Tony and Dick

I have recently realised that Anthony Crosland and Richard Crossman are two different people. I've tended to confuse them, understandably

1. Both were born in the early part of the Twentieth century and died in the seventies.
2. Both were Labour MPs
3. Both served in Harold Wilson's cabinet (Crosland also briefly under Callaghan)

I think the key thing was that CRossman was on the left and CrosLand on the right (cross the R and L).

Richard Crossman OBE (15 December 1907 – 5 April 1974), sometimes known as Dick Crossman, was a British Labour Party MP and diarist, as well as a key figure among the party's Zionists and anti-communists. He served as MP for Coventry East. He occupied the cabinet positions of Secretary of State for Social Services, Leader of the House of Commons and Minister of Housing and Local Government. He was earlier Chair of the Labour Party (1960 and 61). Late in his life, Crossman was editor of the New Statesman. He is remembered today for his highly revealing three-volume Diaries of a Cabinet Minister.
Crossman cemented his role as a leader of the left-wing of the parliamentary Labour Party in 1947 by co-authoring the Keep left pamphlet, and later became one of the more prominent Bevanites.

Anthony Crosland (29 August 1918 – 19 February 1977), sometimes known as Tony Crosland, was a British Labour Party MP and author. He served as MP for South Gloucestershire and later for Great Grimsby. Throughout his long career he occupied the cabinet positions of Secretary of State for Education and Science, President of the Board of Trade, Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning and Foreign Secretary. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's revisionists on the right, as an intellectual leader of Gaitskellism. His highly influential book The Future of Socialism (1956) argued against many Marxist notions and Labour Party orthodoxy that public ownership was essential to make socialism work. He offered positive alternatives to both right and left wings of his Labour Party. He questioned the need for public ownership of the means of production – the classic socialist formulation – and argued instead for making the highest priority the end of poverty and improved public services. He led the Labour battle to replace grammar schools with comprehensive schools that did not sort students at age 11. As foreign secretary he promoted détente with the Soviet Union.
Crosland was seen as a leader and intellectual guru of the "right wing or "social democratic" wing of the Labour Party in the 1970s.

Rhodri Morgan Anecdote

It has been sad this week to hear of the death of Welsh speaking Welshman Rhodri Morgan, former Welsh first minister. He was the man who gave one of my sons his degree when he graduated (Cledwyn Hughes gave me mine, Cled the Red). I like the anecdote that tells how Tony Blair once stayed at Mr Morgan's house. Apparently Tony Blair was up early in the morning and so was Morgan's mother-in-law. When she came into the kitchen an saw him she blurted out "I know who you are, You're that Lionel Blair"!. Morgan confirmed the truth of the story in an interview with David Frost some time.

Finchley and Golders Green

So the election is on us. I found this useful info at politics.co.uk for the Finchley and Golders Green constituency.

Sitting MP: Rudi Vis, Lab, standing down

Candidates:
Alison Moore, L
Mike Freer, C
Laura Edge, LibDem

Majority Election Result 2005: 741 Lab (1.7%) Majority Election Result 2001 3,716 L (8.5%)
2005 Swing: 3.4% L to C

Constituency info:

Pop c 106,000 constituency covers Finchley, GG, Childs Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb in London Borough of Barnet (N London). NW of Hampstead, SE of Mill Hill and SW Friern Barnet.
Following a review, Boundary Commission modified constituency. It gains part of the Woodhouse ward from Chipping Barnet and small parts of GG, Finchley Church End and Garden Suburb wards from Hendon constituency, while it loses most of the Coppetts ward to the Chipping Barnet constituency.

