The Benn Diaries: 1940-1990 Read online

  I missed Donald Soper at the Tribune rally, who apparently made a wonderful speech. Michael Foot was a pleasure to listen to as a craftsman. He is a real master of the open-air technique. But the audience didn’t take to him all that well. Nye, speaking last, made one of the very worst speeches I have ever heard him make. It rambled. It was self-contradictory. It was repetitive. It had neither information, thought nor uplift. In fact it was like someone sitting down at an organ and trying all the most stirring chords in turn, with no one pumping to give them voice and no one in the choir to accompany them with responses. I came away completely dejected and feeling he had nothing to offer.

  Thursday 2 October

  Nye Bevan opened the Foreign Affairs debate today with a speech as good as last night’s had been bad. He struck just the right note. It was serious, helpful and with as much uplift as was reasonable in the circumstances. The foreign-policy statement is very good and Conference received it well despite the renewed H-bomb debate. I wasn’t called, which rather disappointed me. But that is the luck of the game.

  Saturday 18 October

  Went to Barton House – the new fourteen-storey skyscraper of modern flats – this morning. A man from the Housing Department and Mr Solomon, the caretaker, took me round. It was a perfect autumn day with the sky blue and a shimmer of sunshine, on the whole of Bristol. We went right to the roof and visited various flats. To see the bright airy rooms with the superb view and to contrast them with the poky slum dwellings of Barton Hill below was to get all the reward one wants from politics. For this grand conception of planning is what it is all about. The people were happy, despite the grumbles about detail.

  Dora Gaitskell arrived to open the Hanham Sale of Work in Bristol. She was very nervous but did a good job and was very well and warmly received. But for me the best part of the day was driving her home from Bristol to Hampstead. It took three and a half hours and we talked the whole time.

  She is a most intelligent woman. She is Jewish and was actually born in Russia, coming to England when she was four. She is as sharp as a needle and altogether an extremely good influence on Hugh. She is 100 per cent loyal to him against all comers, which is as it should be. But she is also very critical of him in private and I know that’s a good thing too. There are only a few people who can speak absolutely frankly to him. She is also an extremely perceptive woman and her comments about people are very much to the point. This is probably her greatest asset. You can’t take her in and she forms very strong impressions, which I would think are usually correct.

  We talked about people most of the time. About Clem and Vi, about Morgan Phillips and other Party figures. She detests Morgan but thinks he is very able and competent. She loves Sam Watson. She is very anti-Hartley Shawcross, who she felt had betrayed Hugh. About him and others she was very critical of what she termed their being ‘too fond of money’. She said this about Frank Soskice with his work at the Bar and about Dick Crossman with his column on the Mirror. I think her motives were that she thought that any sincere socialist should devote himself 100 per cent to the work of the Party and should not combine it with other occupations, and that a simplicity of living conditions was an essential element of the leadership of the Labour Party. She took real pride in the fact that she has no help at home other than someone to do part of the cleaning. She cooks and washes up and does the housework herself. And whether it’s the American Ambassador or Clem or anyone else who is coming to dinner, there is nothing fancy laid on. ‘I’m a very good cook,’ she said ‘and they must all see us as we are.’ I admired her greatly for this.

  But when it came to the royal family and social distinctions I found her curiously insecure. She said how she had admired Hugh for his easy way with people (!) and how difficult she had found it to overcome her nerves. This was very human but it was coupled with a sort of feeling for the aristocracy as if it still had some meaning and as if she felt on the outside. It wasn’t envy so much as quite inappropriate respect. This did really surprise me.

  But the time passed most delightfully and rapidly and her anecdotes were amusing. She talked very frankly about her first husband who was a Communist psychiatrist. She said she thought my current ‘I Hear, I See’ series was probably explained by telepathy, in which she took a great interest. And she touched my heart by saying how devoted she was to Caroline and admiring her for the way she ran the house and brought up four children without any fuss.

  Wednesday 19 November

  At 10.30 to the House for the morning committee of the Election campaign.

