Abstract
According to Tam Dalyell, two contingent and fortuitous occurrences strongly conditioned the Labour Party’s response to the Argentine attack on the Falkland Islands. Firstly the fact that neither Michael Foot nor Denis Healey were in London on Friday 2 April. As a consequence, on that day, the acting leader of the PLP was John Silkin, Shadow Defence Secretary and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. When at 11 a.m. the Lord Privy Seal announced as imminent an Argentine attack, Silkin committed the Party to the ‘full support for the right of the people of the Falkland Islands to stay British’ and branded Galtieri and his fellows a ‘tinpot Fascist junta’. The second occurence was the interview given by Silkin himself on BBC’s World at One later that day. When asked whether the UK should have committed to supporting the Falklanders up to the point of taking up arms againts the Argentines, Silkin answered with no hesitation: ‘certainly!’
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Notes
- 1.
House of Commons, Official Report, 2 April 1982, vol. 21, c. 571.
- 2.
T. Dalyell, One Man’s Falklands, London, Cecil Woolf, 1982, pp. 46–49. See also the transcription of Silkin’s interview at pp. 138–139.
- 3.
D. Healey, The Time of My Life, London, Michael Joseph, 1989, p. 496.
- 4.
What Dalyell himself acknowledges at p. 48. Before the emergency debate, Dalyell met Foot to convince him of the hazard of binding the party to the position expressed by Silkin the day before. Labour History Archive and Study Centre (LHASC), Labour Party Archive (LPA), Foot papers, MF/L 19, Dalyell to Foot, 22 May 1982.
- 5.
R.G. Hughes, The Postwar Legacy of Appeasement: British Foreign Policy Since 1945, London, Bloomsbury, 2014, pp. 91–116.
- 6.
Labour Manifesto 1980, NEC, 1980, p. 38.
- 7.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, ID/1981-82/102-April.
- 8.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, ID/1981-82/140-May, Report of a meeting of the Latin American sub-committee, 6 April 1982.
- 9.
See Labour’s Programme 1982, NEC, pp. 271–277.
- 10.
Churchill Archive Centre, Silkin Papers, SLKN 1/4/11, undated notes, probably written by Anne Carlton, personal secretary of John Silkin.
- 11.
House of Commons, Official Report, 3 April 1982, vol. 21, c. 642.
- 12.
Ibid., c. 641.
- 13.
Ibid., c. 639.
- 14.
Ibid., c. 658.
- 15.
Ibid., c. 663.
- 16.
Ibid., cc. 649–651.
- 17.
Ibid., cc. 661–664. Over the weekend, Silkin asked again for Nott and Carrington’s resignations; J. Haviland and P. Webster, ‘Nott Threat to Storm Islands, Sink Ships’, The Times, 5 April 1982.
- 18.
House of Commons, Official Report, 3 April 1982, vol. 21, cc. 660–661.
- 19.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 3 April 1982.
- 20.
They decided to ask for a parliamentary inquiry. The other option was discarded because the vote on a censure motion would have tightened up the Tories; see C. McLaughlin, ‘Trident Sunk’, Labour Weekly, 8 April 1982.
- 21.
Heffer’s insistence was also motivated by worries about media coverage. Postponing decisions to Monday meant running the risk that declarations to the press would emerge during the weekend. It seems that Foot limited himself to responding that the line to follow until Monday was clear, and that ‘there should be no leakages from this meeting which would damage our strategy’.
- 22.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 5 April 1982.
- 23.
Roy Hattersley: ‘It was more likely that the Argentines’ will ‘only shift their position through a display of strength’. Denis Healey: ‘If evacuation took place then there would be very little else to negotiate with the Argentines …. There could be no negotiation with a dictator if he was offered victory without a struggle. What dictator bribed when he could bully? … The point about the deployment of the force was to give the United States a chance to put pressure on Argentina’.
- 24.
According to Gerald Kaufman, Labour had to avoid giving ‘the impression of sabotaging British troops in action. The Government was in a morass and we ought to stay clear of it’. For Eric Varley: ‘The only way the Prime Minister could salvage her reputation would be if the Party looked as if it were not giving adequate backing’.
- 25.
Stan Orme said clearly that ‘there were occasions in which socialists ought to fight. The Islands now occupied by the Argentines were ours and the people were being subjected to fascism’. According to Brynmor John, ‘the right of self-determination was a higher concept than a mere enlightened “slum clearance” programme’. He also accused Heffer of having proposed ‘a classic apologia for a re-run of the 1930s’. According to Roy Hattersley: ‘It would be immoral if we left’ the Falklanders ‘with a choice between Fascism or evacuation’.
- 26.
So said Denis Healey.
- 27.
