David Waddington Memoirs

by David Waddington

  It was a notable victory achieved because of the marvellous support I received from the Christian Institute and Simon Calvert, in particular, and the heroic help I had from Detta O’Cathain.

  * The Lord Denham, formerly government Chief Whip in the Lords.

  ** The Earl Ferrers, formerly Minister of State, Home Office.

  * The Rt Hon. Viscount Cranborne, now the Marquess of Salisbury.

  ** The Baroness Young, formerly Leader of the Lords.

  *** The Lord Irvine of Lairg.

  * The Lord Elton, for many years a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Bowing Out

  The House of Lords is not always the place to go to for polite and well-informed debate. There was an occasion recently when Lord McNally from the Liberal Democrat benches accused Lord Pearson of Rannoch of being a ranter with militant tendencies and that he was using tactics drawn from a Trotskyite handbook. Lord McNally is a Europhile and Lord Pearson a member of UKIP, and it has to be said that Lord Pearson’s frequent exposures of the goings-on in Brussels often give great offence to the apologists for the EU who seem to form a majority of members of the House. I do not know how it has happened but peers of a Europhile persuasion dominate the committees dealing with European business and have often shown little respect for the views of others who do not feel as they do. I witnessed the proceedings in the committee which heard evidence from Marta Andreasen, the brave woman sacked for criticising the EU’s accounting system and the way in which it was exposed to fraud. She was listened to with scant respect. Neil Kinnock, who had had a hand in her dismissal, then gave evidence and was treated like a conquering hero.

  All this has caused me much irritation, but I still view it as a great privilege to be a member of the place and be able, when the spirit moves me, to take part in debate.

  A few years ago Miles, the late Duke of Norfolk, was attending a ceremony with me for members of the Royal Victoria Order. ‘Tell me, old boy,’ he said, ‘have you had your first stroke yet?’ With some surprise at such a delicate subject being raised so early in our conversation I answered in the negative. But not long afterwards my first stroke did arrive, and it has slowed me down a bit. But I still attend the House from time to time, and I am then greatly rewarded by being able to travel home and be greeted by a wife ready to listen patiently to my account of what is going on in the Palace of Westminster. I am a lucky man and am often reminded of those lines of Dryden:

  Happy the man, and happy he alone,

  He, who can call today his own;

  He who, secure within, can say,

  Tomorrow, do thy worst, for I have lived today.

  Be fair or foul or rain or shine

  The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.

  Not Heaven itself upon the past has power;

  But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

  Index

  1922 Committee 1

  Acton, Jim 1

  Addleshaw, John 1, 2

  Alexandra, Princess 1

  all-seater stadiums 1, 2

  Anglo-Asian Conservative Association 1

  Ariel Foundation 1

  Armstrong, John 1

  arranged marriages 1

  Astor, Lady 1

  Astwood, Norma 1

  Aswan dam 1

  Bach, Lord 1

  Baker, Kenneth 1, 2, 3

  Baldry, Tony 1

  Balfour, Jabez Spencer 1

  Banda, President 1

  Banks, Wilf 1

  Barber, Tony 1

  Barnard Castle 1

  Barnett, Joel 1, 2

  Basil (Norfolk Terrier) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) 1, 2, 3, 4

  Bean, Marjorie 1

  Beaumont-Dark, Anthony 1

  Bedi, Kuldip 1

  Begum, Afia 1

  Beloit Iron Works 1

  Benn, Tony 1, 2, 3

  Bennett, Alan 1

  Berkeley, Humphry 1

  Bermuda 1993 general election 1

  Armistice Day parade 1

  and ‘Bermudisation’ 1

  constitution of 1, 2

  as dependent territory 1, 2

  Governor’s residence at 1, 2, 3

  independence movement 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  island life on 1

