Read The Benn Diaries: 1940-1990 Online
Authors: Tony Benn
Washington vitis (1967), 172
involvement in Concorde project, 175, 178, 202–3, 211, 224
Rumanian visit (1968), 188–92
speech on broadcasting policy (1968), 195–6
conversation with Queen, 210–12
also Minister of Industry (1969), 214
Texaco drivers’ strike, 460
Thatcher, Margaret (Baroness), 318, 363
replaces Heath as leader, 309–10
Common Market policy, 310, 316–17, 488–9; opposed to European Monetary System, 622
dislike of Heath, 421
attacks Benn, 432
leader: 343, 347, 348, 361, 364, 370, 373, 380, 394, 396–7, 399, 416, 424, 425, 439–40, 462, 463, 465, 466; given ‘Iron Lady’ tag by Russians, 344–5
victory in 1979 Election, 473
Prime Minister: 475–6, 483, 484, 502, 503, 508, 510–11, 530, 540–1, 580, 591, 592, 593, 596, 603, 609, 611, 616, 618, 619
reactionary policies, 485
unemployment increase, 493
opinion of Benn, 507
Falklands War, 533, 534–5, 537, 542
Election victory (1983), 547
miners’ strike (1984–5), 566, 571
Brighton bomb (1984), 572–3
overbearing manner, 580
Westland affair (1986), 581, 592
authorises use of British bases for US raid on Libya (1986), 592
difficulties with Leyland (1986), 592
admired by Reagan, 597
election victory 1987, 597
Spycakher
affair, 592, 601
Lawson’s resignation, 622
leadership contest with Meyer, 622–3
Gulf War, 625, 627, 628
savaged by Howe (1990), 633
leadership challenge, 633–4
resignation (1990), 635, 640
Thomas, George (Viscount Tonypandy): Speaker, 401
Thomas, Ron, 472, 545
Thompson, Tommy, 567–8
Thomson, George (Lord), 176, 182, 188, 223, 255
resigns from Shadow Cabinet (1972), 249
Thorne, Stan, 568
Thorneycroft, Peter (Lord): resigns as Chancellor on estimates, 52–3, 186
Thorpe, Jeremy, 135, 240, 345, 347, 348–9
wife’s death, 236
resigns leadership of Liberals, 361
arrest, 446–7; case, 454–5; trial, 465
defeat in 1979 Election, 473
Tierney, Syd, 584
Tilling, Sir Henry, 118, 119, 128–30
Tito, Josip: death (1980), 488
Todd, Ron, 579, 614, 615
Topolski, Feliks: protrait of Benn, 538
Torode, John, 261
Trade and Industry spokesman in Shadow Cabinet (1971), 250–82
associated with failure by Tory attack, 250–1
Transport Shadow spokesman (1960–4), 70, 94, 107, 109
Trend, Sir Burke (Lord), 224
Trotsky, Leon, 607
Trubshaw, Brian, 202–3, 211, 223, 297, 298
Trudeau, Pierre, 211, 288
Truman, Harry S. 36
Tuck, Russell, 527
Tucker, Anthony, 451
Tucker, Brian, 340
Tuffin, Alan, 558
Turkey, banned from (1986), 582
Turnbull, Malcolm, 592
Tynan, Kenneth, 57
Udall, Stuart, 172
Uganda civil war, 399–400, 412
Ulster Unionists: support for Labour (1977), 408
Underhill, Reg (Lord), 440
unemployment problems, 343, 402, 493
People’s March for Jobs (1981), 515
Ungoed-Thomas, Lynn, 91, 93, 102
United Nations and the Gulf War, 626, 627–9, 632
United States three-day visit 1982, 530
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS), wound up by Tories (1971), 241–2, 253–4, 244–5
Vallins, Margaret (constituency secretary), 558, 563, 578
Vallins, Tom (agent), 558, 559, 563, 567
van Straubenzee, Bill, 424
Varley, Eric (Lord), 241, 279, 283, 321, 330, 335, 368, 400, 458, 486, 487, 501, 509–10, 562
resigns as MP for Chesterfield, 558
Vaughan, Paul, 559
Vaughan, Ron, 212, 325, 326, 339, 353, 366, 372, 404, 413, 418, 443, 467, 473
Verwoerd, Dr: shooting of (1960), 71
Vietnam War, 113, 130, 132, 155, 157, 205
Villiers, Charles, 458
Vorster, Balthazar, 399
votes at eighteen, 188
Wainwright, Richard, 347
Walden, Brian, 268–9, 284, 506
scriptwriter for Gaitskell, 268
TV interviewing, 581
Walesa, Lech, 623
Walker, Martin, 606
Walker, Peter (Lord), 275, 276
Wall, Pat, 617
Walters, Professor Alan, 622
Wapping printworkers’ dispute, 582, 583, 624
Warburton, David, 496
Ward, Dr Stephen, 95, 99
Warsaw visit (1995), 586–90
Washington conference on ‘Eurosocialism and America’ (1980), attendance at, 501–2
Watson, Sam, 70, 82, 112
Weighell Sid, 478, 505
Weir, Stuart, 428, 482, 576, 577
Welland, Colin, 562
Welsh, Mick, 573
Wesker, Arnold, 121
