The Benn Diaries: 1940-1990

by Benn, Tony

  The House exploded at my comment ‘not be rejoicing with the Prime Minister’ – the Tories were furious because it echoed Mrs Thatcher’s own use of the word on reacting to the Belgrano sinking. I simply repeated the point after the noise had died down. The public really are shocked by what’s happened, and it had to be reflected in some way. The Labour benches weren’t enormously warm in their response to me but they are uneasy. They are pleased with Michael’s refusal to go into the secret talks between Mrs Thatcher, David Steel and David Owen this morning, and now of course the SDP and the Liberals are absolutely part of the government coalition and can’t ask questions: David Steel didn’t ask any while I was there.

  Monday 10 May

  One thing I record with regret and sadness. A woman from Portsmouth rang me up in great distress and started to abuse me. It transpired that her husband had gone down in HMS Sheffield, and she felt, as she was bound to, that his death had been in a good cause, and therefore she hated me for having opposed the war. I tried to tell her how sorry I was, but she rang off.

  I wrote an article for Tribune, and sent a letter to the PM asking if the Sheffield had been armed with nuclear weapons when she was attacked.

  Three nasty telegrams were waiting at the House. I’m sure things will get more unpleasant.

  Thursday 20 May

  About twenty-five MPs who oppose the war met at the House, under the chairmanship of Tam Dalyell – Andrew Faulds, Ray Powell, Bob Cryer, John Tilley, Mik, Judith Hart, Frank Allaun, Dafydd Ellis Thomas (Plaid Cymru MP) and so on.

  A short press statement was drawn up saying that those who intended to vote against the Government tonight after the debate on the war were pressing for an immediate ceasefire, and they would vote against for the following reasons: (1) they wished to avoid the loss of life involved in a British landing, (2) they wished to continue negotiations in response to the latest appeal of the UN Secretary-General.

  In the debate, Tam made a very good speech, and Denis Healey made an awful speech supporting the Government up to the hilt. When it came to the vote, Tam moved the closure at one minute to ten, and 33 Labour members went into the No Lobby; 296 voted for the Government – less than half the Commons. It wasn’t a bad vote.

  Tuesday 25 May

  Heard on the 10 o’clock news this evening that another warship had been sunk. Absolutely tragic loss of life. People are going to ask how long this madness will last – 26,500 men out there and a hundred ships, of which we have already lost four, for 1,800 Falkland Islanders who could all be brought safely to Britain if they would only come. Absolutely crazy.

  Monday 7 June

  I rang Charles Douglas-Home, the Editor of The Times, and declined the column he had offered me, explaining that I wasn’t principally a journalist, but if he was interested in publishing an article by me at any time, maybe a speech, I would be happy to contribute.

  The NEC met at 5.30 – a very unpleasant meeting.

  Healey attacked me for putting forward an emergency resolution on the Falklands, and attacked Judith, in the chair, for accepting it. Golding said it was dishonest and sharp practice to accept a resolution when we were there to discuss other things. Gwyneth Dunwoody appealed for us not to discuss it and also violently attacked Judith’s ‘egotism’. The idea that we should even discuss the resolution was defeated by 11 votes to 10.

  President Reagan arrives in Britain today, and we considered a letter drafted by Denis Healey to Reagan from the Party. We deleted a reference to the fact that our post-war relationship with America revolved around NATO. I moved that we should make dear that our ultimate aim was the dissolution of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and that was carried by 10 votes to 9. I got another change – that a Labour government would not permit the stationing of Cruise missiles, carried by 17 votes to 0. Finally I got this passage from the end of the letter removed: ‘Throughout its history the people of the US have always shown themselves willing to sacrifice themselves for great causes, ignoring commercial and material advantage.’ I said that wasn’t true and we’d look stupid if we said it. So it was taken out.

  Tuesday 8 June

  The streets were packed with police for Reagan’s visit. He began the day riding around Windsor Great Park in a coach and four with Nancy and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, followed by 350 TV cameras.

