The Road to Mumbles Pier
Wuleft Paddington on the South Wales Pullman. There was an emergency stop at the Severn Tunnel Junction and just before the train started after a delay of twenty minutes I noticed Tom Driberg leaving the platform phone box. Later Jenny Lee told me that he was dic- tating an anonymous letter to Tribune suggesting that Gaitskell should resign from the Party.
In the dining car, after coffee, Bevan told me that Crossman, after a tea party at Shinwell'3, had suggested to Ernie Bevin that Attlee should resign and that he, Bevin, should succeed him. Crossman also suggested that he should be made Assistant Postmaster-General in the new ad- ministration.
Ernie had replied, but Crossman, being an intellectual, thought Bevin supported him. He went to the Cabinet Room where Attlee was doodling while looking at a pelican that had wandered into the garden of No. 10 from the Park. When Crossman told Attlee that Bevin wanted him to go he picked up the orange scrambler and spoke to Bevin.
`—,' Bevin said. Attlee then told Crossman what Ernie had really meant. But he hoped that Crossman would join his government as Charity Commissioner, a post he had been considering for Crossman. Dick said, Yes, Prime Minister.
Once at Mumbles I met Mikardo, who was now resigned to being second string, and who was with Arthur Deakin., Morrison joined us for a short time but left to make an urgent phone call. Shortly after, the phone in the bar rang. It was Dalton. Could he come and join us, too? When he arrived he announced that he could persuade Barbara Castle to resign from the constituency section of the NEC, and stand instead for the Shadow Cabinet deputy leader. The quid pro quo was that the Bevanites would support him, Dalton, as Ancurin's Chancellor, leaving the FO to John Freeman.
It was obvious that Morrison had phoned Dalton and asked him to come along. Why? Later Nye spoke to me and said it was impossible for any of the Left-wingers to support Gaitskell as Attlee's successor. Morrison had joined us by illow and agreed with a faraway look in his eyes that when Attlee retired it was absurd for Hugh to become leader.
After dinner I was left alone in the coffee lounge with Attlee. He told me of an experience with Shawcross. After the resignation of Bevan, Wilson and Freeman over the teeth-and-spec- tacles Budget of April, '51, Attlee was a bit fed up. He had thought he should resign and should ask Shawcross to succeed him.
Over the brandy and cigars in Chequers Attlee popped the question. He was astounded when Hartley turned it down. Why? gasped the astonished PM. Not everyone was offered Down- ing Street every day. Shawcross pointed out that much as he liked the idea of supreme office he must decline for personal reasons.
The next day we went for a walk on the Mumbles Pier and I noticed Nye and Hugh and Jo Richardson talking together. 'Poor old Her- bert, he's such a . . I heard Bevan say with a sweep of his hand, but I lost the rest of the sen- tence for Jim Griffiths came up to me and asked what I thought about Labour's new policy towards the old-age pensioners. I had a long chat with Griffiths, who told me that after Dalton's Lobby conversation with a Beaverbrook news- paperman in '47 Attlee had seriously thought of making Wilson Chancellor. But in the Cabihet Room Wilson had read out his old Hansard speeches to Attlee, while Gaitskell always politely addressed him as 'Prime Minister.' Years later, Gaitskell, and not Wilson, did get the job.
Interesting exchanges of views were held on our last night in Mumbles and in the morning a general meeting was announced. Everyone was present except Attlee and Morrison. And where was Dick? someone asked with a worried ex- pression. Bevan took the chair and said that no one of the Left wing could support anyone but Gaitskell as Attlee's successor.
When told of the new alliance Attlee said it was very interesting; but Herbert couldn't lbe found anywhere. Later that day we went back to London. There was an emergency stop at Swindon and just before the train started after a delay of thirty-five minutes I looked out of the window of the train's buffet where I was having a drink with Mikardo. Who should 1 see but Morrison coming out of the platform phone box.
THE END
Previous page
