The Benn Diaries: 1940-1990 (127 page)

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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