, Labour returned to office under Harold Wilson, Foot became Secretary of State for Employment. According to Ben Pimlott, his appointment was intended to please the left of the party and the Trade Unions. In this role, he played the major part in the government's efforts to maintain the trade unions' support. He was also responsible for the Health and Safety at Work Act. Foot was one of the mainstays of the "no" campaign in the 1975 referendum on British membership of the European Economic Community. When Wilson retired in 1976, Foot contested the party leadership and led in the first ballot, but was ultimately defeated by James Callaghan. Later that year, Foot was elected Deputy Leader and served as Leader of the House of Commons, which gave him the unenviable task of trying to maintain the survival of the Callaghan government as its majority evaporated.
In 1975, Foot, along with Jennie Lee and others, courted controversy when they supported Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, after she prompted the declaration of a state of emergency. In December 1975, The Times ran an editorial titled 'Is Mr Foot a Fascist?' – their answer was that he was[14] – after Norman Tebbit accused him of 'undiluted fascism' once Foot said that the Ferrybridge Six deserved dismissal for defying a closed shop.[15]
Labour leadership[link]
Following Labour's 1979 general election defeat by Margaret Thatcher, James Callaghan remained party leader for the next 18 months before he resigned and Foot was elected Labour leader on 4 November 1980, beating Denis Healey in the second round of the leadership election (the last leadership contest to involve only Labour MPs). Foot presented himself as a compromise candidate capable, unlike Healey, of uniting the party, which at the time was riven by the grassroots left-wing insurgency centred around Tony Benn.
The Bennites demanded revenge for the betrayals, as they saw them, of the Callaghan government, and pushed the case for replacement of MPs who had acquiesced to them by left-wingers who would support the causes of unilateral nuclear disarmament, withdrawal from the Common Market and widespread nationalisation. (Benn did not stand for the leadership: apart from Foot and Healey, the other candidates – both eliminated in the first round – were John Silkin, a Tribunite like Foot, and Peter Shore, an anti-European right-winger.)
When he became leader, Foot was already 67 and frail. The Tory government was dividing the country and proving highly controversial as its monetarist economic policies to reduce inflation were contributing to a significant rise in unemployment which had helped plunge Britain's economy into recession earlier in 1980. As a result, Labour had moved ahead of the Tories in the opinion polls, and in the aftermath of Foot's election as leader opinion polls showed a double-digit lead for Labour, boosting his hopes of becoming prime minister by the time of the next general election, which had to be held by May 1984.
Almost immediately after his election as leader he was faced with a serious crisis: the creation in early 1981 of a breakaway party by four senior Labour right-wingers, Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, David Owen and William Rodgers (the so-called "Gang of Four"), the Social Democratic Party. This was largely seen as the consequence of the Labour Party's swing to the left, polarising divisions in an already divided party.[16]
The SDP won the support of large sections of the media, and for most of 1981 and early 1982 its opinion poll ratings suggested that it could at least overtake Labour and possibly win a general election, as the Tories were proving unpopular because of the economic policies of Margaret Thatcher, which had seen unemployment reach a postwar high.
With the Labour left still strong – in 1981 Benn decided to challenge Healey for the deputy leadership of the party, a contest Healey won narrowly – Foot struggled to make an impact and was widely criticised for it, though his performances in the Commons, most notably on the Falklands war of 1982, won him widespread respect from other parliamentarians, though he was criticised by some on the left who felt that he should not have supported the Thatcher government's immediate resort to military action. The right-wing newspapers nevertheless lambasted him consistently for what they saw as his bohemian eccentricity, attacking him for wearing what they described as a "donkey jacket" (actually he wore a type of duffel coat)[17] at the wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day in November 1981, for which he was likened to an "out-of-work navvy" by one of Labour's own MPs.[18] Foot did not make it generally known that HM the Queen Mother had complimented him on it; he later donated the garment to the People's History Museum in Manchester.[19]
The formation of the SDP - who formed an alliance with the Liberal Party in June 1981 - contributed to a fall in Labour support. The double-digit lead which had still been intact in opinion polls at the start of 1981 was swiftly wiped out, and by the end of October the opinion polls were showing the Alliance ahead of Labour. Labour briefly regained their lead of most opinion polls in early 1982, but when the Falklands conflict ended on 14 June 1982 with a British victory over Argentina, opinion polls showed the Tories firmly in the lead. Their position at the top of the polls was strengthened by the return to economic growth later in the year. It was looking certain that the Tories would be re-elected, and the only key issue that the media were still speculating by the end of 1982 was whether it would be Labour or the Alliance who formed the next opposition.[20]
Through late 1982 and early 1983, there was constant speculation that Labour MPs would replace Foot with Healey as leader. Such speculation increased after Labour lost the 1983 Bermondsey by-election, in which Peter Tatchell was its candidate, standing against a Tory, a Liberal (eventual winner Simon Hughes) and the right wing John O'Grady, who had declared himself the "real" Labour candidate and fought an openly homophobic campaign against Tatchell. Critically, Labour held on in a subsequent by-election in Darlington and Foot remained leader for the 1983 general election.
Resignation[link]
The 1983 Labour manifesto, strongly socialist in tone, advocated unilateral nuclear disarmament, higher personal taxation and a return to a more interventionist industrial policy. The manifesto also pledged that a Labour government would abolish the House of Lords, nationalise banks and leave the then European Economic Community. Foot's Labour Party lost to the Conservatives in a landslide – a result which had been widely predicted by the opinion polls since the previous summer. The only consolation for Foot and Labour was that they did not lose their place in opposition to the SDP-Liberal Alliance, who came close to them in terms of votes but were still a long way behind in terms of seats.[21] Despite this, Foot was very critical of the Alliance, accusing them of "siphoning" Labour support and enabling the Tories to win more seats.[22]
The Daily Mirror was the only major newspaper to back Foot and Labour at the 1983 general election, urging its readers to vote Labour and "Stop the waste of our nation, for your job your children and your future" in response to the mass unemployment that had resulted from Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher's monetarist economic policies to reduce inflation. Most other newspapers had urged their readers to vote Tory.[23]
Foot resigned days after the election and was succeeded as leader on 2 October by Neil Kinnock, who had been tipped from the outset to be Labour's choice of new leader.
Gerald Kaufman, once Harold Wilson's press officer and during the 1980s prominent on the Labour right, described the 1983 Labour manifesto as "the longest suicide note in history". As a statement on internal democracy, Foot passed the edict that the manifesto would consist of all resolutions arrived at conference. The party also failed to master the medium of television, while Foot addressed public meetings around the country, and made some radio broadcasts, in the same manner as Clement Attlee in 1945. Members joked that they had not expected Foot to allow the slogan "Think positive, Act positive, Vote Labour" on grammatical grounds.[citation needed]
In 1986, Foot was the subject of one of the best-known newspaper headlines of all time. The Times ran an article about Foot, who had been put in charge of a nuclear disarmament committee. The headline stated "Foot Heads Arms Body." Although originally written as a joke by editor Martyn Cornell, the paper ran it.[24]
Backbenches and retirement[link]
Foot took a back seat in Labour politics after 1983 and retired from the House of Commons at the 1992 general election, when Labour lost to the Tories (now led by John Major) for the fourth election in succession, but remained politically active. From 1987 to 1992, he was the oldest sitting British MP (preceding former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath). He defended Salman Rushdie, the novelist who was subject to a fatwā requiring Rushdie's execution by Ayatollah Khomeini, and took a strongly pro-interventionist position against Serbia during its conflict with Croatia and Bosnia, supporting NATO forces whilst citing defence of civilian populations in the latter countries. In addition he was among the Patrons of the British-Croatian Society.[25] The Guardian's political editor Michael White criticised Foot's "overgenerous" support for Croatian leader Franjo Tuđman.[26]
Foot remained a high-profile member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He wrote several books, including highly regarded biographies of Aneurin Bevan and H. G. Wells. Indeed, he was a distinguished Vice-president of the H. G. Wells Society. Many of his friends have said publicly that they regret that he ever gave up literature for politics.
Foot was an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.[citation needed] He was elected in 1988 a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[citation needed]
In a poll of Labour party activists he was voted the worst post-war Labour party leader.[27] Though Foot is considered by many a failure as Labour leader, his biographer Mervyn Jones strongly makes the case that no one else could have held Labour together at the time, particularly in the face of the strength of Militant tendency.[citation needed] Foot is remembered with affection in Westminster as a great parliamentarian. He was widely liked, and admired for his integrity and generosity of spirit, by both his colleagues and opponents.[citation needed]
A portrait of Foot by the artist Robert Lenkiewicz now permanently hangs in Portcullis House, Westminster.
Gordievsky allegations[link]
Oleg Gordievsky, a high-ranking KGB officer who defected from the Soviet Union to Britain in 1985, made allegations against Foot in his 1995 memoirs.[28] The Sunday Times, which serialised Gordievsky's book under the headline "KGB: Michael Foot was our agent", claimed in an article of 19 February that the Soviet intelligence services regarded Foot as an "agent of influence", codenamed "Agent BOOT", and in the pay of the KGB for many years. Crucially, the newspaper used material from the original manuscript of the book which had not been included in the published version.[29] At the time a leading article in The Independent newspaper asserted: "It seems extraordinary that such an unreliable figure should now be allowed, given the lack of supporting evidence, to damage the reputation of figures such as Mr Foot."[30] In a February 1992 interview, Gordievsky had claimed that he had no further Labour Party revelations to make.[30] Foot successfully sued the Sunday Times, winning "substantial" damages.[29]
However, in the Daily Telegraph in 2010 Charles Moore gave a "full account", which he claimed had been provided to him by Gordievsky shortly after Foot's death, of the extent of Foot's alleged KGB involvement. Moore also wrote that, although the claims are difficult to corroborate without MI6 and KGB files, Gordievsky's past record in revealing KGB contacts in Britain had been shown to be reliable.[31]
Plymouth Argyle[link]
Foot was a passionate supporter of Plymouth Argyle Football Club from his childhood and once remarked that he wasn't going to die until he had seen them play in the Premier League.[32] He served for several years as a director of the club, seeing two promotions under his tenure.[33]
For his 90th birthday, Foot was registered with the Football League as an honorary player and given the shirt number 90. This made him officially the oldest registered professional player in the history of football.[33][34]
Personal life[link]
Foot had no children.[35] He was married to the film-maker, author and feminist historian Jill Craigie (1911–1999) from 1949 until her death.
In February 2007, it was revealed that Foot engaged in an extramarital affair with a black woman around 35 years his junior in the early 1970s. The affair, which lasted nearly a year, put a considerable strain on his marriage. The affair is detailed in Foot's official biography, published in March 2007.[36]
On 23 July 2006, his 93rd birthday, Michael Foot became the longest-lived leader of a major British political party, passing Lord Callaghan's record of 92 years, 364 days.
A staunch republican (though actually well liked by the Royal Family on a personal level),[36] Foot rejected honours from the Queen and the government, including a knighthood and a peerage, on more than one occasion.