Westland affair (1986), 580–1
Westminster School: Benn’s school report, 2
White, Eirene, 138, 240
Whitehead, Phillip, 405, 559, 560
Whitelaw, Willie (Viscount), 424, 634
coalition issue (1974), 276
leadership challenge (1975), 309
Common Market, 316
Whitlam, Gough, 398
Whittam Smith, Andreas, 627
Whittome, Alan 377
Whitty, Larry, 477, 582, 594, 618
Wigg, George, 63, 150, 162, 165
Wilcox, Dave, 560
Williams, Marcia (Lady Falkender), 107, 124, 137, 138, 142, 143, 145, 147, 154, 162, 163, 185, 243, 286, 333, 353, 355, 396
memoirs, 258
influence on Wilson, 267
given peerage by Wilson, 289
Williams, Roy, 291–2, 303, 306–7, 316, 320, 327
Williams, Shirley (Baroness), 44, 69, 114, 198, 236, 240, 249, 266, 285, 312, 314, 318, 348, 363–4, 380, 381, 383, 396, 400, 411, 423, 461, 468, 481, 505, 506, 507, 556
Education Secretary, 367, 463
pro-Common Market stance, 427, 495
Founder Member SDP (1981), 503, 510
Williams, Tom, 24, 53
Williamson, Nigel, 518, 529
Willis, Ted (Lord), 107
Wilson, Sir Duncan, 205, 208, 209
Wilson, Lady, 208, 209
Wilson, Harold (Lord), 28, 37, 51, 59, 66, 67, 68, 78, 95–6, 98, 100, 106, 111, 112, 113, 114, 119, 122, 124, 125, 130, 133–4, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141–3, 144, 145–6, 147–8, 150, 154–6, 157, 159–60, 161, 162–3, 164, 165, 167, 171, 174, 176, 178, 179, 185–6, 187, 195, 196, 200–1, 204–5, 206–7, 213, 215, 217, 218, 220–1, 223, 224, 226, 227, 228, 229, 231, 243–5, 258–9, 260, 261, 266, 268, 269, 272,
275, 276–7, 279, 294, 296, 299–300, 316, 328, 329, 330, 331, 335, 336, 337, 339, 340, 343–4, 345, 347, 359, 360, 370, 372, 373, 396, 407, 418, 436, 447, 453, 476, 500, 577, 634
resigns with Bevan on introduction of health charges (1951), 29
bid for leadership fails (1963), 81
elected leader (1963), 95
Benn as speech writer, 107–8, 114
leadership technique, 109
forms government (1964), 115
appoints Benn Postmaster General (1964), 117
honours Beatles, 132
manipulative skills, 146
Labour majority increased (1966), 148
Benn appointed Minister of Technology (1966), 158
Rhodesia negotiations with Ian Smith (1966), 166
‘dog licence’ speech, 168
devaluation speech (1967), 175
closes gold market (1968), 182–5
warns the plotters (1968), 197
Benn’s low opinion, 209, 223, 245
negotations with TUC (1969), 209–10
disciplines Benn for a speech on racism, 230
defeat in 1970 Election, 232, 234
bounces back in oppostion, 236
thoughts of retirement (1970), 237
memoirs, 238, 258
Common Market difficulties within party, 236–7, 238–9, 240–1, 242–3, 249–51, 253, 255–6, 271, 306–7, 308, 312, 313–15
comeback to win February 1974 election, 281–2
paranoia, 286–7, 425
rock-bottom relations with Benn, 289, 318
forbids speeches on industrial policy, 291
Labour majority of three in October 1974 election, 300–1
Northern Ireland troubles, 304
referendum announced on Common Market, 308; Cabinet decision to remain within, 312–13
Common Market, 317, 318, 320
Cabinet changes (1975), 320–4, 328
insecurities, 333
resignation (1976), 348–53, 354–5
honours list, 361–2
bugging stories, 425–6, 428, 431, 453, 592
Wilson, Mary, 137, 142, 185, 355, 418
Windscale
seepage, 387–8, 404, 470–2
visited by Benn, 443–5
planning inquiry, 434, 444–5
demonstration by Friends of the Earth, 442
Windsor, Duchess of, 153, 257
Windsor, Duke of, 153; death, 257
Winnick, David, 628
Winstone, Ruth, 631, 640
‘Winter of Discontent’ (1979)
state of emergency considered (1979), 461–2
strikes, 463, 467, 468
government defeat, 466–7
Conservative elected, 473
Wise, Audrey, 420–1, 441, 473, 529, 603, 610, 617
Wiseman, David, 531
Witteveen, Johannes, 384
Wolverson, Mr, 127
Wood, David, 215, 394
Worsthorne, Peregrine, 396–7
Wratten, Don, 151, 158, 160
Wrigglesworth, Ian, 509
Wright, Peter:
Spycatcher
, 595, 600–1, 615
Wyatt, Woodrow, 36, 40, 41, 72
Yamani, Sheikh, 341
Yeltsin, Boris, 606, 607, 618
Young, Michael, 322
Zander, Michael, 93, 102
Zilliacus, Konni, 39
Zuckerman, Sir Solly (Lord), 160, 166, 205
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