266 Sydney Chapman, MP for Birmingham Handsworth 1970–74, Chipping Barnet 1979–2005; in the Whips’ Office 1988–95.
267 Nicholas Soames, MP for Crawley 1983–97, Mid Sussex since 1997; son of Lord Soames, grandson of Sir Winston Churchill.
268 Nicholas and his wife Ann Winterton, MP for Congleton 1983–2010.
269 MP for Esher 1987–2010.
270 MP for Dover 1987–97.
271 MP for Worthing 1964–97.
272 Minister of State for Industry; MP for Hove 1973–97.
273 Secretary of State for Education; MP for Oxford 1979–83, Oxford West & Abingdon 1983–97; later Baron Patten.
274 One of GB’s three sisters, Virginia.
275 Family nickname for GB, based on his middle name ‘Daubeney’.
276 Ann and Nick Owen (whom GB had known at TV-am) were now presenting Good Morning for the BBC at Pebble Mill, produced by Ann’s then husband, Mike Hollingsworth. GB founded the National Scrabble Championships in 1972 and was a director Spear’s Games, manufacturers of Scrabble.
277 Iain Sproat, MP for Aberdeen South 1970–83, Harwich 1992–7.
278 Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, Under-Secretary of State for Scotland; MP for Edinburgh West 1974–97.
279 In the Whips’ Office 1990–97; MP for Stevenage 1983–97.
280 Editor of the Evening Standard 1992–5, formerly editor of the Mail on Sunday 1982–92.
281 MP for Stratford-on-Avon 1983–97, Newport East 1997–2005, later Baron Howarth of Newport.
282 Labour MP for Gateshead West 1970–81, SDP MP for Gateshead West 1981–3, Conservative MP for Orpington 1992–2010; later Baron Horam of Grimsargh.
283 MP for Cambridgeshire South East since 1987.
284 MP for Sutton Carshalton 1976–83, Carshalton & Wallington 1983–97.
285 Director General of the BBC 1992–2000; later Baron Birt.
286 Tony Blair, shadow Home Secretary; MP for Sedgefield 1983–2007; Prime Minister 1997–2007.
287 MEP for Midlands East 1979–84; MP for Solihull 1983–2005.
288 Under-Secretary of State for Transport; MP for Lincoln 79–97.
289 In fact, the Queen Mother had suffered a minor injury to her foot. She was only in hospital briefly as a precaution.
290 The international summit conference on the future of the global environment.
291 He became Secretary of State for Wales in place of David Hunt.
292 MP for Berwick & East Lothian 1974, Edinburgh South 1979–87, Devizes 1992–2010. He succeeded as 13th Marquess of Lothian in 2004, by which time hereditary peers no longer had an automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. In 2010 he was created Baron Kerr of Monteviot.
293 Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Consumer Affairs 1990–93; MP for Gainsborough & Horncastle since 1983.
294 Became Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health; MP for Battersea 1987–97.
295 Joined the Whips’ Office; MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham 1983–97.
296 Joined the Whips’ Office; MP for Brigg & Scunthorpe 1979–83, Brigg & Cleethorpes 1983–97.
297 Political Secretary to the Prime Minister 1992–4. He was thirty-two. Later, Baron Hill of Oareford; Leader of the House of Lords since 2013.
298 Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, 1992–3; MP for Petersfield 1974–83, Hampshire East 1983–2010.
299 The sole witnesses at GB and his wife’s marriage at Marylebone Register Office in 1973.
300 Unlike Lamont, Archie Hamilton had stepped down as a Defence Minister at his own request.
301 MP for Erewash 1992–7.
302 MP for Clwyd North West 1992–7.
303 Anne Campbell, Labour MP for Cambridge 1992–2005.
304 Harriet Harman, shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Labour MP for Peckham since 1982.
305 MP for Rutland Melton since 1992.
306 Comedy writer and television presenter.
307 Tessa Keswick, later Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, and David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds from 1997.
308 Kenneth Clarke’s PPS; MP for Amber Valley 1983–97.
309 Deputy Leader of the Opposition and shadow Leader of the House; Labour MP for Lincoln 1974–9, Derby South since 1983.
310 Michael Heseltine’s PPS; MP for Nottingham North 1983–7, Croydon South since 1992.
311 GB’s constituency secretary.
312 MP for Twickenham 1970–97.
313 Chairman of the Conservative Backbench Finance Committee 1992–7; MP for Bridlington 1979–97, East Yorkshire 1997–2001.