  and Miss Bermuda Islands contest 1

  police force of 1, 2 Queen’s visit to 3

  US military base on 1, 2, 3, 4

  Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) 1

  Bermuda Red Cross 1

  Berry, Tony 1, 2

  Bill Down, Bishop 1

  Billericay Conservative Association 1

  ‘Birmingham Six’ appeal case 1

  Blair, Tony 1, 2, 3, 4

  Blatch, Emily 1

  Boothby, Bob 1

  Boothroyd, Betty 1

  Boscawen, Bob 1, 2, 3, 4

  Bourguiba, President 1

  Boyd-Carpenter, Lord 1

  Boyle, Sir Edward 1

  BR (British Restaurant) 1

  Brady, Ian 1, 2

  Braine, Bernard 1

  breath tests (for motorists) 1

  Bright, Graham 1

  Brighton bombing 1, 2

  Brittain, RSM 1

  Brittan, Leon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Brooke, Peter 1

  Brougham, Julian 1

  Brown, Gordon 1

  Bruce-Gardyne, Jock 1

  Bruce-Lockhart, John 1, 2

  Budd, Zola 1

  Budgen, Nick 1

  Burnley Express (newspaper) 1

  Burton, Henry 1

  Bush Snr, George 1

  Callaghan, Jim 1, 2

  Calvert, Simon 1

  Campbell, Alastair 1, 2

  capital punishment 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Carey, George 1

  Carlisle, Mark 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Carlton Club 1

  Carriers Liability Act (1987) 1

  Carrington, Peter 1

  Carvel, John 1, 2

  Castle, Barbara 1

  Chalker, Lynda 1

  Chamberlain, Neville 1

  Channel Islands 1

  Charles, Prince 1

  Charnley, John 1

  Chataway, Chris 1

  Christian Institute 1, 2

  Christianity 1, 2, 3

  Church of England 1, 2, 3

  Churchill, Winston 1

  Clarke, Kenneth 1, 2, 3

  Clegg, Philip 1

  Clegg, Walter 1

  Clinton-Davis, Stanley 1

  Clitheroe Advertiser (newspaper) 1

  Clitheroe seat 1, 2

  Coleridge, Nicholas 1

  Coles, Sir John 1

  Colnbrook, Humphrey 1

  Colvin, Michael 1

  Comfort, Nicholas 1

  Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) 1

  Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) 1

  Conservative Party 1974 general election 1

  1979 general election 1

  1983 general election 1

  1983 Party Conference 1

  1987 general election 1

  1990 Party Conference 1

  1992 general election 1

  2001 general election 1

  2005 general election 1

  and the BBC 1

  and Brighton bombing 1

  and EEC membership 1, 2

  constituency boundaries 1

  Constitutional Affairs office 1

  Coronation Street (TV programme) 1

  Coroners and Justice Bill (2009) 1

  cotton industry 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Court of Appeal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Court of Criminal Appeal 1, 2

  Courtaulds Textiles 1

  Courtenay, Commander 1

  Cox, Harry 1

  Crabtree, Derek 1

  Crabtree, Jean 1

  Cranborne, Robert 1

  Cressbrook (preparatory school) 1

  Criminal Justice and Immigrat
ion Bill (2008) 1

  Criminal Justice Bill (1990–91) 1, 2, 3, 4

  Cubbon, Sir Brian 1

  Currie, Edwina 1

  Cutts, Trevor 1

  Daily Express (newspaper) 1

  Daily Mail (newspaper) 1, 2, 3

  Daily Mirror (newspaper) 1

  Daily Telegraph (newspaper) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Dalton, Hugh 1