Health[link]
Foot suffered from asthma until 1963 (which disqualified him from service in World War II) and eczema until middle age.[37]
In October 1963 he was involved in a car crash, suffering pierced lungs, broken ribs, and a broken left leg. He subsequently used a walking stick for the rest of his life.[38] According to former MP Tam Dalyell, Foot had up to the accident been a chain-smoker, but gave up the habit thereafter.[39]
In 1976, Foot became blind in one eye following an attack of shingles.[40]
Death[link]
Foot died at his Hampstead, North London home in the morning of 3 March 2010. The House of Commons was informed of the news later that day by Justice Secretary Jack Straw,[41] who told the House: "I am sure that this news will be received with great sadness not only in my own party but across the country as a whole."[42] Foot's funeral was a non-religious service, held on 15 March 2010 at Golders Green Crematorium in North West London.[43]
Fictional depiction[link]
Foot was portrayed by Patrick Godfrey in the 2002 BBC production of Ian Curteis' long unproduced The Falklands Play and by Michael Pennington in the film The Iron Lady.
Notes[link]
- ^ "1980: Michael Foot is new Labour leader". BBC News. 10 November 1980. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/10/newsid_4699000/4699939.stm.
- ^ Kelly, Richard (2 June 2003). "Not as daft as you thought". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/200306020008. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Foot, John (1998). "Isaac Foot". In Duncan Brack. Dictionary of Liberal Biography. Malcolm Baines, Katie Hall, Graham Lippiatt, Tony Little, Mark Pack, Geoffrey Sell, Jen Tankard (1st ed.). Artillery Row, London: Politico's Publishing. pp. 109–112. ISBN 1-902301-09-9.
- ^ "Person Page – 23646". thePeerage.com. 25 October 2007. http://www.thepeerage.com/p23646.htm. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Person Page – 23642". thePeerage.com. 30 June 2007. http://www.thepeerage.com/p23642.htm. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Moore, Jonathan (3 March 2010). "Obituary: Michael Foot". politics.co.uk. http://www.politics.co.uk/audio-video/video/legal-and-constitutional/legal-and-constitutional/obituary-michael-foot-$1363461.htm. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Harrington, Illytd (28 December 2006). "Extraordinary life of Apostle of England". Camden New Journal. http://www.thecnj.com/review/122806/books122806_03.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Smith, Cameron (1989). Unfinished Journey: The Lewis Family. Toronto: Summerhill Press. pp. 161–162. ISBN 0-929091-04-3. Foot in an interview with the author in 1985
- ^ Jones, Mervyn (1995). Michael Foot. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-575-05933-7.
- ^ Jones, p. 30.
- ^ Labour's Old Romantic: A Film Portrait of Michael Foot (1997). BBC TV. ftvdb.bfi.org.uk Alison Cahn (Producer). Anne Tyerman (Series editor). Michael Cockerell (Reporter). Retrieved 5 December 2010.
- ^ Calder, Angus (13 February 1974). "The World at War". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129870/. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Howard, Anthony (5 March 2010). "Michael Foot: The last of a dying breed". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/7373559/Michael-Foot-The-last-of-a-dying-breed.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Is Mr. Foot a Fascist?". The Times. 2 December 1975.
- ^ The Spectator Volume 237, Part 2. London: F.C. Westley. 1976. p. 12. http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=e6ukTcCYC9S1hAewzrDfCQ.
- ^ BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/background/pastelec/ge83.shtml.
- ^ Murray, Craig (13 May 2009). "Michael Foot". craigmurray.org.uk blog. http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2009/05/michael_foot.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Sandbrook, Dominic (11 March 2007). "A lion in a donkey jacket (Review of Michael Foot: a Life by Kenneth O Morgan)". Sunday Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3663713/A-lion-in-a-donkey-jacket.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Ode to the Donkey Jacket". BBC (Today (BBC Radio 4)). http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/archive/politics/fashion_leaders.shtml. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Voting Intention in Great Britain: 1976-present". Ipsos MORI. 21 June 2010. http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oItemId=103&view=wide. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "1983: Thatcher triumphs again". BBC News. 5 April 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393313.stm. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "1983: Thatcher wins landslide victory". On This Day (BBC News). 9 June 1983. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/9/newsid_2500000/2500847.stm. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Simon Hoggart Footnotes to a life well lived. The Guardian, 5 March 2010
- ^ "The British Croatian Society Registered Charity No. 1086139 Info and CV's of the members". The British Croatian Society. http://www.britishcroatian.net/info/. Retrieved 15 August 2010. [dead link]
- ^ White, Michael (18 April 2007). "Michael Foot's lucky life". The Times Literary Supplement. http://tls.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25346-2637313,00.html. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
- ^ Crick, Michael (25 September 2008). "Place That Labour Face". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2008/09/place_that_labour_face.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Gordievsky, Oleg (1995). Next Stop Execution. Macmillan. pp. 187 189. ISBN 0-333-62086-0.
- ^ a b Williams, Rhys (8 July 1995). "'Sunday Times' pays Foot damages over KGB claim". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sunday-times-pays-foot-damages-over-kgb-claim-1590325.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Leading Article: Michael Foot's tainted accuser". The Independent. 20 February 1995. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-article--michael-foots-tainted-accuser-1573992.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010. [dead link]
- ^ Moore, Charles (5 March 2010). "Was Foot a national treasure or the KGB’s useful idiot?". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/charlesmoore/7377111/Was-Foot-a-national-treasure-or-the-KGBs-useful-idiot.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "I refuse to conk out until I have seen Argyle play in the top division." Foot, Michael (4 March 2010). "Remembering Argyle's greatest ever left-winger". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/michael-foot-remembering-argyles-greatest-ever-leftwinger-1915652.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Michael Foot". Plymouth Argyle FC. 3 March 2010. http://www.pafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10364~1983175,00.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Michael Foot's passion for Plymouth Argyle". BBC News. 3 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8547725.stm. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Former UK Labour Party Leader Michael Foot dies". CBS News. http://cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/03/ap/world/main6261974.shtml. Retrieved 15 August 2010. [dead link]
- ^ a b Brooks, Richard (25 February 2007). "Michael Foot had a young black mistress". Sunday Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1434627.ece. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Henderson, Mark (4 March 2010). "Michael Foot, Labour Party Leader (obituary)". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7048130.ece. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Michael Foot (obituary)". Daily Telegraph. 3 March 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-obituaries/7359721/Michael-Foot.html. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Beattie, Jason (4 April 2010). "Michael Foot was the heart and soul of Labour and a giant of the movement – even his enemies will mourn". Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/2010/03/04/michael-foot-was-the-heart-and-soul-of-labour-and-a-giant-of-the-movement-even-his-enemies-will-mourn-115875-22084002/. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Jones, Mervyn (3 March 2010). "Michael Foot obituary". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/03/michael-foot-obituary. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Former Labour leader Michael Foot dies". BBC News. 3 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8547366.stm. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Michael Foot dies". New Statesman. 3 March 2010. http://www.newstatesman.com/2010/03/foot-dies-aged-leader-labour. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ Siddique, Haroon (15 March 2010). "Gordon Brown leads mourners at funeral of Michael Foot". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/15/gordon-brown-funeral-michael-foot. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
Bibliography[link]
- Cato (pen name) Guilty Men, Left Book Club (1940)
- Cassius (pen name) Brendan and Beverley, Victor Gollancz (1940)
- The Pen and the Sword, MacGibbon and Kee (1957) ISBN 0-261-61989-6
- Aneurin Bevan, MacGibbon and Kee (volume 1:1962) (volume 2:1973) ISBN 0-261-61508-4
- Debts of Honour, Harper and Row (1981) ISBN 0-06-039001-8
- Another Heart and Other Pulses, Collins (1984) ISBN 978-0-00-217256-1.
- H. G.: The History of Mr Wells, Doubleday (1985) ISBN 978-1-887178-04-4
- Loyalists and Loners, Collins (1986) ISBN 978-0-00-217583-8
- Politics of Paradise, HarperCollins (1989) ISBN 0-06-039091-3
- "Introduction" in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Penguin (1967)
- '"Bevan's Message to the World"' in Geoffrey Goodman's (editor) The State of the Nation: The Political Legacy of Aneurin Bevan, Gollancz (1997)
- "Introduction" in Bertrand Russell's Autobiography, Routledge (1998)
- Dr Strangelove, I Presume, Gollancz (1999)
- & Brian Brivati (editor), The Uncollected Michael Foot, Politicos Publishing (2003) ISBN 978-1-84275-096-4
- 'Foreword' in Greg Rosen's Old Labour to New, Methuen Publishing (2005) ISBN 978-1-84275-045-2
- Isaac Foot: A West Country Boy - Apostle of England, Politicos Publishing (2006) ISBN 978-1-84275-181-7
Biographies[link]
- Hoggart, Simon; & Leigh, David. Michael Foot: a Portrait. Hodder. 1981. ISBN 0-340-27040-3
- Jones, Mervyn. Michael Foot. Gollancz. 1993. ISBN 0-575-05933-8
- Morgan, Kenneth O. Michael Foot: A Life. HarperPress (HarperCollins) 2007. ISBN 978-0-00-717826-1
External links[link]
|
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Michael Foot |
- Michael Foot at the Internet Movie Database
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Michael Foot
- Michael Foot at 90 Johann Hari, 24 July 2003 - In-depth biographical interview marking Foot's 90th birthday
- Michael Foot (1913-2010) Slideshow, The First Post
- Fictional obituary of Michael Foot: "what if" the Falklands Task Force had been defeated? Today in Alternate History
- The Labour History Archive and Study Centre hold Michael Foot's archive at: People's History Museum
- Michael Foot 1913-2010 New Statesman, 3 November 2008 - The last published interview with the former Labour leader, who died on 3 March 2010 at the aged of 96
| Media offices | ||
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| Preceded by Frank Owen |
Editor of the Evening Standard 1942–1943 |
Succeeded by Sydney Elliott |
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Editor of Tribune 1948–1952 Served alongside: Evelyn Anderson |
Succeeded by Bob Edwards |
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Editor of Tribune 1955–1960 |
Succeeded by Richard Clements |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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Member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport 1945–1955 |
Succeeded by Joan Vickers |
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Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale 1960–1992 |
Succeeded by Llew Smith |
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Secretary of State for Employment 1974–1976 |
Succeeded by Albert Booth |
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Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1976–1980 |
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Leader of the House of Commons 1976–1979 |
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| Lord President of the Council 1976–1979 |
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Leader of the Opposition 1980–1983 |
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Leader of the Labour Party 1980–1983 |
Succeeded by Neil Kinnock |
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Oldest sitting member of the House of Commons 1987–1992 |
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| Persondata | |
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| Name | Foot, Michael |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | British politician |
| Date of birth | 23 July 1913 |
| Place of birth | Plymouth, United Kingdom |
| Date of death | 3 March 2010 |
| Place of death | Hampstead, United Kingdom |
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| The Right Honourable The Lord Jenkins of Hillhead OM PC |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Roy Jenkins robed as Chancellor of Oxford University | |
| Chancellor of the University of Oxford | |
| In office 14 March 1987 – 5 January 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | The Earl of Stockton |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Patten of Barnes |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 7 July 1982 – 13 June 1983 |
|
| Deputy | David Owen |
| Preceded by | The Gang of Four |
| Succeeded by | David Owen |
| President of the European Commission | |
| In office 6 January 1977 – 19 January 1981 |
|
| Preceded by | François-Xavier Ortoli |
| Succeeded by | Gaston Thorn |
| Home Secretary | |
| In office 5 March 1974 – 10 September 1976 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Robert Carr |
| Succeeded by | Merlyn Rees |
| In office 23 December 1965 – 30 September 1967 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Frank Soskice |
| Succeeded by | James Callaghan |
| Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 19 June 1970 – 19 April 1972 |
|
| Leader | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | George Brown |
| Succeeded by | Edward Short |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
| In office 30 November 1967 – 19 June 1970 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | James Callaghan |
| Succeeded by | Iain Macleod |
| Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead |
|
| In office 25 March 1982 – 11 June 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | Tam Galbraith |
| Succeeded by | George Galloway |
| Member of Parliament for Birmingham Stechford |
|
| In office 23 February 1950 – 31 March 1977 |
|
| Preceded by | Constituency Created |
| Succeeded by | Andrew MacKay |
| Member of Parliament for Southwark Central |
|
| In office 29 April 1948 – 23 February 1950 |
|
| Preceded by | John Hanbury Martin |
| Succeeded by | Constituency Abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1920-11-11)11 November 1920 Abersychan, Wales |
| Died | 5 January 2003(2003-01-05) (aged 82) Oxfordshire, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats (1988–2003) |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour (Before 1981) Social Democratic (1981–1988) |
| Alma mater | Cardiff University Balliol College, Oxford |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | British Army • Royal Artillery |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician.