314 Member of the Treasury Select Committee since 1972; MP for Stamford & Spalding 1987–97, Grantham & Stamford 1997–2010; he defected to Labour in 2007 and became Baron Davies of Stamford in 2010.
315 Lord King of Wartnaby from 1983; chairman of British Airways 1981–93.
316 In the Whips’ Office 1992–7; MP for Birmingham Stetchford 1977–9, Berkshire East 1983–97, Bracknell 1997–2010.
317 MP for Westmorland 1964–83, Westmorland & Lonsdale 1983–97.
318 MP for Willesden East 1959–64, Bedford 1970–83, Bedfordshire North 1983–97.
319 A by-election was taking place in Chistchurch, caused by the recent death of Robert Adley, aged fifty-eight, who had been the local MP since 1974.
320 Under the Jumper, published in November 1993.
321 Actress, friend of GB, appearing in cabaret singing songs by Noel Coward.
322 Commander, 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, 1991–6; MP for Beckenham since 2010.
323 MP forRibble Valley since 1992.
324 MP for Oxford East 1983–7, Epping Forest 1988–97.
325 MP for Penrith & the Border 1983–2010; later Baron Blencathra.
326 In the Whips’ Office 1989–96, Deputy Chief Whip 1993–6; MP for Derby North 1983–97, East Yorkshire since 2001.
327 Labour MP for Dundee West 1979–2005.
328 MP for Newport West 1983–87, Somerton & Frome 1992–97.
329 MEP for London North 1979–89; MP for Hendon South 1987–97.
330 MP for Harrow 1960–87.
331 Head of the Policy Unit at No. 10 1990–95; later Baroness Hogg.
332 Author and commentator, Professor of Government at the University of Essex.
333 Walter Bagehot, 1829–77, author of The English Constitution, 1867.
334 Second deputy chairman of Ways and Means (one of the Deputy Speakers) 1992–97; MP for Merton & Morden 1970–74, Plymouth Drake 1974–97. Later Baroness Fookes.
335 GB was appearing on Ned Sherrin’s BBC Radio 4 programme to promote his new book.
336 MP for Lancaster 1970–97; MEP for Cumbria 1979–84.
337 Newsreader and journalist.
338 The Duchess of York was promoting her book based on the journals and travels of Queen Victoria.
339 In fact, she became Director General of MI5, 2002–7; later Baroness Manningham-Buller of Northampton.
340 President of Sinn Fein since 1983; Sinn Fein MP for Belfast West 1983–92 and 1997–2011.
341 MP for Suffolk South since 1983.
342 Noel Davis, casting director, friend of GB.
343 It’s the story of the flighty lady at the military cocktail party who was introduced to a colonel in the Gurkhas and burst out, ‘Oh, goodness, Colonel, you’ve quite taken me aback. You’re white. I thought all you Gurkhas were black.’ ‘No,’ said the colonel, ‘only our privates are black.’ ‘Oh,’ gasped the lady, ‘how thrilling!’
344 Christopher Chope, MP for Southampton Itchen 1983–92, Christchurch since 1997, and his wife Christine.
345 Journalist.
CHAPTER V
1994
TUESDAY 4 JANUARY 1994
Back with a vengeance! The 7.25 a.m. train from Euston. This morning: the Unicef photocall, followed by a session at Birch Cullimore, local solicitors, to be told how we’ve got it all wrong – we’re alienating the lawyers, Mackay’s a disaster (and
, worse, a Scot),346 the Crown Prosecution Service is packed with second-raters and the country is being asphyxiated by pettifogging regulation. This afternoon: a briefing from the Chester Greens (I am their friend), a visit to the British Heart Foundation shop in Frodsham Street (I am their friend too), a session with the Chief Executive at County Hall – I am even ready to be his friend. (He’s an easier ride than his counterpart at the Town Hall. He’s a smoother, more effective operator. Of course, they both know that at Westminster no one is interested in local government, no one at all.) This evening: the ‘Younger Women’s Supper Club at the Chester Rows. They are adamant: ‘Tim Yeo must go. Pass it on.’