  Later he flew into London by helicopter and addressed both Houses of Parliament, in the Royal Gallery – an event I did not attend – and made a violent attack on the Soviet Union. He had lunch with Mrs Thatcher and another exchange of speeches. Back to Windsor Castle in the evening for a banquet at Queen Victoria’s dining table, which seats 144. Michael Foot was there, I think, and Reagan made a speech about the Falklands, as did the Queen.

  It was quite unlike the Pope’s visit, which was much more human. Reagan is just a movie star acting the part of a king, and the Queen is like a movie star in a film about Britain. Mrs Thatcher is an absolutely Victorian jingoist. I find it embarrassing to live in Britain at the moment.

  Monday 14 June

  Caught the train to York, and talked to the first senior woman steward on BR. She got into an argument with a seaman from South Shields who is off tomorrow to join the Task Force in the South Atlantic.

  While I was on the train, it was announced over the loudspeaker that there was a ceasefire in the Falklands, and it’s obvious that the war is now over.

  Tuesday 15 June

  There has been an Argentinian surrender, and the reaction now is one of tremendous enthusiasm and support for Mrs Thatcher. However, this is not the moment to unbend but the time to reaffirm everything that we’ve said. It won’t be popular, but if you take a principled position you don’t withdraw from it.

  I went to the House to hear the Prime Minister’s statement announcing the surrender. Michael Foot congratulated her and her forces; somehow it was odious and excessive. I was called, and I asked if the PM would publish all the documents and the cost in terms of life, equipment and money of a tragic and unnecessary war. The Tories erupted in anger because this was Jingo Day. I said the world knew very well that the war would not solve the problem of the future of the Falkland Islands. ‘Does she agree that in the end there must be negotiations, and will she say with whom and when she will be ready to enter into such negotiations?’ She said she couldn’t publish the documents, she saw no reason to negotiate with Argentina, she thought the war was tragic but not unnecessary, because the freedom of speech which the Right Honourable Gentleman made such excellent use of had been won for him by people fighting for it. Rubbish, but the Tories loved it.

  Saturday 26 June

  Tony and Sally Banks picked me up and we drove to the South Bank, where, built into one of the arches forming Waterloo Bridge, the famous Polish artist Feliks Topolski has his studio.

  Topolski is seventy-five, came to England between the wars, knew Bernard Shaw and is vaguely left-wing. He has painted some portraits and sketches – Nye Bevan, for example – and he wants to paint me. His study was absolutely crammed with his work. His daughter Theresa was there, and she sat and talked to me while he was painting. I did feel inhibited. He autographed the bottom of a mug for me!

  He seemed to get beneath the surface and capture my character, and I think if he didn’t like someone the painting would not work. I think he was a bit uncomfortable too. Still, the oil painting was interesting – he gave me a long neck and a pipe.

  Tony, Sally and I had a meal at an Italian restaurant.

  Monday 12 July

  The Organisation Committee met – an important meeting to consider Bermondsey and Peter Tatchell. I had tabled a resolution that Tatchell be endorsed on the spot, and Eric Heffer, who had visited Bermondsey, suggested they run another selection conference including Tatchell.

  Michael Foot said Eric had done a good job in Bermondsey. Our position was based on the consequences to the Party of Tatchell’s being the candidate, and he feared a disastrous by-election. But he had told Bob Mellish th
at he disapproved of what he did, and therefore he supported Eric’s proposal that they hold a fresh selection conference with no bar on Tatchell. A total victory!

  Friday 16 July

  Today Hilary married Sally.

  The family left for Acton Town Hall and arrived at 2.30, two weddings ahead of time. There was an Indian wedding in progress, with the women in the most beautiful colourful saris. Then another family and then us: the Benns, and Sally’s parents, Aileen and Graham Clark (both architects), and their grown-up children.

  At one point the registrar said, ‘Now, Hilary and Salary . . .’, which made us laugh. (We discovered that he had been engaged in wage negotiations that morning!)

  We took photographs and all left for Ealing Abbey, the chic Catholic church in West London, where the priest greeted us. Mother read the lesson most beautifully and it was such a sight to see that old lady climbing up to the pulpit and reading the lesson, just as she had at Hilary’s first wife Rosalind’s funeral three years ago.