  The most important item that came up was the Gallup poll figures showing that of all British institutions the trade unions were the most unpopular; 26 per cent take an unfavourable view of them and 11 per cent a very unfavourable view. This I raised as a major problem for the Labour Party. To my surprise everyone agreed, including the trade unionists. Apparently the Trade Union Group are very concerned and are engaged in some sort of study of the question. In the end it was agreed that I should prepare a memorandum on the subject setting out very briefly how the public relations of the unions might be improved.

  Took a party of schoolchildren round the House of Commons, which took nearly an hour and a half.

  Tuesday 2 December

  Charlie Pannell told me today his delightful story of his visit to Anglesey to speak for Cledwyn Hughes. Throughout his speech he was much struck by an old man who sat there impassively with his head on his stick. Charlie said he couldn’t keep his eyes off him, and after the meeting asked Cledwyn who he was. Cledwyn said he was an old, old man well over ninety who had been a friend of Lloyd George.

  ‘Go and talk to him,’ said Cledwyn. ‘He’d be delighted.’

  Charlie moved to the back of the hall and sat down beside the old man. ‘Sir,’ he said, for he couldn’t address him in any other way, ‘I understand you knew Lloyd George.’ The old man raised his head slowly and spoke. ‘Lloyd George,’ he said, ‘had a prick like a donkey.’

  Charlie was taken aback. ‘Ah, well.’ he said. ‘He was a man of many parts.’

  ‘I know he was.’ said the old man. ‘And he’ll be remembered more for that part than any other.’ He gave a deep chuckle.

  Tuesday 9 December

  Collected Dick Crossman at his home this morning. He was sunk in deep despair about the future of the Labour Party and even the future of democracy. I have days like that too and his tummy trouble probably hadn’t improved things. He said he wondered whether we were not just spectators at the funeral of democracy. But he then cheered up and said he thought Mr Khrushchev probably had the same problem in the Supreme Soviet. Most people in politics were, he thought, essentially third rate under any system of government.

  Tuesday 30 December

  At 8 o’clock this evening there was a dinner at the Charing Cross Hotel in a private suite for us to meet with Donald Baverstock and Cliff Michelmore of the BBC, who had expressed readiness to give us their advice on the series of TV party politicals. On our side it was a very high-level affair: Gaitskell and Barbara Castle, Herbert Bowden and Morgan Phillips. Woodrow, Ken Peay, Chris Mayhew and I completed the party.

  After coffee we talked for a couple of hours around the programme. My main job next year will be the television and radio. It is a gigantic responsibility that could decide hundreds of thousands of voters. It is clear I shall hardly get to Bristol at all in the Election and must make it up as much as I can. I am sure they will understand. This means cutting down still further on MCF, other committees and all speaking outside my own division. It also means fewer articles and broadcasts even if they are offered.

  This policy will have to be reviewed again immediately after the Election. And that should come in March or May.

  Wednesday 7January 1959

  Felt very sick this evening but had to go to dinner with Jim and Audrey Callaghan in her new house in Blackheath. It really is modern and is very effective. Also there were Margaret, her daughter, now at Oxford, Peter Co
x, son of Geoffrey of ITN, and Julia Gaitskell, who is the spit image of her mother.

  Monday 19 January

  We had a very pleasant dinner party tonight with the Crossmans, the Enoch Powells, David Butler and Dave. Dick was in a very mellow mood and everyone got on very well. Enoch is really very depressed. His resignation now looks to have been fatally ill-advised. He was urging an even tougher policy than the policy which has now led to unemployment, so he is in the wilderness of wildernesses as far as the Tories are concerned. And there is the added bitterness of the resignation on the eve of Macmillan’s Commonwealth tour. He wonders how the future will shape for him. But I told him that I thought his sheer ability and lucidity would carry him upwards. As a working-class Tory he has the social barrier to overcome. He has not been offered any directorships since his resignation and he has taken a heavy fall in his standard of living. But he was as nice and friendly as ever.

  Wednesday 21 January

  Day largely devoted to christening Joshua. Pouring with rain and very chilly, but the service went off all right and we had a riotous tea party. Hilary said thank you very loudly after Canon McLeod Campbell had pronounced the benediction; Melissa pointed and said ‘You’ and ‘Baby’ several times during the service. Hilary also asked the battery of photographers, ‘Can’t you click your cameras together? I can’t smile for each of you separately.’