THURSDAY 6 JANUARY 1994
Sometimes I feel I lead a double life. Not quite like Mr Yeo. I have no secret love child. But a double life in the sense that who I am in Chester, what I am, where I go, who I meet, how I spend my time, is so different there from here. I don’t have the contempt for my constituents and party activists Alan Clark347 clearly had for his. On the whole, I rather like them, and I want them to like me, but the truth is, while Tuesday evening with the Younger Women was fine, it wasn’t very interesting. And we only pass this way once. Let’s face it, last night was more my idea of a good time. We went to She Stoops to Conquer. Donald Sinden was magnificent: outrageous but still real (just) with a fantastic bit of business that had him forever glancing back at his heel because he’d caught something unpleasant on his shoe. It was a joy. We went on to supper at the Ivy: Donald, Diana [Mrs Sinden], Simon, Beckie [Cadell], Joanna [Lumley]. We were joined by Richard Gere who walked across the tables – on top of the tables – to reach us. Simon looked so happy and Don was so funny, saying:
A young actor, playing his first Hamlet, wanting to understand the relationship between the moody Dane and poor Ophelia, consulted an older actor who had played the part many times in the past. ‘What do you think, sir? Do you think Hamlet sleeps with Ophelia?’
‘I don’t know about the West End, laddie, but we always did on tour.’
The news is that Tim Yeo has gone. His wife was ready to stand by him, but his officers weren’t. Of course, if he’d gone on Boxing Day we’d have been spared a fortnight of nonsense.
From the PM’s viewpoint the sadder news, I imagine, will be the death of Brian Johnston – who was indeed quite as delightful as everyone says and who epitomised everything that the PM holds dear – cricket, warm beer, old English values, Conservative values.
SATURDAY 8 JANUARY 1994
Little Alan Duncan has fallen on his sword.348 He did it swiftly and with a good grace. He is in Switzerland on the parliamentary skiing trip. I’ve just been watching him on the box and he couldn’t have handled it better. We all know that a Parliamentary Private Secretary is a nobody, a nothing, just an ambitious little tyke with a tentative toe-hold on the very bottom rung of the ladder – but the media know better. This is another ‘government resignation’ set to ‘rock Westminster’. The nature of Alan’s offence is not entirely clear to me. The gist of it seems to be that he ‘exploited’ the right-to-buy scheme by coming to an arrangement with his neighbour in Gayfere Street, whereby his neighbour, a council tenant, acquired the property he was living in with a £50,000 discount, on the understanding that Alan would fund the acquisition and eventually have the property. There’s no suggestion that Alan’s done anything in any way illegal, but who cares about that? The feeling seems to be that he’s done something a bit fly and those of our colleagues who have always regarded him as a spiv (too well-dressed, with an untrustworthy tan) will be pleased to feel their suspicions have been confirmed.
SUNDAY 9 JANUARY 1994
Another resignation – but this is horrific. Malcolm Caithness,349 our aviation and shipping minister, has resigned following his wife’s suicide last night, the eve of their nineteenth wedding anniversary. According to John MacGregor, Caithness is more substantial than the goggle-eyed chinless wonder he appears to be. He is ‘a good man and this is a real loss to the government’. According to Stephen [Milligan], the word is that, in the true tradition of the rutting aristo, Caithness has been having an affair with Mrs Jan Fitzalan-Howard, sometime confidante of the Princess Royal.
Either way, it’s a tragedy. But happily we’ve had farce on the menu too today. It turns out that Tim Yeo has a second love child! (So it was a lifetime ago, when Yeo was at Cambridge, and the baby was put up for adoption – but who cares about the small print? This is the Back to Basics roadshow and we’re going to have some fun.) And, yes, there’s more. And if it weren’t so pathetic this would be funny. Mrs David Ashby has denounced her husband – the mild-mannered member for Leicestershire NW – because of his unnatural friendship with ‘another man’.
LATER
The Press Association have just called. They want my reaction to a story in tomorrow’s Guardian.
‘What story?’
‘About the government loan to your business being written off.’
I stayed calm. ‘There can’t be any story.’
‘Shall I read it to you?’
‘No, no. I’ll see it in the morning. I’ll comment then. Thanks.’
I can’t believe what’s happening.
MONDAY 10 JANUARY 1994
I am so angry.