  When I think of the tragedy of Rosalind’s death and the tremendous suffering and unhappiness that Hilary has had, and indeed that Sally’s older sister Caroline was killed about three years ago in a car smash, it was nice to think of this happiness coming to the family at this time.

  Stephen referred in his speech at the reception to the fact that Rosalind and Caroline were in everybody’s mind today.

  Monday 26 July

  I fell flat on my face today. If it hadn’t been for my big black bag my face would have hit the concrete. As it was my glasses frames were smashed and I grazed my knees, hurt my ankle and a finger – and I was badly shaken. Not as young as I used to be, and when you have a fall at nearly sixty it’s more serious. A taxi driver was awfully kind – helped me pick up my wallet and things – and as I dragged myself up I thought I was going to have to go to hospital but after wiggling a few bones I was taken to the station and managed to walk to the train. The accident was a combination of not looking where I was going and the Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which meant my brain didn’t tell my feet to avoid the kerb.

  Friday 30 July

  I feel somehow that we are at a real turning point in politics. I can’t quite describe it. The military victory in the Falklands War, Thatcher’s strength, the counter-attack of the Right of the Labour Party on the Left, the fact that unemployment has weakened the unions, and so on, make me feel more than ever before that I need to pause and think and work out a new strategy. Caroline has persuaded me that the press assassination of me was successful and that I’ve lived in a dream world believing it wasn’t really happening. The NEC is in a bitter state, set on expulsions, ASLEF was sold down the river by the TUC, and even if they hadn’t been I’m not sure how long they could have survived the Chairman of BR, Sir Peter Parker. The media are now in an absolutely hysterical state. I feel we have just come to the end of an era.

  Saturday 25 September – Labour Party Conference, Blackpool

  Compared to last year, when the Left was riding high with successes everywhere, this year the Left is very much tail-between-legs. We did unleash a violent backlash from the Right supported by the media and the general secretaries, and although the Party is pretty solid on policy it doesn’t want divisions, so we are caught by the constraint of unity – whereas they, being on the warpath, are not, and are demanding the expulsion of the Left. It’s very unpleasant but I shall just let it ride over me; at this stage we have to accept that the Right have won and there isn’t much we can do about it.

  Wednesday 27 October

  The papers all week had been predicting the massacre of the Left at today’s meeting of the newly elected NEC, which was due to decide on the composition of all its committees.

  I decided to sit in a different place, opposite the Chairman, in recognition of the changes that were coming, and I had Dennis Skinner and Audrey Wise on either side of me to sustain me.

  Shirley Summerskill moved that we ban smoking from the meeting – carried by 18 to 13.

  After a bit of business, we came to the major question of the committees. John Golding was the prime mover in all the votes. Eric Heffer blew up. ‘You buggers are trying to break the Party. For a year I haven’t been on television but you say what you like on TV; when the Left had control we had the decency to vote right-wingers on.’ He banged the table. But you can’t shout and scream when you’ve lost. No one took the slightest notice.

  In a nutshell, there was a clean sweep of the Left on all the committees. Foot appealed to us not to reveal what had happened, that we should leave it to the General Secretary. So when the Left had a majority, and Golding gave a press conference three times a day outside every committee, that was OK, but now that the Right are in power we are gagged.

  As I went out I was pursued down the road by the media.

  I feel quite liberated, frankly.

  Had a call this evening to say that Tony Banks had beaten Arthur Lewis, Ted Knight, Dave Wetzel and Mandy Moore for the Newham North West candidacy. He had an overwhelming majority, and so he is in for life in a very, very safe seat – marvellous. I rang Sally. It shows that just when you think everything’s gone wrong things begin to pick up.

  Thursday 28 October

  Bought all the papers, which were full of headlines such as ‘Benn Gets Boot’ and ‘Benn Routed’. I’ve seen these headlines so many times, especially in 1975 after the Referendum. I’m tempted to look up the press cuttings, because I am sure they all said the same.