  Thursday 5 February

  Long and bitter discussion in the Smoking Room with Dick Crossman, George Wigg and Ungoed-Thomas about Wilfred Fienburgh’s novel No Love for Johnny. Kenneth Robinson had told me earlier in the afternoon that Wilfred told him, at the Brighton Conference in 1957, that Johnny Byrne (the hero) was an amalgam of the worst characteristics of himself (Fienburgh), Desmond Donnelly and Jim Callaghan.

  The novel gives a totally cynical view of Labour politics and has stirred colossal controversy in the Party. Dick Crossman regarded it as a piece of pure betrayal, and George Wigg – as one would expect – described it as an epitaph not only on social democracy but on the parliamentary system.

  Wednesday 11 March

  At home all day and must have made 25 to 30 phone calls in quick succession, on lining up people for our Election testimonial films. I rang Bertrand Russell in North Wales, but he wouldn’t do it. ‘I’m rather dissatisfied with the Party over this nuclear business,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I can do anything to support it.’ I reminded him of the developing African crisis and the Party’s role. ‘Yes, yes, well, well, I know,’ he said rather more sympathetically. ‘Even so, I think I won’t.’ Compton Mackenzie, on the other hand, was far more jovial. ‘Well, dear boy,’ he said. ‘The Tories are simply terrible and they have been the same all my life. But you know I’m mixed up with the Nationalists up here and there’d be an awful stink if I came out for the Labour Party – though, of course, I admire your line on these things.’ He paused. ‘No – damn it – I will do it. After Cyprus and now Malta and Central Africa, I must do it. But I don’t guarantee what I’ll say.’ I jumped in and arranged to fly to Edinburgh the week after next with a film unit to get him to do it before he changed his mind.

  Thursday 12 March

  To Transport House this morning for two more testimonial filmlets from writers. C.R. Hewitt (C.H. Rolph of the New Statesman) was the first, and Ritchie Calder. It is a lot easier doing it in the studio but what a slow business. Two hours’ hard work for one minute of material. And the cost, probably £60.

  Wednesday 25 March

  Flew up to Edinburgh today to make the film with Sir Compton Mackenzie at his house. We only wanted twenty-five seconds of him saying why he supports the Labour Party.

  I arrived at 31 Drummond Place at 2.15. Sir Compton was still dressing, and he appeared in a few minutes in a bright blue tweed suit looking twice as large as life. He remembered having met me before, and beckoned me into his room where he kept me talking until 4 o’clock when the film unit was ready.

  His testimonial was delivered so amusingly that the film crew began laughing and ruined the take. So we did it again. Afterwards we all shook hands again, and they took photographs, got autographs, and hurried away.

  Sir Compton took me round his house and showed me a huge empty room being redecorated in the basement. ‘I am opening a ladies’ hairdressing salon,’ he said. I thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. His secretary has a sister who is a hairdresser, and he said he thought it would be a nice idea if she could practise.

  I knew he was a busy man, and kept trying to get away, but he insisted on my staying, and regaled me with stories and anecdotes until 7.30, when I had to catch my plane home.

  It was a most amusing day. For him it was the beginning. He gets up after lunch, dresses, and starts work after tea at 4 o’clock. He works from then till 7, when he has dinner. He watches TV from 8 to 10, and works again from 10 to 2 am. He then goes to bed, reads and does crossword puzzles until 4 am, when he goes to sleep.

  He was full of anecdotes.

  Finally I left him and flew home to London in an hour and a half.

  Monday 30 March

  Took the boys to watch the Aldermaston marchers as they came in. They were 1,500-strong at Trafalgar Square, and had Frank Cousins amongst them. This movement is a force to be reckoned with.

  A representative of the White Defence League was there with some Fascist propaganda. Mosley is standing in North Kensington constituency at the next Election.

  Saturday 27 June

  To Bristol for the most dejected, depressing, inadequate, badly run, deadbeat sale of work that I have ever attended. If that is the Labour Party’s image, then something is wrong.

