[…] appeared in 1991. This is easily the most interesting and informative book on the Thatcher years to have appeared so far. Ranelagh was a member of the Conservative Research Department (CRD) between 1975-79 — a member of the internal opposition to Mrs Thatcher while ‘Thatcherism’ was being cobbled together by group around her. The […]
[…] by Assistant Secretary Will Clayton, a liberal in the Hullian tradition. Morgenthau left the Treasury and the post of Secretary was taken by Fred Vinson, a fiscally conservative mid-Western machine politician. White’s influence began to diminish (after the end of the war he came under suspicion of being a Soviet agent).(35) Power shift The […]
[…] Healey become leader many commentators believe the SDP would never have been launched and the result of the 1983 election would have been different (a much lower Conservative majority). By staying on and adopting an easy-going and lacklustre stance, Callaghan gave credibility to the many demands for a radical change of direction. When he […]
[…] (3) Porter seems to be unaware of the literature concerning the role of what has been called the ‘core institutional nexus’. So he can argue that the Conservative Party’s right turn in the 1970s was a function of disappearing paternalism, a product in turn of decolonisation. This very sweeping post hoc ergo propter hoc […]
[…] diverse expressions of sexuality; styles of dress and appearance; life style attributes such as drug-taking or nomadic travelling; personally held philosophies and political positions; and even more conservative views such as an insistence on the use of cash rather than cheques or credit (10). All of these things militate against order in the strictest […]
[…] as he ends his period in office mired by the honours scandal. The reason that the Economist gave for backing his re-election, that he was the best conservative on offer was totally true; but even die-hard conservatives must have been shocked at his totally supine attitude to the Bush administration. He provided legitimacy to […]
Compromised Reporting Taking its cue from a powerful network of far-right radio commentators, the American press insists on noting only those financial scandals which don’t sully ultra- conservative politicians. Of either party. For example: Rush Limbaugh, who has become the Republican Party’s Goebbels, loudly applauded Clinton’s appointment of Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, an appalling […]
[…] JOSEPH KBE (1936) OBE (19) B 1885, D 10.7.61 KINGS COLL LONDON 1913 BAR 1914 EUROPEAN WAR 1921 MI5 (CIVIL ASSIST TO MIL INTELLIGENCE) 1924 HEAD OF CONSERVATIVE CENTRAL OFFICE INTELLIGENCE DEPT (RENAMED PUBLICITY DEPT) 1930-39 DIRECTOR CONSERVATIVE RESEARCH DEPT 1934-39 DEP CHAIRMAN NATIONAL PUBLICITY BUREAU 1940-42 DEP CHAIRMAN SECURITY EXEC – OVERSEEING THE […]
[…] of Labour MPs could effectively bring down the government. For some years past the arguments for a realignment had been taken seriously by a section of the Conservative Party who had been close to MacMillan. Since 1973, Reg Prentice had taken a lone path, one which would eventually take him out of the Labour […]
[…] was invited to have lunch with GKY and Eric Lancasterat the Caledonian Club in Halkin Street, SW1. Eric Lancaster was a Justice of the Peace and a Conservative trade unionist. Some time later I found that my name had appeared on Tory Action stationery as a committee member, which was a surprise. My work […]