The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in Harold Wilson's First Government. As Home Secretary from 1965–1967, he sought to build what he described as "a civilized society", with measures such as the effective abolition in Britain of capital punishment and theatre censorship, the decriminalisation of homosexuality, relaxing of divorce law, suspension of birching and the legalisation of abortion. As Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1967–1970, he pursued a tight fiscal policy later praised by Margaret Thatcher.[1] In 1970, he was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, but resigned in 1972 because he supported entry to the Common Market, while the party opposed it.
When Wilson re-entered government in 1974 Jenkins returned to the Home Office, but, increasingly disenchanted by the swing to the left of the Labour Party,[citation needed] he chose to leave British politics in 1976 and was appointed President of the European Commission in 1977, serving until 1981: he was the first and to date only British holder of this office. In 1981, dismayed with the Labour Party's continuing leftward drift, he was one of the "Gang of Four" - Labour moderates who formed the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 1982 he won a famous by-election in a Conservative seat and returned to parliament; but after disappointment with the performance of the SDP in the 1983 election he resigned as SDP leader.
In 1987, Jenkins was elected to succeed Harold Macmillan as Chancellor of the University of Oxford following the latter's death; he held this position until his death. A few months after becoming Chancellor, Jenkins was defeated in his Hillhead constituency by then-Labour politician George Galloway. He accepted a life peerage and sat as a Liberal Democrat. In the late 1990s, he was an adviser to Tony Blair and chaired the Jenkins Commission on electoral reform. Roy Jenkins died in 2003, aged 82.
In addition to his political career, he was also a noted historian and writer.
Contents
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Early life[link]
Born in Abersychan, Monmouthshire, in south-eastern Wales, as an only child, Roy Jenkins was the son of a National Union of Mineworkers official, Arthur Jenkins. His father was imprisoned during the 1926 General Strike for his involvement in a riot and later became Member of Parliament for Pontypool, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Clement Attlee, and briefly a minister in the 1945 Labour government. Jenkins's mother, Hattie Harris, was the daughter of a steelworks manager.
Jenkins was educated at Abersychan County School, University College, Cardiff, and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was twice defeated for the Presidency of the Oxford Union but took First Class Honours in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). His university colleagues included Tony Crosland, Denis Healey, and Edward Heath, and he became friends with all three, although he was never particularly close to Healey. During the Second World War he served with the Royal Artillery and then at Bletchley Park, reaching the rank of captain. On 20 January 1945, in the final year of the War, he married Jennifer Morris. She was made a DBE for services to ancient and historical buildings.
Member of Parliament[link]
Having failed to win Solihull in 1945, he was elected to the House of Commons in a 1948 by-election as the Member of Parliament for Southwark Central, becoming the "Baby of the House." His constituency was abolished in boundary changes for the 1950 general election, when he stood instead in the new Birmingham Stechford constituency. He won the seat and represented the constituency until 1977.
Jenkins was principal sponsor, in 1959, of the bill which became the liberalising Obscene Publications Act, responsible for establishing the "liable to deprave and corrupt" criterion as a basis for a prosecution of suspect material and for specifying literary merit as a possible defence. Like Healey and Crosland, he had been a close friend of Hugh Gaitskell and for them Gaitskell's death and the elevation of Harold Wilson as Labour Party leader was a setback.
In Government[link]
After the 1964 general election Jenkins was appointed Minister of Aviation. While at Aviation he oversaw the high profile cancellations of the BAC TSR-2 and Concorde projects (although the latter was later reversed after strong opposition from the French Government). In January 1965 Patrick Gordon Walker resigned as Foreign Secretary and in the ensuing reshuffle Wilson offered Jenkins the Department for Education and Science; however. he declined it, preferring to stay at Aviation.[2]
In the summer of 1965 Jenkins eagerly accepted an offer to replace Frank Soskice as Home Secretary. However Wilson, dismayed by a sudden bout of press speculation about the potential move, delayed Jenkins' appointment until December. Once Jenkins took office he immediately set about reforming the operation and organisation of the Home Office. The Principal Private Secretary, Head of the Press and Publicity Department and Permanent Under-Secretary were all replaced. He also redesigned his office, famously replacing the board on which condemned prisoners were listed with a drinks cabinet. After the 1966 general election, in which Labour won a comfortable majority, Jenkins pushed through a series of police reforms which reduced the number of separate forces from 117 to 49.[2]
Immigration was a divisive and provocative issue during the late 1960s and on 23 May 1966 Jenkins delivered a speech on race relations, which is widely considered to be one of his best.[3] Addressing a London meeting of the National Committee for Commonwealth Immigrants he notably defined Integration:
... not as a flattening process of assimilation but as equal opportunity, accompanied by cultural diversity, in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance.
Before going onto ask:
Where in the world is there a university which could preserve its fame, or a cultural centre which could keep its eminence, or a metropolis which could hold its drawing power, if it were to turn inwards and serve only its own hinterland and its own racial group?
And concluding that:
To live apart, for a person, a city, a country, is to lead a life of declining intellectual stimulation.[3]
Roy Jenkins is often seen as responsible for the most wide-ranging social reforms of the late 1960s, with popular historian Andrew Marr claiming 'the greatest changes of the Labour years' were thanks to Jenkins.[4] He refused to authorise the birching of prisoners and was responsible for the relaxation of the laws relating to divorce, abolition of theatre censorship and gave government support to David Steel's Private Member's Bill for the legalisation of abortion and Leo Abse's bill for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Wilson, with his puritan background, was not especially sympathetic to these developments, however. Jenkins replied to public criticism by asserting that the so called permissive society was in reality the civilised society. For some conservatives, such as Peter Hitchens, Jenkins' reforms remain objectionable. In his book The Abolition of Britain Hitchens accuses him of being a "cultural revolutionary" who takes a large part of the responsibility for the decline of "traditional values" in Britain.
Chancellor of the Exchequer[link]
From 1967 to 1970 Jenkins served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, replacing James Callaghan following the devaluation crisis of November 1967. He quickly gained a reputation as a particularly tough Chancellor with his 1968 budget increasing taxes by £923 million, more than twice the increase of any previous budget to date. Despite Edward Heath claiming it was a 'hard, cold budget, without any glimmer of warmth' Jenkins' first budget broadly received a warm reception, with Harold Wilson remarking that 'it was widely acclaimed as a speech of surpassing quality and elegance' and Barbara Castle that it 'took everyone's breath away'.[2] However, following a further sterling crisis in November 1968 Jenkins was forced to raise taxes by a further £250 million. After this the currency markets slowly began to settle and his 1969 budget represented more of the same with a £340 million increase in taxation to further limit consumption.
By May 1969 Britain’s current account position was in surplus, thanks to a growth in exports, a drop in overall consumption and, in part, the Inland Revenue correcting a previous underestimation in export figures. In July Jenkins was also able to announce that the size of Britain’s foreign currency reserves had been increased by almost $1 billion since the beginning of the year. It was at this time that he presided over Britain’s only excess of government revenue over expenditure in the period 1936-7 to 1987–8.[2] Thanks in part to these successes there was a high expectation that the 1970 budget would be a more generous one. Jenkins, however, was cautious about the stability of Britain’s recovery and decided to present a more muted and fiscally neutral budget. It is often argued that this, combined with a series of bad trade figures, contributed to the Conservative victory at the 1970 general election. Historians and economists have often praised Jenkins for presiding over the transformation in Britain’s fiscal and current account positions towards the end of the 1960s. Andrew Marr, for example, described him as one of the 20th century's 'most successful chancellors'.[4]
Shadow Cabinet 1970–1974[link]
After Labour unexpectedly lost power in 1970 Jenkins was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer by Harold Wilson. Jenkins was also subsequently elected to the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in July 1970, defeating future Labour Leader Michael Foot and former Leader of the Commons Fred Peart at the first ballot. He resigned both the deputy leadership and his shadow cabinet position in April 1972 however, over the party's policy on favouring a referendum on British membership of the European Economic Community (EEC). His position had been undermined the previous year by his decision to lead sixty-nine Labour MPs through the division lobby in support of the Heath's government's motion to take Britain into the EEC. This led to some former admirers, including Roy Hattersley, choosing to distance themselves from Jenkins. His lavish lifestyle — Wilson once described him as "more a socialite than a socialist" — had already alienated much of the Labour Party from him. Jenkins returned to the shadow cabinet in November 1973 as Shadow Home Secretary.
Return to Government[link]
When Labour returned to power in early 1974, Jenkins was appointed Home Secretary for the second time. Earlier, he had been promised the treasury; however, Wilson later decided to appoint Denis Healey as Chancellor instead. Upon hearing from Bernard Donoughue that Wilson had reneged on his promise, Jenkins reacted angrily. Despite being on a public staircase, he is reported to have shouted 'You tell Harold Wilson he must bloody well come to see me ... and if he doesn't watch out, I won't join his bloody government ... This is typical of the bloody awful way Harold Wilson does things!'[5]
Jenkins served from 1974 to 1976. In this period he undermined his previous liberal credentials to some extent by pushing through the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act, which, among other things, extended the length of time suspects could be held in custody and instituted exclusion orders.
President of the European Commission[link]
Jenkins was a candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party in March 1976, but came third out of the six candidates, behind Callaghan and Michael Foot. Jenkins had wanted to become Foreign Secretary,[6] but accepted an appointment as President of the European Commission (succeeding François-Xavier Ortoli) after Callaghan appointed Anthony Crosland to the Foreign Office.
The main development overseen by the Jenkins Commission was the development of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union from 1977, which began in 1979 as the European Monetary System, a forerunner of the Single Currency or Euro.[7] President Jenkins was the first President to attend a G8 summit on behalf of the Community.[8] Jenkins remained in Brussels until 1981, contemplating the political changes in the UK from there.