John Silkin: ‘We should not get too closely involved in discussions on strategy for this was the Prime Minister’s responsibility’. Bruce Millan: ‘Party should support the deployment of force if necessary, but not get committed to any detail of strategy’. Neil Kinnock: ‘We should back the general action but there was no patriotic duty to support the demonstrable incompetence of the Government’.
- 28.
LHASC, LPA, Foot Papers, MF/L 19, Foulkes to Bryan Davis, 4 April 1982.
- 29.
The definition is drawn by J. Golding, Hammer of the Left: The Battle for the Soul of the Labour Party, London, Biteback, 2016, passim.
- 30.
LHASC, LPA, Foot Papers, MF/L 19, Deakins to Foot, 5 April 1982.
- 31.
T. Dalyell, One Man’s Falklands, pp. 61–65. Dalyell reiterated his position the following day in an interview for Independent Radio News. Ibid., p. 67.
- 32.
See T. Benn, The End of an Era: Diaries 1980–90, ed. Ruth Winstone, London, Hutchinson, 1992, p. 205; ‘Nott Offer to Quit Rejected by Mrs Thatcher’, The Times, 6 April 1982; ‘Benn Pinpoints Labour’s Weak Link’, The Guardian, 7 April 1982.
- 33.
‘Benn Pinpoints Labour’s Weak Link’, The Guardian, 7 April 1982.
- 34.
Cf. ‘Labour Divided on Use of Force’, The Times, 7 April 1982.
- 35.
T. Benn, The End of an Era, pp. 206–207.
- 36.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 6 April 1982.
- 37.
Ibid.
- 38.
‘Labour Divided on Use of Force’, The Times, 7 April 1982.
- 39.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 6 April 1982.
- 40.
Ibid.
- 41.
‘Benn Pinpoints Labour’s Weak Link’, op. cit.
- 42.
LHASC, LPA, PLP, Minutes, 7 April 1982.
- 43.
See the speeches by Ioan Evans, Stanley Newens, Patrick Duffy, Reginald Freeson, Barry Sheerman, Ron Leighton, and Giles Radice.
- 44.
House of Commons, Official Report, 7 April 1982, vol. 21, cc. 963–969.
- 45.
‘Some people have sought to see a precedent for the despatch of this force in what happened at Suez a quarter of a century ago. The argument in Suez was about property rights—that in the Falkland Islands is about human rights. At Suez a British Government violated the United Nations charter. In the Falkland Islands crisis the Argentine Government have violated the United Nations Charter and the British position has won overwhelming endorsement from the Security Council. Suez offers no precedent here. Others say, as was said in 1938, that the Falkland Islands is a far-away country that is indefensible and that we must accept the geographical and strategic realities … The right of self-determination is a fundamental human right that we are responsible for restoring … If we turn our backs on that responsibility the next thing we shall see is an invasion of Belize by the brutal dictatorship in Guatemala, a possible invasion of Nicaragua by her neighbours, an invasion of Grenada or Cuba by their neighbours, and, perhaps, the invasion of Guyana by Venezuela. Indeed, there could be threats to British overseas colonies such as Gibraltar and Hong Kong.’
- 46.
See the speeches by Robert Mellish, Samuel Silkin, and Michael English. Callaghan was the most hawkish.
- 47.
See the speeches by Ioan Evans, John Gilbert, Frank Hooley, and David Ennals.
- 48.
House of Commons, Official Report, 7 April 1982, vol. 21, cc. 1040–1044.
- 49.
Ibid., c. 1028.
- 50.
‘Trident Sunk’, Labour Weekly, 8 April 1982.
- 51.
‘Why Carrington Really Resigned’, Tribune, 9 April 1982. See also G. Sinclair, ‘Why Francis Pym Has the Backing of the Tory “Magic Circle” Against Thatcher’, Tribune, 16 April 1982.
- 52.
T. Dalyell, One Man’s Falklands, p. 66. Dalyell wrote that on 5 April he went to the Labour Chief Whip, Michael Cocks, to offer his resignation from the Front Bench because of his contrariety to the leadership stance on the Falklands crisis. Cocks answered: ‘This thing won’t last! It would be stupid to give up your job on the Opposition Front Bench for something that will leave the centre of the political stage as rapidly as it came’.
- 53.
‘Pym Places Hopes on Talks if War Zone Stays Respected’, The Times, 12 April 1982; and ‘Pym Firm but with Signs of Flexibility’, The Guardian, 12 April 1982.
- 54.
‘Mediation by UN More Likely’, The Times, 13 April 1982.
- 55.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 7 April 1982.
- 56.
House of Commons, Official Report, 14 April 1982, vol. 21, cc. 1050–1054.
- 57.
Ibid., cc. 1178–1181.
- 58.
Ibid., cc. 1196–1197.
- 59.
Ibid., cc. 1164–1167.
- 60.