  Data Protection Bill (1984) 1

  Davies, Ron 1

  Davy, Jean 1

  de Deney, Geoffrey 1

  DeCouto, Ann Cartwright 1, 2, 3

  DeCouto, Ernest 1, 2

  Deedes, Bill 1

  ‘deferred divisions’ system (House of Commons) 1

  Denham, Bertie 1, 2

  Dennis, Lt. Piers 1

  Department of Employment 1

  Derham, Lady 1

  Devlin, Bernadette 1

  Dill, Nicky 1

  Disraeli, Benjamin 1

  Divisional Court 1

  dog biting stories 1

  Dole, Len 1

  Donaldson, Sam 1

  Dorneywood Trust 1

  Douglas-Hamilton, James 1, 2

  Douglas-Home, Alec 1, 2, 3, 4

  Down, Bishop Bill 1

  drugs 1, 2

  Dryden, John 1

  du Cann, Edward 1

  Duckworth, David 1

  Dunkirk 1

  Dunn, Bill 1

  Dyer, Dr David 1, 2

  Dynes, Michael 1

  Earnshaw, Dick 1

  East Lancashire Scouts 1

  Eaton, Stephen 1

  Ecclestone, Bernie 1

  Eden, Anthony 1

  Edwards, Lenny 1

  EEC (European Economic Community) 1, 2

  el-Doulah, Ashraf 1

  el-Doulah, Jasmine 1

  Elizabeth II, Queen 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Elizabeth, Queen (the Queen Mother) 1

  Elton, Rodney 1

  Emery, Peter 1

  Emes, Brian 1, 2

  Employment Bill (1981–82) 1

  Empress of Australia (troopship) 1

  Ennals, David 1

  equality 1

  European constitution 1

  European Convention of Human Rights (1950) 1, 2

  European Court of Human Rights 1, 2

  European rebate 1

  Evans, Nigel 1

  Fairbairn, Nicky 1

  Falconer, Lord 1, 2

  Falklands War (1982) 1, 2, 3

  Farmer, Bob 1

  Farnworth seat 1

  Farrer, Miss 1

  Fergusson, Sir Ewen 1

  Ferman, Monica 1

  Ferrers, Robin 1

  Firearms Bill (1988) 1

  First World War 1, 2

  Fletcher, Martin 1

  ‘flying pickets’ 1

  Foot, Michael 1, 2

  football membership scheme 1

  Forbes, Alec 1

  Foreign Office 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Foster, Derek 1

  Francis, Richard 1

  free speech 1

  ‘friendly hours’ (House of Commons) 1

  Frith, Willie 1

  Frost, David 1

  Gaines, Ebersole 1

  Garel-Jones, Tristan 1, 2

  Gascoygne, General 1

  Geneva Conference (1954) 49

  George V, King 1

  George VI, King 1

  Gibbons, Grant 1

  Gibson & Weldons (law firm) 1, 2

  Gilliatt, Sir Martyn 1

  Gilligan, Andrew 1

  Gilmour, Ian 1

  Giscard d’Estaing, Valéry 1

  Glyn, Dr Alan 1, 2

  Gone with the Wind (film) 1

  Gordon, Pamela 1, 2

  Gow, Ian 1, 2

  Gowon, General 1

  Gray’s Inn 1, 2

  Green, Alan 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Green, Evelyn 1

  Green, Hilary 1, 2

  Grundy, Lionel 1

  Guardian (newspaper) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Gummer, John 1

  Habib Bank murder 1

  Hague, William 1, 2, 3

  Hardy, Bob 1

  Hare, John 1

  Harris, Donald 1

  Harrison, Norman 1

  Harrods (department store) 1

  Hattersley, Roy 1, 2

  Hayek, Professor Friedrich 1

  Health and Safety 1

  Heath, Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

  Heffer, Eric 1

  Heffer, Simon 1, 2

  Henry, Professor John 1

  Herald of Free Enterprise (passenger ferry) 1

  Heseltine, Michael 1

  Heywood & Royton seat 1

  Hillsborough disaster 1

  Hindley, Myra 1, 2

  Hiroshima 1

  Hitler, Adolf 1, 2

  Hogg, Douglas 1

  Home Guard 1

  Home Office 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  homosexuality 1, 2

  Hong Kong 1, 2, 3, 4

  hooliganism 1

  Hoon, Geoff 1

  Hornby Castle 1

  Horsburgh-Porter, Lt Col. 1

  Houghton, Douglas 1

  House of Lords reform 1, 2

  Housing Bill (1979–80) 1

  Howard, Michael 1, 2

  Howe, Geoffrey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Hoyle, Douglas 1

  Hunt, David 1

  Hurd, Douglas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Hurricane Felix 1, 2