He received an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Bath in 1978.[9]
The Social Democratic Party[link]
On 22 November 1979 Jenkins delivered the annual Dimbleby Lecture which he called "Home Thoughts from Abroad", detailing what he saw as the reasons for Britain's persistent underperformance as a failure of adaptability and problems associated with the two party system. More importantly he advocated a new "radical centre" and called for a new political grouping. As one of the so-called "Gang of Four", he was a founder of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in January 1981 with David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams.
He attempted to re-enter Parliament at the Warrington by-election in 1981 but Labour retained the seat with a small majority. He was more successful in 1982, being elected in the Glasgow Hillhead by-election as the MP for a previously Conservative-held seat.
During the 1983 election campaign his position as the prime minister designate for the SDP-Liberal Alliance was questioned by his close colleagues, as his campaign style was now regarded as ineffective; the Liberal leader David Steel was considered to have a greater rapport with the electorate.
He led the new party from March 1982 until after the 1983 general election, when Owen succeeded him unopposed. Jenkins was disappointed with Owen's move to the right, and his acceptance and backing of some of Thatcher's policies. At heart, Jenkins remained a Keynesian.
He continued to serve as SDP Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead until his defeat at the 1987 general election by the Labour candidate George Galloway.
Peerage, books and subsequent death[link]
From 1987, Jenkins remained in politics as a member of the House of Lords as a life peer with the title Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, of Pontypool in the County of Gwent. Also in 1987, Jenkins was elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford. In 1993, he was appointed to the Order of Merit. He was leader of the Liberal Democrats in the Lords until 1997.
File:Roy Jenkins Grave.jpg
Jenkins' Grave
In December 1997, he was appointed chair of a Government-appointed Independent Commission on the Voting System, which became known as the "Jenkins Commission", to consider alternative voting systems for the UK. The Jenkins Commission reported in favour of a new uniquely British mixed-member proportional system called "Alternative vote top-up" or "limited AMS" in October 1998, although no action was taken on this recommendation.
Jenkins wrote 19 books, including a biography of Gladstone (1995), which won the 1995 Whitbread Award for Biography, and a much-acclaimed biography of Winston Churchill (2001). His official biographer, Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, was to have finished the Churchill biography had Jenkins not survived the heart surgery he underwent towards the end of its writing.
Jenkins underwent heart surgery in November 2000, and postponed his 80th birthday celebrations, by having a celebratory party on 7 March 2001. He died on 5 January 2003, aged 82, after suffering a heart attack at his home at East Hendred, in Oxfordshire.[10] At the time of his death he was apparently starting work on a biography of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Roy Jenkins is fondly remembered by Private Eye as having a passion for claret and a distinct inability to pronounce his 'r's. This was clearly shown in their obituary cartoon with the caption: Roy Jenkins, 1920–2003. WIP. Referring to the same, one of the entries in Douglas Adams & John Lloyd's The Meaning of Liff reads "WATH (n.) : The rage of Roy Jenkins." It is believed he was the intended target of the Yes, Minister joke where Jim Hacker, upon being asked for the political implications of becoming an E.U. commissioner, replies: "you're reduced to forming a new party if you ever want to get back in".
Jenkins is seen by many as a key influence on "New Labour", as the Labour Party marketed itself after the election of Tony Blair (who served as prime minister from winning the first of three successive general elections in 1997) in 1994, when the party abandoned many of its long-established policies including nationalisation, nuclear disarmament and unconditional support for the trade unions. He was well regarded by other Labour statesmen including Tony Benn, but came under heavy criticism from others including Denis Healey, who condemned the SDP split as a "disaster" for the Labour Party which prolonged their time in opposition and allowed the Tories to have an unbroken run of nearly 20 years in government.[11] Cardiff University honours the memory of Roy Jenkins by naming one of their halls of residence 'Roy Jenkins Hall' in his memory.
References[link]
- ^ The Path To Power (London, 1995)- Thatcher says that the economy of the early 70s was recovering from the late 60s recession thanks to Jenkins' policies and that the Barber Boom reversed these.
- ^ a b c d Roy Jenkins. A Life at the Centre. Politico's. ISBN 978-1-84275-177-0.
- ^ a b The Penguin Book of Twentieth-Century Speeches. ISBN 978-0-14-028500-0.
- ^ a b Andrew Marr. A History of Modern Britain. ISBN 978-1-4050-0538-8.
- ^ Dominic Sandbrook. State of Emergency – The Way We Were: Britain 1970-1974. Allen Lane. ISBN 978-1-84614-031-0.
- ^ Dick Leonard "Roy Jenkins (Lord Jenkins of Hillhead)" in Greg Rosen (2001) Dictionary of Labour Biography, London: Politicos, 2001, pp.314-8, 318
- ^ http://www.euro-know.org/dictionary/j.html[dead link]
- ^ "EU and the G8". European Commission. http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php. Retrieved 25 September 2007.
- ^ http://www.bath.ac.uk/ceremonies/hongrads/
- ^ "Roy Jenkins dies". BBC News Online (BBC). 5 January 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2629269.stm. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- ^ White, Michael (6 January 2003). "Roy Jenkins: Gang leader who paved way for Blair". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/jan/06/uk.labour.
Selected bibliography[link]
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Roy Jenkins |
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Wikisource has original works written by or about: |
Books by Roy Jenkins:
- Roosevelt. Pan Macmillan. 2005. ISBN 0-330-43206-0.
- Churchill. Macmillan. 2001. ISBN 0-333-78290-9.
- The Chancellors. Macmillan. 1998. ISBN 0-333-73057-7.
- Gladstone. Macmillan. 1995. ISBN 0-8129-6641-4.
- A life at the centre. Macmillan. 1991. ISBN 0-333-55164-8.
- Gallery of 20th century Portraits and Oxford Papers. David and Charles. 1989. ISBN 0-7153-9299-9.
- Truman. HarperCollins. 1986. ISBN 0-06-015580-9.
- Baldwin. Collins. 1984. ISBN 0-00-217586-X.
- Asquith. Collins. 1964. ISBN 0-00-211021-0. , revised edition 1978
- Sir Charles Dilke: A Victorian Tragedy. Collins. 1958. ISBN 0-333-62020-8.
- Mr. Balfour's poodle; peers v. people. Collins. 1954. OCLC 436484.
Books about Roy Jenkins:
- Andrew Adonis & Keith Thomas — Editors (2004). Roy Jenkins: A Retrospective. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-927487-8.
- Giles Radice (2002). Friends and Rivals: Crosland, Jenkins and Healey. Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-85547-2.
- John Campbell (1983). Roy Jenkins, a biography. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-78271-1.
External links[link]
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Roy Jenkins
Offices held[link]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Carson |
Baby of the House 1948–1950 |
Succeeded by Peter Baker |
| Preceded by John Hanbury Martin |
Member of Parliament for Southwark Central 1948–1950 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Birmingham Stechford 1950–1977 |
Succeeded by Andrew MacKay |
| Preceded by Tam Galbraith |
Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead 1982–1987 |
Succeeded by George Galloway |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Frank Soskice |
Home Secretary 1965–1967 |
Succeeded by James Callaghan |
| Preceded by James Callaghan |
Chancellor of the Exchequer 1967–1970 |
Succeeded by Iain Macleod |
| Preceded by Iain Macleod |
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 1970–1972 |
Succeeded by Denis Healey |
| Preceded by Shirley Williams |
Shadow Home Secretary 1973–1974 |
Succeeded by James Prior |
| Preceded by Robert Carr |
Home Secretary 1974–1976 |
Succeeded by Merlyn Rees |
| Preceded by George Thomson |
British European Commissioner 1977–1981 Served alongside: Christopher Tugendhat |
Succeeded by Ivor Richard |
| Preceded by Christopher Soames |
Succeeded by Christopher Tugendhat |
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| Preceded by François-Xavier Ortoli |
President of the European Commission 1977–1981 |
Succeeded by Gaston Thorn |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by George Brown |
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1970–1972 |
Succeeded by Edward Short |
| Preceded by The Gang of Four |
Leader of the Social Democratic Party 1982–1983 |
Succeeded by David Owen |
| Preceded by The Baroness Seear as Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords |
Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords 1988–1997 |
Succeeded by The Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank |
| Preceded by The Lord Diamond as Leader of the Social Democratic Party in the House of Lords |
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| Preceded by The Earl of Stockton |
Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1987–2003 |
Succeeded by The Lord Patten of Barnes |
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jenkins, Roy Harris |
| Alternative names | Baron Jenkins of Hillhead |
| Short description | British politician |
| Date of birth | 11 November 1920 |
| Place of birth | Abersychan, United Kingdom |
| Date of death | 5 January 2003 |
| Place of death | Oxfordshire, United Kingdom |
http://wn.com/Roy_Jenkins
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
| The Right Honourable Reginald Maudling |
|
|---|---|
| 160px | |
| Home Secretary | |
| In office 20 June 1970 – 18 July 1972 |
|
| Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
| Preceded by | James Callaghan |
| Succeeded by | Robert Carr |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
| In office 13 July 1962 – 16 October 1964 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan Sir Alec Douglas-Home |
| Preceded by | Selwyn Lloyd |
| Succeeded by | James Callaghan |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 9 October 1961 – 13 July 1962 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Iain Macleod |
| Succeeded by | Duncan Sandys |
| President of the Board of Trade | |
| In office 14 October 1959 – 9 October 1961 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Sir David Eccles |
| Succeeded by | Fred Erroll |
| Paymaster General | |
| In office 14 January 1957 – 14 October 1959 |
|
| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan |
| Preceded by | Sir Walter Monckton |
| Succeeded by | John Davies |
| Shadow Foreign Secretary | |
| In office 11 February 1975 – 11 April 1976 |
|
| Leader | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Geoffrey Rippon |
| In office 27 July 1965 – 11 November 1965 |
|
| Leader | Sir Alec Douglas-Home Edward Heath |
| Preceded by | Rab Butler |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Soames |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1917-03-17)17 March 1917 Finchley, London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 14 February 1979(1979-02-14) (aged 61) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | Merchant Taylors' Merton College, Oxford |
Reginald Maudling PC (7 March 1917 – 14 February 1979)[1] was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had been spoken of as a prospective Conservative leader since 1955, and was twice seriously considered for the post; he was Edward Heath's chief rival in 1965. He also held many directorships in the British financial world.
As Home Secretary, he was responsible for the British Government's Northern Irish policy during the period that included Bloody Sunday in 1972; shortly thereafter, he left office because of an unrelated scandal in one of the companies of which he was director.
Contents |
Early life[link]
Reginald Maudling was born in Woodside Park, North Finchley, and was named after his father, Reginald George Maudling, an actuary, who contracted to do actuarial and financial calculations as the Commercial Calculating Company Ltd. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Bexhill, to escape German air raids; he won scholarships to the Merchant Taylors' School and Merton College, Oxford. At Oxford, Maudling stayed out of undergraduate politics and studied the works of Georg Wilhelm Hegel; he was to formulate his conclusions later as the inseparability of economic and political freedom: "the purpose of State control and the guiding principle of its application is the achievement of true freedom". He obtained his degree in Classics with first class honours.[2]
Political career[link]
Shortly after graduating, he set up a meeting with Harold Nicolson to discuss whether it would be better, as a moderate conservative, to join the Conservative Party or National Labour; Nicolson advised him to wait. Maudling was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1940. However, he did not practise as a barrister, having volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force in World War II. Poor eyesight led him to desk jobs in the RAF intelligence branch where he rose—as a "Wingless Wonder", as officers who were not qualified to wear pilot's wings were called—to the rank of Flight Lieutenant; he was then appointed Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair.[3]
Parliamentary candidate[link]
He wrote an essay on Conservative policy in November 1943, recommending that the Conservatives neither imitate the Labour Party nor reflexly oppose all controls; in the general election of July 1945, he was selected as parliamentary candidate for Heston and Isleworth, a newly created constituency in the county of Middlesex, although there were four applicants and he had no ties to that constituency. In the subsequent Labour landslide Maudling was defeated like many others, although Heston and Isleworth had been expected to be a safe Conservative seat.