Early medieval period - Finchley sparsely populated woodland. From 12th century farming began. Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (later GNR) reached here 1867. 1905 tram services established in Finchley, eventually replaced by trolley buses. 1933, Underground New Works Programme (35-40) announced. Lines through Finchley electrified and connected to Underground, Archway to E Finchley via new tunnel.
After WWII, introduction of London's green belt undermined pre-war plans for Underground here, and upgrading between Mill Hill E and Edgware abandoned. Line used by steam freight trains until closed completely, 1964.
GG has been place in the parish and manor of Hendon since c 13th century. Building of Finchley Rd (1827) resulted in development of a hamlet and by late 19th century around 300 people in the area.
1907, transport links improved by opening of GG tube station, leading to development of area west of Finchley Rd. Establishment of Hampstead GS brought major changes to area east of Finchley Rd. Temple Fortune Farm demolished and a retail district established along front of the road.
Finchley and GG constituency has a large and well-to-do Jewish population. Represented by Margaret Thatcher and a safe Con seat until Vis's unexpected victory 1997.
Lab's tiny majority certain to be overturned by Con gain in 2010. Possible an exceptionally good result for Cons could give them a share in excess of 50% here, as though national figures indicate this is unlikely, the swing to the Cons is sure to be above average here, looking at the nature of the voters.

Demographics: Housing: Owner-Occupied 63.1%, Social Housing 11.9%, Privately Rented 21.6%, Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom 6.4%
Education: Full time students 7.3%, Graduates 16-74: 44.6%, No Qualifications 16-74 15.8%
Ethnicity: Not born UK 35.9%, White 74.2%, Black 5.2%, Asian 12.3%, Mixed 3.2%, Other 5.1%
Faith: Christian 40.0%, Hindu 6.8%, Jewish 19.6%, Muslim 6.0%
Gender: Male 47.3%, Female 52.7%
Age: Under 18 21.0%, Over 60 19.0%
Local issues: Taxation, 'Static screening unit for Finchley Memorial hospital' campaign, Post office closures

Previous election results

2005 General Election:

Turnout 61.9%
Rudi Vis L 17,487 40.5%
Andrew Mennear C 16,746 38.8%
Sue Garden LibDem 7,282 16.9%
Noel Lynch Green 1,136 2.6%/Jeremy Jacobs UKIP 453 1.0%/Rainbow George Weiss Rainbow Dream Ticket 110 0.3%

2001 General Election:

Turnout 57.3%
Rudi Vis L 20,205 46.3%
John Marshall C 16,489 37.8%
Sarah Teather LibDem 5,266 12.1%
Miranda Dunn Green 1,385 3.2%/John de Roeck UKIP 330 0.8%

1997 General Election:

Turnout 69.7%
Rudi Vis L 23,180 39.7%
John Marshall C 19,991 39.7%
Jonathan Davies LibDem 5,670 11.3%
G Shaw Referendum 684 1.4%/Ashley Gunstock GreenPlaid Cymru Alliance 576 1.1%/D Barraclough UKIP 205 0.4%

Foot note

You will have read of the death of (former!) atheist Michael Foot. Like his successor, Neil Kinnock he was a known atheist. One wonders if the atheism was a factor in their not beoming PM. The British public are perhaps happier with a John Smith, a Gordon Brown or a Tony Blair. The other connection, between those two is their Gwent ties. They with two or three others are men with Gwent/Monmouthshire connections who went high but never to the very top. The ones I am thinking of together are

1. Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) - Monmouthshire born and raised, MP for Ebbw Vale, founder of the NHS, who stood for Labour leadership in 1955 but lost to Gaitskell.

2. Roy Jenkins (1920-2003) - Monmouthshire born and raised MP who became Chancellor, Home Secretary and Deputy Labour leader 1970-1972 before leaving to form the SDP.

3. Michael Foot (1913-2010) - West country born MP who succeeded Bevan in Ebbw Vale (after 10 years in Plymouth) and was Labour Party leader 1980-1983 after Callaghan, before Kinnock.

4. Neil Kinnock (b 1942) - Monmouthshire born and raised MP who succeeded Foot as Labour leader and served 1983-1992.

Of the three Wales based men who became PM

1. Lloyd George (1863-1945) Liberal PM 1916-1922 was a North Walian

2. J Ramsay MacDonald (1866-1937) Labour PM 1924 and 1929-1935 though Scots was MP for Aberavon in South Wales the first time he was in office.

3. James Callaghan (1912-2005) Labour PM 1976-1979 was born in Portsmouth but was MP for Cardiff South (East)

Clearly the lesson is that a Monmouthshire connection takes you a long way but it will not get you the top job!