The Man from the Hirsel
Chapter One, 1951 - 1952
The Peerage Act
"Such a terrible thing happened today, Dad died in a car accident. He was driving from Wiltshire to London when he was sideswiped by a lorry, died instantly. Another terrible thing happened, with his death the title of Viscount Stansgate has fallen to me by default. Meaning that I have been disqualified from the House of Commons, which I do not want. I shall fight this and take it to Attlee and hope he can introduce such a reform to allow me to relinquish my title. How shall I fight it? By standing in the by-election of course, when I win they'll need to allow me to otherwise a Whitehall farce will ensue"
- Diaries of Tony Benn, 7th January 1951.
Results
Bristol South East By-Election, 3rd February 1951
BENN, Tony (Lab) - 22,193
CHEVENING, Richard (Con) - 11,292
Majority: 10,901
Turnout: 33,485
BENN DISQUALIFIED FROM TAKING SEAT, CHEVENING GIVEN BRISTOL SOUTH EAST BY DEFAULT
- Headline of the Times newspaper, 6th March 1951
"Mr. Speaker,
It is my duty to inform this honourable House that in reaction to the somewhat farcical events taking place in Bristol with regard to the viscountcy of Mr Benn and the election of the recently sworn in honourable Member for Bristol South East, it is this government's intention to introduce the Peerage Act 1950 which will allow members of the Upper House to resign their titles in order to assume seats in this House..."
- Statement by Prime Minister Clement Attlee, 3rd April 1951
PEERAGE ACT 1950
DIVISION LOBBY VOTE - 23RD MAY 1951
AYE - 401
NAY - 204
ABSTAIN - 20
THE AYES HAVE IT
LABOUR LOSES ELECTION TO TORIES, CHURCHILL RETURNS TO DOWNING STREET
- Headline of the Telegraph newspaper, 26th October 1951
Tony Benn, now free of his peerage and returned as Member for Bristol South East pictured watching the 1951 election results
BENN RE-ELECTED AS BRISTOL SOUTH-EAST HOLDS THIRD ELECTION WITHIN A YEAR
- Headline of the Bristol Gazette, 26th October 1951
29th September 1952,
10 Downing Street,
London
"The Prime Minister will see you now, Viscount" said the wilting voice of Jock Colville, who served as Winston Churchill's Principal Private Secretary. Philip Cunliffe-Lister, commonly known as the Viscount Swinton rose from the Edwardian stiff backed chair in which he was sat and followed the tall Colville up the main stairs, passing the photographs of the previous Prime Minister's that adorned the staircase. Swinton couldn't help but gaze at them, in his mind going over what they had and hadn't done during their time in office. The journey to the study was brief and Swinton found himself facing the Old Man as he was known amongst the backbenches of the Lord's. Churchill was sat at his desk, his chair facing towards the window. The Prime Minister seemed transfixed by the windy day outside. Colville silently shut the door behind him, leaving just Swinton and Churchill. "Take a seat, Philip" grunted the Prime Minister, Swinton perched himself on a large brown leather armchair opposite the desk. Churchill turned and faced Swinton, he opened by saying "The wind outside reflects the internal strife within my own government, Anthony Eden has just telephoned me and given me some very bad news, he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is resigning from the Foreign Office as soon as I can appoint a successor..." He paused,
Swinton's mind soon raced and worked out that he must have been summoned here to be informed he'd be the new Foreign Secretary. The move was a surprise to be certain, he had been out of frontline politics for a long time. He looked up from his lap and his musing to see the Old Man smirking slightly, he continued "So, I am going to reshuffle the Cabinet and Sir David Maxwell Fyfe will become Foreign Secretary, with Oliver Lyttelton as Home Secretary. I want you Philip to return to your old post at the Colonial Office." Swinton nodded as Churchill continued to talk "I'm sending Alec Douglas-Home, the Member for Lanark to assist you. He relinquished his peerage under Benn's act if you'll remember. Someone in the Commons needs to be defending Colonial policy." He paused to light himself a cigar, as the plume of smoke arose around the Prime Minister's head, he said "Alright, Philip." To which he nodded and said "I'm glad to be of service Prime Minister..."
Newly appointed Colonial Secretary Viscount Swinton in 1952
Churchill Ministry,
As of 1st October 1952
Winston Churchill - Prime Minister
Lord Simonds - Lord Chancellor
Lord Woolton - Lord President of the Council
Henry Crookshank - Lord Privy Seal and Minister of Health
Richard Austen Butler - Chancellor of the Exchequer
Oliver Lyttelton - Secretary of State for the Home Department
Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe - Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Lord Swinton - Secretary of State for the Colonies
Lord Salisbury - Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
James Stuart - Secretary of State for Scotland
Lord Alexander - Minister of Defence
Peter Thorneycroft - President of the Board of Trade
Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell - Paymaster-General
Sir Walter Monckton - Minister of Labour
Harold Macmillan - Minister of Housing and Local Government
Lord Leathers - Minister for the Co-ordination of Transport, Fuel, and Power
Chapter One, 1951 - 1952
The Peerage Act
"Such a terrible thing happened today, Dad died in a car accident. He was driving from Wiltshire to London when he was sideswiped by a lorry, died instantly. Another terrible thing happened, with his death the title of Viscount Stansgate has fallen to me by default. Meaning that I have been disqualified from the House of Commons, which I do not want. I shall fight this and take it to Attlee and hope he can introduce such a reform to allow me to relinquish my title. How shall I fight it? By standing in the by-election of course, when I win they'll need to allow me to otherwise a Whitehall farce will ensue"
- Diaries of Tony Benn, 7th January 1951.