After their defeat in the 1945 general election, the Conservative Party engaged in an extensive rethink of its policy. Maudling argued that the Party had depended excessively on the popularity of Winston Churchill and outdated economic slogans. In November 1945 he became the first staff member of the Conservative Parliamentary Secretariat, later the Conservative Research Department, where he was head of the Economic Section. He persuaded the party to accept much of the Labour government's nationalisation programme and social services while cutting government spending. In March 1946, Maudling was chosen as the prospective candidate for Barnet, close to his birthplace in Finchley, and began giving speeches there. Labour had unexpectedly won the seat in 1945, but it was considered to be marginal. In 1950 he was elected as Member of Parliament with an absolute majority.[4]
Member of Parliament and Cabinet[link]
Following the 1951 election, Churchill made Maudling a junior Minister at the Ministry of Civil Aviation. However, his experience of preparing economic policy led to his speaking on behalf of the Treasury on the 1952 budget and thus to an appointment, later that year, as Economic Secretary to the Treasury. With his mentor Rab Butler as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Maudling worked to reduce taxes and controls in order to move from post-war austerity to affluence.
When Anthony Eden took over as Prime Minister in 1955, Maudling was promoted to head a department as Minister of Supply. He supported the invasion of Suez. The Ministry was responsible for aircraft production and supplying the armed forces, and Maudling came to agree with critics who argued that it was an unnecessary intermediary; he therefore recommended its abolition. Although supportive of Harold Macmillan's appointment as Prime Minister over the rival claims of Butler in 1957, Maudling found himself in difficulties over his position in the new government. He refused to continue at the Ministry of Supply and also rejected an offer of the Ministry of Health because Iain Macleod, with whom he had a rivalry, had held the post five years earlier and Maudling did not want to be seen as five years behind him.
Macmillan appointed Maudling to the post of Paymaster General and spokesman in the House of Commons for the Ministry of Fuel and Power, which was technically a demotion. Nine months later, Maudling had proved his usefulness and Macmillan brought him into the Cabinet (17 September 1957) where he acted more as a Minister without Portfolio: he had specific responsibility for persuading the six members of the embryonic European Economic Community, who had recently signed the Treaty of Rome, to abandon their proposal for a customs union in favour of a wider free-trade area where each country would preserve their own external tariffs. However, Maudling's lack of international experience led him to underestimate the importance of the nascent Community and what was constructive in it. Faced with widespread rejection of the proposals, Maudling aroused hostility in Bonn and Paris by seeking to play off the Germans against the French. On 14 November 1958, six months after the election of General de Gaulle, Jacques Soustelle, the French Minister of Information, confirmed to the Press that France would reject the Maudling plan. Two days later, the British delegation to the Community formally called an end to accession negotiations. Maudling later revised his proposals which were to form the basis of the European Free Trade Association.[5]
Meanwhile Maudling became an underwriting member of Lloyd's of London in December 1957, although his assets were somewhat below average for other 'names'.[6]
President of the Board of Trade[link]
Maudling entered the front line of politics after the 1959 election when appointed President of the Board of Trade. He was responsible for introducing the government's proposals to help areas of high unemployment. This was achieved by paying grants to companies to create new plants in these deprived areas, and also by the government taking over unused land for development. Maudling also succeeded in negotiating a free trade agreement between the countries outside the Common Market; this became the European Free Trade Association and was some compensation for his failure to negotiate a free trade area with the Common Market. Maudling was opposed to any proposal to join the Common Market on the basis that it would end Britain's right to make commercial agreements with New Zealand and Australia. He was later to remark that "I can think of no more retrograde step economically or politically". This comment was to be quoted against him when, less than two years later, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time of the reopening of negotiations for Common Market membership.[7]
Colonial Secretary[link]
Reginald Maudling was for a short time, as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1961, responsible for the process of decolonisation. In this position he chaired constitutional conferences for Jamaica, Northern Rhodesia and Trinidad and Tobago which prepared them up for independence; his plan for Northern Rhodesia was controversial and he had to threaten resignation before it was approved. However Maudling was keen to return to economic policy, and seized his opportunity when Macmillan made it clear in private that he supported a voluntary incomes policy. Maudling promptly made his case in public, and three weeks later was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in Macmillan's "Night of the Long Knives" attempt to rejuvenate his Cabinet.[8]
Chancellor of the Exchequer[link]
As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Maudling soon cut purchase tax and bank interest rates. His 1963 budget[9] aimed at "expansion without inflation". Following a period of economic difficulty, with a growth target of 4%. Maudling was able to remove income tax from owner occupiers' residential premises. He also abolished the rate of duty on home-brewed beer which in effect legalised it. This was the period in which Maudling was at his most popular within the Conservative Party and in the country.
However, later commentators have been less kind to Maudling: Harold Wilson and his Chancellor Jim Callaghan (who nevertheless sounded out Maudling for the governorship of the Bank of England in 1966)[10] blamed the "dash for growth" that followed the 1963 budget for increasing pound sterling's chronic instability between 1964 and 1967 and by greatly increasing domestic demand the budget certainly exacerbated the existing balance of payments problem. Maudling largely recognised this himself by the time of the 1964 budget and, although he increased taxes, he did little to subdue demand in an election year.
By 1963, Maudling was being considered as a possible future prime minister after Macmillan. However, Macmillan's sudden illness and announcement of his resignation in October 1963 came at a time when Maudling was considered too junior. He was also poorly received at the Conservative Party conference, which had become a hustings for the leadership. He retained his post as Chancellor under the new prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home, and, in the 1964 election, Maudling had a prominent role at the helm of the party's daily press conferences while Douglas-Home toured the country.
On the BBC's election results programme, the journalist Anthony Howard said that he believed that if Maudling had been leader, the narrow Conservative defeat would have been a narrow Conservative victory.[11]
Upon being forced out of the post by the election defeat, Maudling left a note to his successor, James Callaghan, simply stating "Good luck, old cock.... Sorry to leave it in such a mess."
Failed leadership bid[link]
Out of office, Maudling accepted the offer of a seat on the board of Kleinwort Benson in November 1964, one of the factors which led to his being shifted to spokesman on Foreign Affairs in early 1965. Unlike other potential leadership contenders, Maudling publicly maintained his loyalty to Douglas-Home as criticisms of his leadership mounted. When Douglas-Home resigned, after putting in place a system in which the leadership was directly elected, Maudling fought against Edward Heath for the position of candidate to the party centre-right. Unfortunately for Maudling, Enoch Powell also stood as a candidate supporting monetarist and proto-Thatcherite economics.
Maudling's business directorships with Kleinwort Benson and others were mentioned by his opponents as evidence of his lack of commitment for the role, and he was criticised as too close to the Macmillan/Douglas-Home style of politics. He won 133 votes against Heath's 150; Powell's 15 votes were seen as more likely to go to Maudling had Powell not stood, but they would have made no difference since Heath obtained 150, a narrow majority.
Deputy Leader and Home Secretary[link]
Maudling served as Deputy Leader under Heath, and was also a prominent member of the Shadow Cabinet. However, he was neither close to Edward Heath personally nor politically, and as a consequence his influence declined; his support for an incomes policy now went against party policy. He also tended to make gaffes, as for example when he said Harold Wilson had been following the same policy as the Conservatives on Rhodesia and "I can't think of anything he has done wrongly". After Enoch Powell had been sacked from the Shadow Cabinet in 1968 for his controversial Rivers of Blood speech, Maudling was moved from the position of Shadow Commonwealth Secretary to become Shadow Defence Secretary until 1969 when he was replaced by Geoffrey Rippon. When the Conservatives returned to power in 1970, Maudling was appointed Home Secretary; the most pressing problem at the Home Office was tackling the Troubles in Northern Ireland. After boarding the aeroplane at the end of his first visit to the province, he remarked "For God's sake bring me a large Scotch. What a bloody awful country."[12]
Maudling's attitude of reassuring calmness in interviews, normally helpful to him, was damaging when he referred to reducing IRA violence to "an acceptable level", a remark widely regarded as a gaffe. He also tended to trust the Unionist-controlled Government of Northern Ireland and gloss over differences between their approach and that of the United Kingdom government. This backfired when the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland James Chichester-Clark resigned over a split in March 1971. That August, Maudling reluctantly authorised the Northern Ireland government to introduce internment without trial for terror suspects, which caused widespread upheaval and anger among the nationalist population due to its exclusive use on that community,[13] and was followed by a massive escalation in the level of violence.
Regarding criminal justice, Maudling made no attempt, despite his personal support, to reintroduce capital punishment after its abolition in 1969. He introduced Community Service, a new alternative to prison, and in 1971 modestly tightened the immigration rules.[14] He was criticised for ordering the deportation of Rudi Dutschke, later one of the founders of the German Green Party. Dutschke, who was in Britain to recuperate from an assassination attempt, was considered a student anarchist.
Bloody Sunday[link]
Maudling's statement in the House of Commons after Bloody Sunday agreed with the British army's statement that the Parachute Regiment had fired only in self-defence,[15]. After being denied recognition by the speaker of the House to speak on the massacre, Northern Irish independent socialist M.P. Bernadette Devlin McAliskey walked across the floor of the Commons and slapped Maudling as an expression of frustration at being unfairly denied the right to speak.[16]
Eventually, Edward Heath decided to bring in direct rule of Northern Ireland under a separate Secretary of State. In 1974, the IRA sent Maudling a letter bomb that slightly injured him.
Scandal[link]
In 1972, Maudling's business activities were causing considerable disquiet and speculation in the press. In 1966, he had obtained a directorship in the company of John Poulson, an architect Maudling helped obtain lucrative contracts. Poulson routinely did business through bribery and in 1972 was made bankrupt. The bankruptcy hearings disclosed his bribe payments, and Maudling's connection became public knowledge. Maudling came to the decision that his responsibility for the Metropolitan Police, which was beginning fraud investigations into Poulson, made his position as Home Secretary untenable. He resigned on 18 July, to general sympathy from the press. Shortly after receiving Maudling's resignation, Edward Heath's government performed a 'U-turn' on economic policy and subsequently adopted an approach strikingly similar to Maudling's.
Heath advised Maudling not to drop out of the public eye and he continued to make many media appearances. In the year after the Conservative Party's electoral defeat in 1974, Heath was replaced as leader by Margaret Thatcher. She appointed Maudling to the post of Shadow Foreign Secretary. However, Maudling clashed with Thatcher over economics, and after less than two years in the role he was dismissed on 19 November 1976. Departing, Maudling summed up his career as 'hired by Winston Churchill, fired by Margaret Thatcher'. He subsequently attacked the monetarist economic theories to which Thatcher had turned.