  Hurst, Brian 1

  Hussein, Saddam 1, 2

  Hutton Report (2004) 1

  ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) 1

  Idrish, Mohammed 1

  immigration guidance for MPs booklet 1 Home Office cases 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  in Nelson & Colne constituency 1

  and New Labour 1

  and race relations 1, 2

  and visitor visas 1, 2

  and work permit system 1

  Immigration Act (1981) 1

  Industrial Relations Act (1971) 1, 2

  inflation 1, 2

  Ingham, Bernard 1

  Interception of Communications Act (1985) 1

  ‘interdiction’ 1

  IRA (Irish Republican Army) 1, 2

  Iran 1

  Iraq 1, 2

  Irvine, Derry 1

  Iveson, Stan 1

  J. B. Broadley Ltd. (textiles firm) 1

  ‘J.C.’ (grandfather) 1

  Jackson, Albert 1

  Jackson, Michael 1

  Jakobovits, Lord 1

  Jenkins, Roy 1, 2

  Johnstone, Liz 1

  Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) 1

  Jopling, Michael 1, 2, 3

  Joseph, Keith 1, 2

  Journey’s End (play) 1

  Joxe, Pierre 1

  Junior Training Corps (JTC) 1

  Kaufman, Gerald 1

  Kaye, Gordon 1

  Kellett-Bowman, Elaine 1

  Kelly, Dr David 1

  Kennedy, Edward 1

  Khaled, Leila 1

  Kilner Brown, Justice 1

  King, Lord 1

  Kinnock, Neil 1, 2

  Kirsten (‘Puck’) 1

  Kiszko, Stefan 1

  Knight, Jill 1

  Labour Party 1970 general election 1

  1974 general election 1, 2

  1992 general election 1

  2005 general election 1

  arrogance of 1

  and immigration control 1

  and ‘no confidence’ vote 1, 2

  and Parliamentary Boundary Commission 1

  and sleaze 1

  and taxation 1

  and trade unions 1, 2

  Lamb, Captain Eddie 1, 2, 3, 4

  Lamont, Norman 1, 2

  Lancashire Evening Post (newspaper) 1

  Langley, Desmond 1

  Laski, Neville 1

  Lawson, Nigel 1, 2, 3, 4

  Le Marchant, Spencer 1, 2, 3

  Le Transloy Ridge, Battle of 1

  Leader (newspaper) 1

  Leat
her, Sir Edwin 1

  Lee, John 1

  Leigh, Edward 1

  Lennox-Boyd, Mark 1

  licensing laws 1

  life sentences 1

  Lightbown, David 1

  Lines, Donald 1

  Lloyd, Selwyn 1

  Local Government Act (1986) 1

  London Evening Standard (newspaper) 1, 2

  ‘Lord Chancellor’, removal of 1

  ‘Lords in Waiting’ 1

  Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra 1

  Luce, Richard 1

  Lumley, Viscount 1

  Maastricht Summit (1991) 1

  MacGregor, John 1

  Mackay, James 1

  Maclean, Murdo 1

  Macleod, Iain 1, 2

  Macnaughton, Angus 1

  Mail on Sunday (newspaper) 1

  Major, John 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Major, Norma 1

  Malabar, HMS (shore station) 1, 2

  Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) 1

  Mandelson, Peter 1

  Margaret, Princess 1

  Marlow, Tony 1

  Marshall, Michael 1

  Masefield, Thorold 1

  Mather, Carol 1

  Maudling, Reggie 1, 2

  Maxwell, Robert 1

  Mayhew, Lord 1, 2, 3

  McColl, Lord Ian 1

  McNally, Lord 1

  McQuarrie, Albert 1

  Mellor, David 1, 2, 3

  Mendis, Viraj 1

  Mental Health Foundation 1

  Menuhin, Yehudi 1

  Meyer, Sir Anthony 1

  Michael of Kent, Prince 1

  Mills, Leo 1

  miners’ strikes 1, 2

  Miss Bermuda Islands contest 1