  Friday 5 November

  Taxi to the BBC for 2.30. From there I was driven to Marlborough to do ‘Any Questions’, picking up David Jacobs from Knightsbridge on the way.

  On the panel were a go-ahead young businessman, Norman St John Stevas and Bea Campbell. Bea is a member of the Communist Party. She used to work for the Morning Star; now she is working for City Limits.

  Back in the car with Norman St John Stevas in the front and Bea Campbell and me in the back. I asked Norman how things were, and he said the wets were totally in retreat. He told me he had seen Lord Home this morning, what a charming man he was, and how ignorant was that woman Thatcher. He thinks she hates his guts.

  Norman told me about the moment when he realised he was going to be sacked; at the time he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Geoffrey Howe was late for the Cabinet. Norman said that ‘the old hen’ had come in, looked round the table and asked where the Chancellor was. Norman had said, ‘I’m the Chancellor’, and she had given him such a dirty look that all the other Ministers, who had been laughing at the joke, froze immediately. He realised then how much she hated him and that he would go.

  Saturday 13 November

  Last year Caroline felt it was unwise of me to stand for the deputy leadership. When I look back, her advice has always been right. I think in future I will actually take her advice. So on Thursday, if, as I expect, I am not elected to the Shadow Cabinet, and if I decide not to stand for any seat in Bristol, I shall be a senior Labour figure without a seat. There will then be an election for the Leader while I am out of Parliament, someone else will be elected, and I will then pass on to another phase. I just have to put all situations involving personal advancement completely out of my mind. If you don’t want anything for yourself, you are less vulnerable to attack by the media. In any case, since I failed against Healey in 1981, such damage was done that I probably wouldn’t succeed anyway.

  Depressed at the moment – the reverses that have occurred in the last twelve months have taken a long time to penetrate into my mind and at the moment I’m feeling a bit like a burnt-out meteor. Still, it won’t last for ever.

  Monday 15 November

  Drove to Newbury magistrates’ court for the trial of eleven women from Greenham Common, who were charged with action likely to cause a breach of the peace for standing in a sentry hut a few yards inside the perimeter fence on 27 August. They’ve been camping outside now for a year, first in huts, which were destroyed, and then in tents and sleeping bags. Bruce
Kent was in court, and BBC, ITN and Channel 4 were present.

  The court was packed, and there was applause as the women came in. Two women barristers represented them. One of the magistrates was a tough-looking man with greased hair and moustache.

  The barristers asked for the proceedings to be recorded, and one tape recorder was allowed, provided that any transcript was submitted for authentication. The magistrates warned that they would remove people if there were any disturbances. Then the defendants rose and were named, and the prosecution began.

  The prosecuting lawyer said, ‘Eleven ladies have been brought before the court, having occupied a hut, which caused inconvenience and was likely to cause a breach of the peace.’ The prosecution had been brought under the 1361 Justices of the Peace Act. He described the events of 27 August. He admitted that the demo had been non-violent, but said that whether they intended violence or not was irrelevant. The prosecution was not a criticism of the ladies’ demonstration against nuclear weapons but that their action violated the rights of others over private property and the rights to privacy. This campaign would not stop; it would get worse.

  He went on to say that the 1361 Act as reported in the laws of England was required ‘for good behaviour towards the king and his people’. Then he referred to Lord Justice Templeman, who had ruled that powers must exist to deal with passive resistance and minimum force. He quoted Gandhi, who had said that ‘passive defence is only possible if it is successful’. All those who interfere with the lawful rights of others are guilty of a breach of the peace, the prosecuting counsel stated.

  We had to leave at that stage. Caroline went back to London and I flew up to Scotland.

  Thursday 20 January 1983

  At the PLP meeting, Tam Dalyell began with a prepared speech, the gist of which was that the Prime Minister had lied to the House because she had known the invasion of the Falklands was coming and did have time to prevent it. He went on for so long that the Chairman, Jack Dormand, said, ‘Look, Tam, we all appreciate the work you have done, but do you really want to say it all now rather than in front of the House during the debate?’ So Tam curtailed it.