Last years and death[link]
In 1969, he had been President of the Real Estate Fund of America, whose Chief Executive, Jerome Hoffman, had been imprisoned for fraud; Maudling had also been an adviser to the Peachey Property Corporation, whose Chairman Sir Eric Miller had embezzled company money and later committed suicide. Maudling was also revealed to have lobbied for more aid to Malta after obtaining a commission for Poulson there, which had led to heavy losses to the Maltese government. These further revelations led to a Parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of Maudling and two other MPs linked to Poulson. This inquiry published its report on 14 July 1977; the report concluded that Maudling had indulged in "conduct inconsistent with the standards which the House is entitled to expect from its members".
When the report was considered by the House of Commons, the Conservative Party organised its MPs to attend the debate to "Save Reggie". An amendment was put down to "take note" of the report, instead of endorsing it, and carried by 230 votes (211 Conservatives, 17 Labour, 2 Liberals and 2 Ulster Unionists) to 207. No punishment was imposed. An attempt by backbench Labour MPs to expel Maudling from the House was defeated by 331 votes to 11, and a move to suspend him for six months was lost by 324 to 97.
As Lewis Baston's 2004 biography recounts, Maudling and his wife became heavy drinkers once his political career was effectively ended by the scandal. The drinking turned to alcoholism and Maudling's health rapidly deteriorated in the late 1970s.
In early 1979, he collapsed and there were fears that his treatment would be hindered by the strikes in the "Winter of Discontent". He died on 14 February of cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure in the Royal Free Hospital at the age of 61. His seat was retained by Conservative Sydney Chapman in the general election on 3 May 1979, in which the Conservatives returned to government.
He is buried in the churchyard of the Hertfordshire village of Little Berkhamstead, where a stone seat from the Maudlings' garden has been placed beside the grave.
Family life[link]
Maudling married the actress Beryl Laverick (1919–88) six days after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. They had three sons and a daughter, the modish Caroline Maudling, who became a journalist in the 1960s as the "travelling teenager" of the Daily Mail and, among other things, appeared alongside John Lennon of the Beatles on BBC TV's Juke Box Jury in 1963.[17] Maudling's mother had disowned him as a result of his marriage, and Maudling did not attend her funeral in 1956.[18] When Caroline aroused some press and other comment by becoming an unmarried mother in the late 1960s, Maudling was staunch in her defence, publicly expressing paternal pride.[19]
Beryl Maudling was buried next to her husband at Little Berkhamstead.
References[link]
- ^ The Papers of Reginald Maudling janus.lib.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ Baston, Reggie Chapter 1, and pp.40–42, 173–4; quotation, from Maudling's essay, "Conservatives and Control", on Baston, p. 41.
- ^ Baston, Reggie, Chapter 2
- ^ Baston, Reggie, Chapters 3–5; "professional politician" (as opposed to gentleman amateur, born to politics, p. 49. Maudling had 53% of the vote in a three-party contest; the Conservative lead was 10,534 out of 70,687.
- ^ Beloff, Nora (1963). The General Says No. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 78–80.
- ^ Baston, Reggie, Chapter 6–8
- ^ Beloff, N., p. 87.
- ^ Baston, Reggie, Chapters 9 and 10
- ^ "April – The Chancellor, Reginald Maudling, announces the Budget" Illingworth Exhibition: Cartoons of the 1960s. Contemporary cartoon of the budget announcement. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ Baston, Chapter 16
- ^ Baston, Reggie, chapters 11–13. Howard quoted from Maudling's autobiography.
- ^ Sunday Times Insight Team, Ulster (Penguin, 1972), page 213; The politics of drinking in power BBC News Online, 6 January 2006. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ Biographies of Prominent People – 'M' CAIN Web Service. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ 1971: UK restricts Commonwealth migrants BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ The Bitter Road from Bloody Sunday www.time.com. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ Maiden speeches in short supply BBC News Online, 6 April 2001 Retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ Baston, Chapter 13
- ^ Baston, Chapter 2
- ^ Baston, Chapter 13
Bibliography[link]
- Lewis Baston (2004) Reggie: The Life of Reginald Maudling. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2924-3 Principal source, where no other is specified.
- Michael Gillard (1974) A little pot of money. The story of Reginald Maudling and the Real Estate Fund of America. Private Eye productions / André Deutsch. ISBN 0-233-96444-4
- Michael Gillard (1980) Nothing to declare: the political corruptions of John Poulson. John Calder. ISBN 0-7145-3625-3
- Reginald Maudling (1978) Memoirs. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 0-283-98446-5
- Robert Shepherd (2004) "Reginald Maudling" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press.
External links[link]
|
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Reginald Maudling |
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Reginald Maudling
- BBC News 'On this Day', includes a 1971 filmed interview on the Immigration Bill
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Stephen Taylor |
Member of Parliament for Barnet 1950–February 1974 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet February 1974–1979 |
Succeeded by Sir Sydney Chapman |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Walter Monckton |
Paymaster General 1957–1959 |
Succeeded by The Lord Mills |
| Preceded by Sir David Eccles |
President of the Board of Trade 1959–1961 |
Succeeded by Fred Erroll |
| Preceded by Iain Macleod |
Secretary of State for the Colonies 1961–1962 |
Succeeded by Duncan Sandys |
| Preceded by Selwyn Lloyd |
Chancellor of the Exchequer 1962–1964 |
Succeeded by James Callaghan |
| Preceded by R. A. Butler |
Shadow Foreign Secretary 1965 |
Succeeded by Christopher Soames |
| Preceded by James Callaghan |
Home Secretary 1970–1972 |
Succeeded by Leonard Robert Carr |
| Preceded by Geoffrey Rippon |
Shadow Foreign Secretary 1975–1976 |
Succeeded by John Davies |
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maudling, Reginald |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | British politician |
| Date of birth | 7 March 1917 |
| Place of birth | North Finchley, London |
| Date of death | 14 February 1979 |
| Place of death | Hampstead, London |
http://wn.com/Reginald_Maudling
Related pages:
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http://fr.wn.com/Reginald Maudling
http://de.wn.com/Reginald Maudling
http://es.wn.com/Reginald Maudling
http://pl.wn.com/Reginald Maudling
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Maudling
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Daniel Hannan MEP |
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|---|---|
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| Member of the European Parliament for South East England |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 14 July 1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | (1971-09-01) 1 September 1971 (age 40) Lima, Peru |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Sara Hannan (née Maynard) |
| Children | 2 [1] |
| Alma mater | Oriel College, Oxford |
| Profession | Journalist Politician |
| Religion | Christian |
| Website | www.hannan.co.uk |
Daniel John Hannan (born 1 September 1971)[2] is a British journalist, author and politician who is a Member of the European Parliament, representing South East England for the Conservative Party. He is also the Secretary-General of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR). An advocate of localism and a Eurosceptic, Hannan earned worldwide fame for a speech in the European Parliament criticising Gordon Brown.[3]
After stints as a speech-writer for Michael Howard and William Hague, Hannan was elected to the European Parliament at the 1999 election. He led the campaign to withdraw the Conservative Party from the EPP–ED, and was expelled from the group in 2008. Hannan joined the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) with his Conservative colleagues when it was formed in 2009 and became Secretary-General of its sister Europarty, the AECR. He currently serves on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.[2] He is also President of the Young Britons' Foundation.
Hannan's ideology is localism, and he has written several books arguing for democratic reform. He is a Eurosceptic and is strongly critical of European integration. Besides politics, Hannan is a journalist, having written leaders and currently authoring a blog for The Daily Telegraph and several books on both the EU and localism. Having been born in Peru, Hannan speaks Spanish, as well as French, fluently.[4]
Contents |
Early life[link]
Upbringing[link]
Hannan was born on his parents' farm near Lima, Peru.[5] Hannan's father served in Italy during the Second World War with the North Irish Horse. Hannan has indicated that his father's Irish Catholic origins made him more sensitive to issues related to Northern Ireland and The Troubles.[6]
Growing up, he made regular trips to the family's cotton farm in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.[5] After spending his childhood in Peru, Hannan was educated at Marlborough College, and Oriel College, Oxford, where he studied Modern History.[5] He speaks English, French and Spanish.[4]
Early political career[link]
Hannan was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) in 1992. When standing in OUCA's committee elections for Michaelmas 1991, his strongly Eurosceptic views prompted accusations of "xenophobia" in the Oxford student paper Cherwell, prompting Hannan to threaten them with legal action.[7] He also served as national vice-chairman of Conservative Students from 1992-3, and then chairman of Conservative Graduates from 1994.[8] He had earlier established the Oxford Campaign for an Independent Britain, and on 12 September 1992 led a members' protest at a European financial summit held in Bath, which was widely televised and, he has since light-heartedly claimed, led to the withdrawal of the Pound Sterling from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism a few days later.[9]
Through the CIB he became involved with the Bruges Group, and after he graduated he became, in 1994, director of a Eurosceptic political think-tank, the European Research Group. In 1996 he was hired by the Daily Telegraph as a leader-writer,[8] and has since contributed to The Spectator and many other newspapers and magazines around the world. In 1997 he became an adviser and speechwriter to Michael Howard, then Shadow Foreign Secretary,[10] and in 1998 he was given a place on the Conservative candidates' list for the following year's European Parliament election. He later became a speechwriter for party leader William Hague.[5] In 1999 he stood down from his posts at the European Research Group and Conservative Graduates.[8]
Member of the European Parliament[link]
Hannan was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999.
A year after his first election, Hannan courted controversy when he appeared to be using the Conservative Party's central office as headquarters for a campaign to persuade Danish voters to block the introduction of the European Single Currency; however, he was able to show that the campaign was actually being run from his Westminster flat.[11]
In his first term, he served on the Committee on Fisheries and the Delegation for Relations with Afghanistan.[2]
He was re-elected at the top of his party's list for the South East England constituency in 2004.
Hannan led the campaign to withdraw the Conservatives from the European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) group in the European Parliament and form a new anti-federalist group.[12] Hannan welcomed David Cameron's promise during Cameron's successful 2005 leadership campaign to withdraw: even promising to leave the EPP–ED unilaterally if the party didn't.[13]
In April 2009, he criticised an EC Directive that would end the exemption in British law for religious groups to discriminate on grounds on conscience.[14]
In April 2008, Daniel Hannan was elected to the top position of the Conservative list for the 2009 European elections in the constituency of South East England, and in June 2009 he was re-elected to the European Parliament.[15]
Campaign against the Lisbon Treaty[link]
Hannan opposed ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the European Parliament, and was one of several MEPs who took part in a demonstration in the chamber after Parliament voted to endorse the Treaty. He has continued to speak against the Treaty, and in the manner of Cato the Elder's famous call, Carthago delenda est, he ended every speech, whatever its subject, with a call for the Lisbon Treaty to be put to a referendum: "Pactio Olisipiensis censenda est".[16][17]
Expulsion from the EPP-ED[link]
Attempts by several MEPs to disrupt the work of the Parliament caused sufficient annoyance for a majority of Members to endorse a rule change giving the Speaker/President the discretion to limit the use of filibustering procedures where he "is convinced that these are manifestly intended to cause, and will result in, a prolonged and serious obstruction of the procedures of the House or the rights of other Members" (Rule 20, para 1). In the parliamentary session just before the new rule was to be presented by the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering,[citation needed]
Hannan criticised what he termed a deviation from the rule of law. He continued speaking after his allocated time had ended by quoting Edmund Burke, but was interrupted mid-quote and had his microphone cut off by Luigi Cocilovo, one of the 14 Vice-Presidents.[18] He then responded by damning, without vocal amplification, what he claimed were Parliament’s deviations from its own rules:[19][20]
An absolute majority is not the same as the rule of law. I accept that there is a minority in this house in favour of a referendum. That there is a minority in this house against the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. But this house must nonetheless follow its own rulebooks. And by popular acclamation to discard the rules under which we operate is indeed an act of arbitrary and despotic rule. It is only my regard for you Mr. Chairman and my personal affection for you that prevents me from likening it to the Ermächtigungsgesetz of 1933 which was also voted through by a parliamentary majority.