Ibid., cc. 1169–1171.
- 61.
Ibid., cc. 1175–1176.
- 62.
Ibid., cc. 1183–1185.
- 63.
Ibid., cc. 1193–1195.
- 64.
Ibid., cc. 1160–1162.
- 65.
Ibid., cc. 1200–1203.
- 66.
Ibid., c. 1202.
- 67.
See ‘Labour Unity in Crisis Begins to Crumble’, The Times, 10 April 1982.
- 68.
‘“Trot Line” on Fleet Disowned by Labour Man’, The Guardian, 16 April 1982. The Labour Herald attacks were rebuked by the shadow minister Denzil Davies, who labelled them as incredible from a moral point of view and from a socialist point of view.
- 69.
‘Just over the Foot Horizon’, The Guardian, 17 April 1982.
- 70.
‘Labour Unity in Crisis Begins to Crumble’, The Times, 10 April 1982.
- 71.
‘Thatcher’s Tense Wait as Deadline Approaches’, The Daily Telegraph, 10 April 1982. This was an argument that the Labour leadership would use later in May.
- 72.
T. Dalyell, One Man’s Falklands, p. 77. Dalyell mentions that the ten MPs decided to clarify their position before the debate in the Commons scheduled for that afternoon. Dalyell and Hart met with Foot. He listened to what they had to say, and then limited himself to asking how many MPs would be present at the meeting. See also C. McLaughin, ‘Falkland Islands Fury’, Labour Weekly, 16 April 1982.
- 73.
The Daily Star of 15 April published a front page photo, and the names of the ten MPs, with the full-page title: ‘Whose Side Are They On?’ The newspaper labelled the ten as ‘no friends of their country, of freedom or of their own party’.
- 74.
‘Just over the Foot Horizon’, The Guardian, 17 April 1982.
- 75.
‘Leaders of Two Unions Back Foot on Force’, The Guardian, 19 April 1982.
- 76.
Scottish TUC telegram to M. Foot, 22 April 1982, LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L19.
- 77.
‘Healey Seeks UN Intervention’, The Times; House of Commons, Official Report, 19 April 1982, vol. 22, cc. 21–28; and ‘Haig Mission Provides Best Hope of a Peaceful Settlement’, The Guardian, 20 April; ‘Pym Jets to US…’, The Guardian, 21 April.
- 78.
See Denis Healey’s speech, House of Commons, Official Report, 21 April 1982, vol. 22, cc. 271–272.
- 79.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 21 April 1982. In the 22 April meeting of the PLP, it was noted that the trip was already scheduled, and that the visit to the United Nations was added.
- 80.
LHASC, LPA,, PLP, Minutes, 22 April 1982.
- 81.
Ibid., speeches by Frank Allaun and Reg Freeson.
- 82.
Ibid.
- 83.
Z. Pysariwsky, ‘Healey’s Enthusiasm for UN Mediation Fades’, The Times, 24 April 1982.
- 84.
Gwyneth Dunwoody agreed with Kinnock. LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 21 April 1982.
- 85.
Gwyneth Dunwoody and Eric Varley also substantially agreed on this point. A less certain stance seems to have been taken by Stan Orme (according to whom it was not widely known that the Party's policy was so specific on the issue of self-determination). John Silkin maintained that the UN Trusteeship formula could be the right one for favouring this change of position on the part of the Falklanders. Healey replied that it was not appropriate to be too specific about proposals. Ibid.
- 86.
Peter Archer agreed with him. Ibid.
- 87.
LHASC, LPA, PLP, Minutes, 22 April 1982. See also the speeches by Jeremy Bray and Denis Healey.
- 88.
C. McLaughlin, ‘Soon the Day of Reckoning’, Labour Weekly, 23 April 1982.
- 89.
‘Military Muscle Backs Up Talks, Says Government’, The Guardian, 26 April.
- 90.
‘We believe that we must go on negotiating, and if one negotiation fails we must still come back and try other forms of negotiations, if they are available. We believe that, rather than resort to force, we should take them back to the UN, and that the UN could play a bigger part in the present negotiations.’ Foot’s interview given to LWT on 25 April, quoted ibid.
- 91.
‘Kinnock Backs Invasion’, The Times, 27 April 1982.
- 92.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 26 April 1982.
- 93.
Both the most hawkish and the most doveish were in agreement on this point.
- 94.
House of Commons, Official Report, 26 April 1982, vol. 22, cc. 610–611.
- 95.
I. Aitken, ‘Foot Puts Paid to Falklands Unity’, The Guardian, 28 April 1982.
- 96.
House of Commons, Official Report, 27 April 1982, vol. 22, cc. 720–724.
- 97.
LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L/19, M. Thatcher to M. Foot, 27 April 1982. This same file contains the minutes of Foot’s response, which reproposed the same arguments presented in the House.