‘The government has written off a £200,000 debt to the taxpayer owed by a company set up by the Conservative MP Gyles Brandreth, who is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Stephen Dorrell, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Peter Brooke, the National Heritage Secretary, has instructed recovery agents at the English Tourist Board to stop pursuing Mr Brandreth, the broadcaster and MP for Chester, and his fellow directors for the return of a venture capital grant.’
Yes, when we set up Royal Britain we applied for a grant and got it. When, two years later, we had to close because we weren’t attracting the numbers we needed, everyone lost their investment – me, the shareholders, the ETB, everybody. I assumed the grant was written off then – and had every reason to do so. From that day to this, I have had no communication of any kind from either the ETB or the DNH or the Treasury or anybody. It is so fucking annoying. I am so angry.
I have spent the whole day on it. It has been an unadulterated nightmare.
My stomach already churning, I went out to buy the paper at about seven. I tried to stay calm and, as soon as I got back, began to draft a rebuttal statement. By eight the phone was ringing. It rang all day. I called the whips. I called Stephen [Dorrell]. I called all the Chester papers. I got Jenny to do letters to all the activists on the mailing list and she brought them over for me to top and tail. I am not going to be beaten by this.
When IRN [Independent Radio News] called and said Mo Mowlam350 was calling for my resignation I went berserk. I still cannot believe it. God, how naive I am. I thought she was my friend. Aren’t I pathetic? Because we chat, because we’re friendly, because we’ve had a drink and a laugh, I thought I could trust her. She is the enemy. Of course she is.
Anyway, I thought, ‘What do I do? I’m not going to take this. It is so fucking unfair!’
I called her. I got through. I said, ‘Mo, I can’t believe this. We’re friends, aren’t we?’ She said, ‘But the story in The Guardian … Shouldn’t you be considering your position.’ ‘But The Guardian’s got it wrong. I haven’t been pursued by anybody for anything. You must believe me. Yes, the ETB put money into the exhibition. It ran for two years and then it folded. It’s like the Arts Council investing in a production at the National. If the audiences don’t show up, the money’s lost. It’s a bad investment, that’s all. There is nothing underhand in any of this. You must believe me.’
I think she was taken aback. I’ve a feeling she won’t do anything more now. But she’s done enough.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Michèle, ‘you’ll get your revenge. You always do. She’s a fat bitch and Peter Preston351 is a deformed dwarf and I think we can take it for granted that David Hencke352 is as ugly as sin. God will not be mocked.’
&nbs
p; She is so wonderful. She has been fantastic today. She’s handled all the press calls and kept a log – who I’ve spoken to personally, who has been faxed with what. She’s masterminded it quite brilliantly. I’ve done no on-the-record interviews and we decided that I shouldn’t be on the sofa at GMTV tomorrow to ‘look at the whole back-to-basics issue’. Michèle put them onto Stephen Milligan – who’s been wonderful. All the colleagues I’ve talked to have been wonderful. I’m utterly drained.
Fuck you, Guardian. Fuck you, Mo Mowlam.
Thank you and goodnight.
TUESDAY 11 JANUARY 1994
‘Scandals have Tories reeling – Major faces worst week of premiership.’ ‘John Major was fighting a desperate battle tonight to keep his battered government on course…’ ‘Tory MPs and ministers were in a state of stupor…’ ‘Minister’s wife shot herself with husband’s gun…’ ‘I shared a bed with a man just to save money, says MP’. It’s all too fantastic. I’m there too, but only a paragraph or so tagged onto the end. There are no quotes from Mo Mowlam.
I want to survive. Yesterday I thought I couldn’t. Today I think, perhaps, I can. Today’s calls have all been from local press. I’m doing an article for the Chronicle setting out my side of the story. I agreed to have my picture taken for The Independent – I thought better to let them do it properly than have a shot of me on the run looking furtive.
LATER
Tony Newton was standing in for the PM at Questions. Skinner got in with the last question. Because I’m always in the Chamber, because I use the Chamber, he tends to treat me fairly gently, but this was too good to resist. He got it in – with that nasty sneer of his, ‘How can the government justify bailing out the Honourable Member for Chester at £200,000 when thousands of firms have gone to the wall and millions been made redundant?’ – and I sat there, trying so hard to look so cool, and thinking this is the worst moment of my life – and then Tony came back, easy, matter of fact, fabulous: ‘Neither the company nor my Honourable Friend has been treated differently from any other company or any other individual in similar circumstances.’
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