Pöttering is a German national and a member of the same political group (EPP-ED) as Hannan. Hannan's remarks were attacked by other MEPs from the EPP-ED. The head of EPP-ED, Joseph Daul, responded by initiating proceedings to expel Hannan immediately from their Group. Daniel Hannan left the EPP-ED on 19 February 2008. He sat, for the remainder of the five-year term as a Conservative without pan-European affiliation (Non-Inscrit).[citation needed] Following his 2009 re-election, he sits with the new eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists along with his Conservative Party colleagues.
YouTube hit[link]
On 24 March 2009, after Gordon Brown had given a short speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg in advance of the G20 London summit, Hannan followed up by delivering a 3-minute speech criticising in very strong terms the response by Gordon Brown to the global financial crisis.[21] He finished the speech:
You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt. And when you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others', that we are well placed to weather the storm, I have to tell you, you sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line. You know, and we know, and you know that we know that it's nonsense. Everyone knows that Britain is worse off than any other country as we go into these hard times. The IMF has said so. The European Commission has said so. The markets have said so, which is why our currency has devalued by thirty percent. And soon, the voters too will get their chance to say so. They can see what the markets have already seen: that you are the devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government.[22]
The final phrase, "the devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government", was a quote from a speech by Labour Party leader John Smith criticising then-Prime Minister John Major in 1992.[23]
A video clip of the speech went viral on YouTube that evening,[24][25] attracting more than 630,000 views in 24 hours.[21][26] It became the 'most viewed today' YouTube video worldwide two consecutive days.[26] Hannan was invited to appear on several shows on American cable news channels, including Fox News and MSNBC: he appeared on television program Hannity via video link at 9pm EST on the same day,[27] and on the Glenn Beck Program the following day.[28][29] He also appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto, where he stated he would have voted for Ron Paul in the 2008 presidential election had he been an American citizen.[30] The main British television channels, particularly the BBC and ITV, gave the speech fairly limited coverage, for which they faced some criticism from Conservative MPs and "a handful of viewers";[31] Conservative MP Nigel Evans stated that their lack of coverage rendered YouTube the 'ultimate in public service broadcasting'. As of July 2010, there have been 2.7 million views of the clip. Nearly all of the hits are from the UK and US.
ECR and AECR[link]
Hannan was re-elected in the 2009 European election, having been voted by party members to top the Conservatives' list in South East England. After the election, the Conservatives united with other anti-federalist, centre-right parties to form the European Conservatives and Reformists, for which Hannan had campaigned. Hannan was appointed the group's legal spokesperson. He resigned this position on 5 November 2009, after David Cameron announced that he wouldn't hold a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon,[32] saying that he wanted to concentrate on campaigning for a referendum.[33] However, he accepted Cameron's decision, provided that a referendum on European integration was held.[34]
Hannan became the first Secretary-General of the ECR-affiliated European political party – the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) – when it was founded on 1 October 2009.
He criticised a ban on blood donation by people who had visited the United States less than one month previously, a measure instituted due to the risk posed by West Nile fever following the 2003 US epidemic.[14]
Political positions[link]
Localism[link]
Hannan's main idea is the promotion of localism.[5] He believes that local government independence is impossible without giving local government self-financing.[35] To that end, he supports replacing Value Added Tax with a local sales tax, set by local councils.[5]
Electoral reform[link]
Hannan argues in his writings and in the media (for example, during an appearance on Question Time on BBC television on 28 May 2009) for ballot initiatives (whereby electors can directly enact legislation as happens in Switzerland), a power of recall (whereby a sitting Member of Parliament can be forced to submit to re-election if enough of his local electorate support this), fixed term parliaments, local and national referendums, open primaries and the abolition of party lists.
Economic policy[link]
Hannan wrote in March 2011 criticizing anti-austerity protesters, stating that that they "have decided to indulge their penchant for empty, futile, self-righteous indignation." He remarked, "After “No Cuts!” the marchers’ favourite slogan was "Fairness!" Alright, then... How about being fair to our children, whom we have freighted with a debt unprecedented in peacetime?"[36]
Foreign policy[link]
Hannan has a 'deep admiration' of the United States,[37] and describes himself as an Atlanticist with inherently positive views of the United States as well as other English-speaking nations.
Hannan supports the British efforts in the Afghanistan war after the September 11th attacks, pointing out that "more British subjects died in the Twin Towers than in any terrorist atrocity in our history – more than at Lockerbie or Omagh" (see Pan Am Flight 103 and Omagh bombing). He also supports a timetable for set military withdrawal from the country. He wrote in June 2010, "there comes a point when our presence is doing more harm than good, serving to destabilise Pakistan rather than to stabilise Afghanistan. We are reaching that point now."[38] He opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq undertaken during the premiership of Tony Blair.[39] He was one of few British politicians that opposed British intervention in Libya.[37]
He endorsed then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama for President on 18 October 2008. He stated that a McCain presidency would mean an "imperial overstretch", particularly arguing that the U.S. should have been preparing to leave Iraq immediately. He labeled Obama's opponents as symbolic of "big federal budgets, protectionism, crony capitalism and, for that matter, the socialisation of failing banks."[40] On 14 June 2010, Hannan took back his endorsement, which he called his "single most unpopular post" in his blogging career. He argued, "Any American reader who wants to know where Obamification will lead should spend a week with me in the European Parliament. I’m working in your future and, believe me, you won’t like it." He also accused the Obama administration of straining the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K., particularly over the Falkland Islands.[41]
Social policy[link]
Hannan is opposed to the concept of "victimless crimes", and he favours drug decriminalisation: "I'd start with cannabis, and if that worked I wouldn't in principle be against decriminalising heroin."[5]
Healthcare[link]
In April 2009, he criticised claims that the National Health Service was the greatest British invention, saying that it is clearly eclipsed by the inventions of parliamentary democracy, penicillin, and common law, the discovery of DNA, or the abolition of slavery.[42] He also argued that the NHS has left Britain with low survival rates for cancers, strokes, high chances of becoming iller in hospital, and constant waiting lists. David Cameron, who had said that his priorities were "three letters: NHS", distanced himself from Hannan's remarks, saying that Hannan has "some rather eccentric points of view".[43][44]
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Hannan said of the media storm around his comments:
- On a visit to the US, I was asked by an interviewer whether I would recommend a British-style health-care model, paid for out of general taxation. I replied that all three parties were devoted to the NHS, and that it had public support (although I added that this was at least partly the result of the inaccurate belief that free health care for the poor is a unique attribute of the British system). But I didn't want to dissemble: I have for years argued that Britain would be better off with a Singapore-style system of personal health-care accounts. So I cautioned against nationalisation, citing international league tables on survival rates and waiting times.[45]
Also making the wider point that: "we seem to have lost the notion that a backbencher speaks for himself. I like David Cameron, and want him to be Prime Minister, not least so that Britain stops racking up debt. But the idea that I therefore agree with him on every issue is, when you think about it, silly."[45]
Enoch Powell[link]
It was reported in August 2009 that Hannan had praised the anti-immigrant Conservative politician Enoch Powell as "somebody who understood the importance of national democracy, who understood why you need to live in an independent country and what that meant, as well as being a free marketeer and a small-government Conservative."[46][47]
However, he is also on record as saying "For what it’s worth, I think Enoch Powell was wrong on immigration. The civil unrest that he forecast, and that many feared in 1968, didn’t materialise. Britain assimilated a large population with an ease that few countries have matched. Being an immigrant myself, I have particular cause to be grateful for Britain’s understated cosmopolitanism."[48]
Writing in on The Telegraph website, Mr Hannan said: "I’m surprised that no one has picked up on the thing that I most admire about Enoch Powell, namely his tendency to ignore conventional wisdom and think things through from first principles. Like Rowan Williams, he always did his hearers the courtesy of addressing them as intelligent adults. Both men regularly got into trouble in consequence, either because they were genuinely misunderstood or because their detractors affected to misunderstand them. Neither responded by dumbing down. That, in politics, takes a special kind of integrity."[49]
UKIP[link]
In spring 2012, Hannan suggested that an accommodation be made between the Conservative Party and UKIP. The fielding of candidates by the Eurosceptic minority party against Conservatives has effectively led to both losing elections to Europhile left-wing candidates. Indeed, had UKIP backed the Conservatives at the 2010 General Election, David Cameron would have been Prime Minister of a majority Conservative Government, rather than in a coalition with Europhile Liberal Democrats. In 2010, UKIP endorsed four Conservative candidates, all of whom secured swings well above the national average.[50]
Publications[link]
Hannan has been a leader writer for the Daily Telegraph since 1996.[51] He has also written for various other newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, the German daily Die Welt, the Swiss weekly Weltwoche, The Sunday Telegraph, The Catholic Herald, Freedom Today, the Brussels Journal and The Spectator.
He is the author of Time for a Fresh Start in Europe (1993) A Guide to the Amsterdam Treaty (1997), The Euro: Bad for Business (1998), The Challenge of the East (1999), What if Britain Votes No? (2002), The Case for EFTA (2004), and The New Road to Serfdom: A Letter of Warning to America (2010) and contributed to Treason at Maastricht (1994), by Rodney Atkinson and Norris McWhirter.[52]
He was the co-founder of Direct Democracy and co-author, along with 27 Conservative MPs elected in 2005, of Direct Democracy: An Agenda for a New Model Party, which proposes the wholesale devolution of power and the direct election of decision-makers. These ideas were developed further in a series of six pamphlets, The Localist Papers, serialised in The Daily Telegraph in 2007. In 2008, he published the book The Plan: Twelve Months to Renew Britain together with Douglas Carswell.
Awards and prizes[link]
In 2009, Hannan was awarded the Bastiat Prize for Online Journalism for his Telegraph blog.[53] He was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in blogging in 2011.[54]
He won Speech of the Year at the 2009 Spectator Awards, for his Gordon Brown speech in the European Parliament.[55]
He has been named by The Telegraph as one of the 100 most-influential people on the centre-right in the United Kingdom for the last four years: peaking as the tenth-most influential in 2009.[56] This was up from 86th in 2008.[57] He fell to 33rd in 2010,[58] followed by 38th in 2011.[59]
Bibliography[link]
- Daniel, Hannan (1993). Time for a Fresh Start in Europe. London: Bow Publications. ISBN 978-0-86129-073-4. http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Time_for_a_Fresh_Start_in_Europe.html?id=qscZAAAACAAJ.