  Monday 7 September

  Filming all morning, this evening to Lime Grove to see ‘Tonight’ go out. It was interesting.

  Prime Minister has left for Balmoral. Announcement expected any day.

  Tuesday 8 September

  Polling Day – 8 October – is announced. Tea with Peter Shore; both very pessimistic about outcome. His chances in Halifax are slightly better than average.

  Rush of work begins in earnest.

  Wednesday 9 September

  John Osborne the playwright came in to do a ‘testimonial’ film. The production unit (Mayhew, Woodrow Wyatt, Alasdair Milne and myself) is now meeting regularly to review progress. Our current headache is: who will be in charge at Transport House during the Election? Will it be Dick Crossman? And, if so, will he interfere with us? We feel we must write orders for ourselves to safeguard ourselves.

  Sunday 13 September

  Russian rocket hits the moon. Socialist economies are certainly overtaking capitalist ones now.

  Sunday 20 September

  To Lime Grove from 2 to 8 for the first rehearsal of ‘Britain Belongs to You’. The set is superb and Alasdair was able to knock us into shape. Tom Driberg is our resident political commissar and fairly easy to deal with. I was rather wooden and stilted. Just could not go to sleep for worrying.

  Tuesday 22 September

  Left by car for Bristol before breakfast and drove like a madman to be there for a lunchtime factory-gate meeting at Strachan and Henshaw.

  Canvassing all afternoon in the car, and it works like a dream. I have recorded a ten-minute speech on the issues of the Election (the Summit, pensions, housing, education, and Africa) and this lasts just long enough for me to go round to the houses with window bills. I got lots of them up completely single-handedly.

  To the Colston Hall where Hugh Gaitskell is addressing a big meeting. 600 were turned away. The size of the crowd and the tremendous reception given to Gaitskell surprised us all. He was on top of his form and made a really grand, clear, forceful speech. It included a most friendly reference to me among the other Bristol MPs. Afterwards police with linked arms had to hold back the crowd to let his car go back to the Grand Hotel.

  I had dinner with Hugh and Dora, John Harris (Hugh’s political adviser), and the regional organiser, Ted Rees. We are now frankly much more optimistic about th
e outcome of the Election. The trememdous meetings, the successful TV, and the Gallup poll showing a shrinking margin, have got us to the point where we think that the Liberals holding the balance with us only just behind the Tories is now a distinct possibility. Walked round Bristol talking to John Harris until very late. His appointment is the best thing that has happened to Hugh for years.

  Thursday 24 September

  Herbert Rogers had brought a black woolly cat and arranged for some kid to give it to me to make a good publicity picture. But the kid screamed so hard that its mother had to give it to me instead.

  Lunch with the six Bristol candidates and immediately drove back to London. To Israeli Embassy for goodbye party to the Ambassador Eliahu Elath and his wife, who are returning to Israel.

  Thursday 1 October

  Transport House this morning. The pledge that there would be no income tax increases that Hugh gave in his speech, coupled with the purchase tax pledge released by Morgan, has upset us all. We feel the Tories have now got us on the defensive. This is partly true but partly a question of counter-attack. They are now attacking and we are bound to feel the effect of this. Of course the purchase tax thing is just a muddle by Morgan and stems from old material that was hanging about the office. The income tax pledge was done to forestall an anticipated scare that there would be 2s. 6d. on the income tax to pay for Labour’s programme. Neither of these was discussed with Crossman before release.

  Saturday 3 October

  Liverpool. To the Adelphi Hotel and breakfast with Hugh, Dora and Harold Wilson in Hugh’s room. Dora in her nightie is quite a sight. Hugh was a bit frowsy and looked like the man who used to be on the Bovril bottle in his pyjamas. We were all cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the Election. Hugh has had a gigantic reception everywhere (20,000 people at Trafford Park yesterday) and the Gallup poll still suggests that we are on the up-grade.

  Spend the morning writing Hugh’s broadcast, which he then rewrites and I rewrite, etc. We then walk to the BBC studio and record it.