Results
Bristol South East By-Election, 3rd February 1951
BENN, Tony (Lab) - 22,193
CHEVENING, Richard (Con) - 11,292
Majority: 10,901
Turnout: 33,485
BENN DISQUALIFIED FROM TAKING SEAT, CHEVENING GIVEN BRISTOL SOUTH EAST BY DEFAULT
- Headline of the Times newspaper, 6th March 1951
"Mr. Speaker,
It is my duty to inform this honourable House that in reaction to the somewhat farcical events taking place in Bristol with regard to the viscountcy of Mr Benn and the election of the recently sworn in honourable Member for Bristol South East, it is this government's intention to introduce the Peerage Act 1950 which will allow members of the Upper House to resign their titles in order to assume seats in this House..."
- Statement by Prime Minister Clement Attlee, 3rd April 1951
PEERAGE ACT 1950
DIVISION LOBBY VOTE - 23RD MAY 1951
AYE - 401
NAY - 204
ABSTAIN - 20
THE AYES HAVE IT
LABOUR LOSES ELECTION TO TORIES, CHURCHILL RETURNS TO DOWNING STREET
- Headline of the Telegraph newspaper, 26th October 1951
Tony Benn, now free of his peerage and returned as Member for Bristol South East pictured watching the 1951 election results
BENN RE-ELECTED AS BRISTOL SOUTH-EAST HOLDS THIRD ELECTION WITHIN A YEAR
- Headline of the Bristol Gazette, 26th October 1951
29th September 1952,
10 Downing Street,
London
"The Prime Minister will see you now, Viscount" said the wilting voice of Jock Colville, who served as Winston Churchill's Principal Private Secretary. Philip Cunliffe-Lister, commonly known as the Viscount Swinton rose from the Edwardian stiff backed chair in which he was sat and followed the tall Colville up the main stairs, passing the photographs of the previous Prime Minister's that adorned the staircase. Swinton couldn't help but gaze at them, in his mind going over what they had and hadn't done during their time in office. The journey to the study was brief and Swinton found himself facing the Old Man as he was known amongst the backbenches of the Lord's. Churchill was sat at his desk, his chair facing towards the window. The Prime Minister seemed transfixed by the windy day outside. Colville silently shut the door behind him, leaving just Swinton and Churchill. "Take a seat, Philip" grunted the Prime Minister, Swinton perched himself on a large brown leather armchair opposite the desk. Churchill turned and faced Swinton, he opened by saying "The wind outside reflects the internal strife within my own government, Anthony Eden has just telephoned me and given me some very bad news, he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is resigning from the Foreign Office as soon as I can appoint a successor..." He paused,
Swinton's mind soon raced and worked out that he must have been summoned here to be informed he'd be the new Foreign Secretary. The move was a surprise to be certain, he had been out of frontline politics for a long time. He looked up from his lap and his musing to see the Old Man smirking slightly, he continued "So, I am going to reshuffle the Cabinet and Sir David Maxwell Fyfe will become Foreign Secretary, with Oliver Lyttelton as Home Secretary. I want you Philip to return to your old post at the Colonial Office." Swinton nodded as Churchill continued to talk "I'm sending Alec Douglas-Home, the Member for Lanark to assist you. He relinquished his peerage under Benn's act if you'll remember. Someone in the Commons needs to be defending Colonial policy." He paused to light himself a cigar, as the plume of smoke arose around the Prime Minister's head, he said "Alright, Philip." To which he nodded and said "I'm glad to be of service Prime Minister..."
Newly appointed Colonial Secretary Viscount Swinton in 1952
Churchill Ministry,
As of 1st October 1952
Winston Churchill - Prime Minister
Lord Simonds - Lord Chancellor
Lord Woolton - Lord President of the Council
Henry Crookshank - Lord Privy Seal and Minister of Health
Richard Austen Butler - Chancellor of the Exchequer
Oliver Lyttelton - Secretary of State for the Home Department
Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe - Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Lord Swinton - Secretary of State for the Colonies
Lord Salisbury - Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
James Stuart - Secretary of State for Scotland
Lord Alexander - Minister of Defence
Peter Thorneycroft - President of the Board of Trade
Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell - Paymaster-General
Sir Walter Monckton - Minister of Labour
Harold Macmillan - Minister of Housing and Local Government
Lord Leathers - Minister for the Co-ordination of Transport, Fuel, and Power
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