- Daniel, Hannan (1994). Towards 1996: Britain in a Multi-Speed Europe. London: Institute for European Defence & Strategic Studies. ISBN 978-0-907967-54-5. http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Towards_1996.html?id=U1AKAQAAMAAJ.
- Daniel, Hannan (1996). The Challenge of the East.
- Daniel, Hannan (1997). A Guide to the Amsterdam Treaty. London: European Research Group. http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/A_guide_to_the_Amsterdam_treaty.html?id=x1qeQwAACAAJ.
- Daniel, Hannan (1998). The Euro: Bad for Business. London: European Research Group.
- Daniel, Hannan (2002). What if Britain Votes No?.
- Daniel, Hannan (2004). The Case for EFTA. London: Bruges Group. ISBN 978-0-9547087-3-3. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AXBmAAAAMAAJ.
- Carswell, Douglas, et al (2005). Direct Democracy: An Agenda for a New Model Party. ISBN 978-0-9550598-0-3.
- Daniel, Hannan; Carswell, Douglas (2008). The Plan: Twelve Months to Renew Britain. ISBN 978-0-9559799-0-3. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LJ5aYhMYRCsC.
- Daniel, Hannan (2010). The New Road to Serfdom: A Letter of Warning to America. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-195694-2. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WY_XtgAACAAJ.
- Daniel, Hannan (2011). Why America Must Not Follow Europe. New York: Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1-59403-560-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MHeKOSJucOMC.
References[link]
- ^ http://www.sevenoaksconservatives.org/person/daniel-hannan-mep
- ^ a b c "Daniel Hannan". European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/view.do?country=GB&partNumber=1&zone=South+East&language=EN&id=4555. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ "Browns join Twitter war over NHS". BBC News. 13 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8199615.stm. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ a b Dod's European Companion. London: Vacher Dod Publishing. 2002. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-905702-37-7.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sylvester, Rachel; Thomson, Alice (5 October 2009). "Daniel Hannan: the Tory Eurosceptic MEP whom Labour loves to hate". The Times. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2029688.ece. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (2010-06-15). "David Cameron was right to apologise: Bloody Sunday diminished us all – Telegraph Blogs". London: Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100043608/david-cameron-was-right-to-apologise-bloody-sunday-diminished-us-all/. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ David Blair, and ed. Andrew Page, The History of the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA, Oxford, 1995), p.38
- ^ a b c MEP biography European Parliament website
- ^ Daniel Hannan How Our One Small Protest Toppled the Pound Daily Telegraph (2002-09-13)
- ^ "Latin Link", The Times (1997-05-17) p22
- ^ George Eaton The NS Profile: Daniel Hannan New Statesman (2009-08-20)
- ^ "A foolish promise". The Economist. 13 July 2006. http://www.economist.com/node/7161963. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Browne, Anthony; Charter, David (7 June 2006). "Tories close to splitting on Cameron’s Europe U-turn". The Times. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2029123.ece. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ a b Adams, Stephen (13 June 2011). "EC directive 'bans blood donations after US trips'". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8571071/EC-directive-bans-blood-donations-after-US-trips.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ "Partypolitical.com". Playpolitical.typepad.com. 2009-06-08. http://playpolitical.typepad.com/uk_conservative/2009/06/quoting-dr-seuss-dan-hannan-urges-gordon-brown-to-go-go-go.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (17 January 2008). "EU treaty censored by Euro-federalists". London: The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/danielhannan/3553818/EU-treaty-censored-by-Euro-federalists.html. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ "European Parliament debates, 30 January 2008: Daniel Hannan". Webcitation.org. http://www.webcitation.org/5eoU36rEa. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Debates - 31 January 2008". European Parliament. 8 February 2008. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+CRE+20080131+ITEM-001+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ^ "Creeping EU Totalitarianism". YouTube. 2008-02-18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVeMBNB0cII. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "EU — The last days of democracy?". YouTube. 2008-07-03. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXflgt7ZmOU. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ a b DanHannanMEP (2009-03-24). "Daniel Hannan MEP: The devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Government". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ "Daniel Hannan MEP: Watch the tirade against Gordon Brown that's become a huge hit on YouTube". London: Daily Mail. 27 March 2009. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1165007/DANIEL-HANNAN-MEP-Watch-tirade-Gordon-Brown-thats-huge-hit-YouTube.html. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ The Recall of Parliament: Smith savages 'devalued government': Labour MPs roar approval for new leader - Prime Minister defends Lamont - Benn to launch referendum petition, Nicholas Timmins, The Independent, September 25, 1992
- ^ Martin, Iian (2009-03-25). "Hurrah for Hannan: Brown hasn't been spoken to like that for decades". Daily Telegraph (London). http://blogs.uat.telegraph.co.uk/news/iainmartin/9290067/Hurrah_for_Hannan_Brown_hasnt_been_spoken_to_like_that_for_decades/.
- ^ Bingham, John (2009-03-25). "MEP Dan Hannan's 'Brezhnev apparatchik' attack on Gordon Brown is a YouTube hit". Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/5050574/MEP-Dan-Hannans-Brezhnev-apparatchik-attack-on-Gordon-Brown-is-a-YouTube-hit.html. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ a b Walker, Kirsty (2009-03-27). "An internet sensation, the Tory who told Brown to his face that he's a disaster". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1165027/An-internet-sensation-Tory-told-Brown-face-hes-disaster.html. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ "Outcry Against U.S. Budget Heard Around Globe". Fox News. 2009-03-27. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511011,00.html. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ "Daniel Hannan". Gather. 2009-03-26. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977638368. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ DanHannanMEP (2009-03-25). "Daniel Hannan MEP appears on Glenn Beck". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Pa30Sp_sw. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ DanHannanMEP (2009-03-27). "Daniel Hannan MEP appears on Your World with Neil Cavuto: Part 1/2". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JKhzUffBCQ. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
- ^ John, Bingham; Singh, Anita (27 March 2009). "Questions for BBC and ITV over Daniel Hannan speech coverage". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/gordon-brown/5056568/Questions-for-BBC-and-ITV-over-Daniel-Hannan-speech-coverage.html. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- ^ Booth, Jenny; Bremner, Charles (5 November 2009). "Tories stung by autism gibe from French minister and resignations of MEPs". The Times. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2030081.ece. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Porter, Andrew (5 November 2009). "David Cameron faces further unrest over new EU policy". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6506599/David-Cameron-faces-further-unrest-over-new-EU-policy.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Porter, Andrew; Kirkup, James (4 November 2009). "Tories admit defeat over Lisbon Treaty". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6495994/Tories-admit-defeat-over-Lisbon-Treaty.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Oborne, Peter (30 April 2011). "Let's put the local back into local elections". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/local-elections/8485600/Lets-put-the-local-back-into-local-elections.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (26 March 2011). "'March for the Alternative'? WHAT alternative?". The Daily Telegraph. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100081436/march-for-the-alternative-what-alternative/. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ a b "The war drums boom in Britain". The Economist. 18 March 2011. http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2011/03/crisis_libya_0. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (2010-06-26). "David Cameron is right to want to leave Afghanistan – Telegraph Blogs". London: Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100044975/david-cameron-is-right-to-want-to-leave-afghanistan-within-five-years/. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (2008-03-30). "Are we losing in Afghanistan?". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/3676691/Are_we_losing_in_Afghanistan/. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
- ^ "Why this conservative is for Barack Obama". The Telegraph. 18 October 2008. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/5484919/Why_this_conservative_is_for_Barack_Obama/.
- ^ "I admit it: I was wrong to have supported Barack Obama publisher=The Telegraph". 14 June 2010. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100043479/i-admit-it-i-was-wrong-to-have-supported-barack-obama/.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (2009-04-06). "Americans! Don't copy the British healthcare system!". London: Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/9407633/Americans_Dont_copy_the_British_healthcare_system/. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Cameron: 'NHS Is Our Number One Priority'". Sky News. 14 August 2009. http://news.sky.com/home/politics/article/15360859. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "'Nasty Tories' beat retreat on hunting and spending cuts". Thisislondon.co.uk. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/nasty-tories-beat-retreat-on-hunting-and-spending-cuts-6922630.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ a b "There is no harm in agreeing to disagree Let's return to the good old days when MPs didn't always toe the party line, says Daniel Hannan.". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2009-08-28. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/6103235/There-is-no-harm-in-agreeing-to-disagree.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ Prince, Rosa (2009-08-26). "Daniel Hannan risks angering David Cameron by praising Enoch Powell". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6095533/Daniel-Hannan-risks-angering-David-Cameron-by-praising-Enoch-Powell.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "Daniel Hannan & Enoch Powell: Spectacular Media Stupidity Guaranteed". The Spectator. 2009-08-26. http://www.spectator.co.uk/alexmassie/5289796/daniel-hannan-and-enoch-powell-spectacular-media-stupidity-guaranteed.thtml. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Journalists' magic word". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2007-11-06. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/3677651/Journalists_magic_word/. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "Down with collective responsibility". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2009-08-28. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100007818/down-with-collective-responsibility/. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "A deal with UKIP is preferable to one with the LibDems". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2012-05-24. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100160250/most-conservatives-would-prefer-a-deal-with-ukip-to-one-with-the-libdems/. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
- ^ Who's Who. London: A & C Black. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7136-7527-6.
- ^ Treason at Maastricht: Destruction of the Nation State. Compuprint Publishing. 1994. ISBN 0-9509353-9-5.
- ^ "Telegraph columnist and blogger Daniel Hannan awarded online prize". The Daily Telegraph. 27 October 2009. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/6437795/Telegraph-columnist-and-blogger-Daniel-Hannan-awarded-online-prize.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Lachno, James (27 April 2011). "Christopher Hitchens' memoir among Orwell Prize 2011 nominations". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookprizes/8476557/Christopher-Hitchens-memoir-among-Orwell-Prize-2011-nominations.html. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ^ "Lord Mandelson named Politician of the Year". The Daily Telegraph. 12 November 2009. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6554667/Lord-Mandelson-named-Politician-of-the-Year.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Dale, Iain; Brivati, Brian (5 October 2009). "Top 100 most influential Right-wingers: 50-1". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/6256390/Top-100-most-influential-Right-wingers-50-1.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Dale, Iain; Brivati, Brian (26 September 2008). "Top 100 right wingers: 100-76". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/3086523/Top-100-right-wingers-100-76.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Dale, Iain; Brivati, Brian (4 October 2011). "Top 100 most influential Right-wingers: 50-26". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/8042131/Top-100-most-influential-Right-wingers-50-26.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Dale, Iain; Brivati, Brian (4 October 2011). "The Top 100 most influential people on the Right 2011, 50-26". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/8804388/The-Top-100-most-influential-people-on-the-Right-2011-50-26.html. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
External links[link]
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hannan, Daniel |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | British politician |
| Date of birth | 1971-09-01 |
| Place of birth | Lima, Peru |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Daniel_Hannan
Related pages:
http://fr.wn.com/Daniel Hannan
http://nl.wn.com/Daniel Hannan
http://de.wn.com/Daniel Hannan
http://es.wn.com/Daniel Hannan
http://pl.wn.com/Daniel Hannan
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Hannan
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