- 98.
LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/M10/7, G. Foulkes to M. Foot, 27 April 1982.
- 99.
LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L/19, S. Silkin to M. Foot, undated.
- 100.
‘Kinnock Backs Invasion’, The Times, 27 April 1982. The motion was approved after the rejection of ‘a trotskyist-inspired resolution condemning the dispatch of the British fleet to the Falkland Islands as an act of “imperialist aggression”’.
- 101.
A. Bevins, ‘Subtle Manoeuvres Unite Labour Front Bench’, The Times, 29 April 1982.
- 102.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 26 April 1982.
- 103.
Ibid.
- 104.
Ibid.
- 105.
T. Benn, The End of an Era, pp. 215–216.
- 106.
In favour: Frank Allaun, Eric Clarke, Judith Hart, Tony Benn, Joan Maynard, Jo Richardson, Dennis Skinner and Les Huckfield.
- 107.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 26 April 1982.
- 108.
J. Lagdon, ‘Benn Stand Criticised on Left of Party’, The Guardian, 28 April 1982.
- 109.
The lecture ‘Democracy and Marxism’ was published in Marxism Today, 1982, May, pp. 6–14. The excerpt quoted is at p. 11.
- 110.
One of the proponents of the motion, Jeffrey Rooker, declared that the signers were ‘giving Tony the same kind of support he gives to Michael’. Previously Rooker had underlined the fact that Foot’s stance was in accord with the 1980 draft Manifesto. See A. Bevins, ‘Subtle Manoeuvres Unite Labour Front Bench’, The Times, 29 April 1982.
- 111.
See the speeches by William Hamilton, George Robertson, Joan Lestor, and Hugh Brown.
- 112.
LHASC, LPA, PLP, Minutes, 29 April 1982.
- 113.
House of Commons, Official Report, 29 April 1982, vol. 22, c. 1020.
- 114.
Ibid., cc. 1014–1016.
- 115.
Ibid., cc. 1038–1040.
- 116.
Ibid., cc. 1010–1011.
- 117.
Ibid., cc. 1033–1036.
- 118.
Ibid., cc. 994–997.
- 119.
Ibid., cc. 1028–1031.
- 120.
Ibid., cc. 985–991.
- 121.
Ibid., cc. 1046–1052.
- 122.
‘Pym Talks of “Major Change in Situation”’, The Times, 1 May 1982.
- 123.
P. Webster, ‘Argentine Cruiser Hit by Torpedoes from Royal Navy Submarine’, The Times, 3 May 1982; and ‘Foot Rejects Offer of All-Party Talks’, The Guardian, 3 May 1982.
- 124.
‘Foot Rejected PM Meeting to Press for Commons Debate’, The Guardian, 4 May 1982.
- 125.
‘Mr Foot Stays Out’, The Guardian, 4 May 1982.
- 126.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 4 May 1982.
- 127.
‘Mr Foot Stays Out’, The Guardian, 4 May 1982.
- 128.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 4 May 1982; and House of Commons, Official Report, 4 May 1982, vol. 23, cc. 16–37.
- 129.
LHASC, LPA, Parliamentary Committee, Minutes, 5 May 1982.
- 130.
See, for example, Michael Foot’s interview for the BBC quoted in ‘Foot Rallies Nott’s Hint of a Lengthy Bblockade’, The Guardian, 10 May 1982.
- 131.
‘A Constructive Silence from Mr Heath’, The Times, 7 May.
- 132.
See the list ‘Organisations Supporting the Ad Hoc Falkland Islands Peace Committee’, LHASC, LPA, Hart Papers, HART/6/13.
- 133.
D. Stewart, ‘The Labour Party and the Falklands War’, in The British Labour Movement and Imperialism, eds. Billy Frank, Craig Horner, and David Stewart, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p. 186.
- 134.
C. Mullin, ‘Stop This Falklands’, Tribune, 7 May 1982.
- 135.
‘69 Labour MPs Call for Truce’, The Times, 6 May 1982.
- 136.
‘Benn Attacks “Thatcher’s War”’, The Times, 10 May 1982.
- 137.
Churchill Archive Centre, Dalyell papers, TADA 3/5/4, copy of T. Dalyell’s letter to B. Davis, 10 May 1982.
- 138.
‘Healey’s Patience Runs Out’, The Times, 13 May 1982.
- 139.
See copy of the motions in LHASC, LPA, HART 6/10.
- 140.
T. Benn, The End of an Era, pp. 221–222.
- 141.
This detail is recorded by P. Webster, ‘Benn and Hart Protest at Labour “Gag”’, The Times, 12 May 1982.
- 142.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes of the International Committee meeting held on 11 May 1982.
- 143.
M. White, ‘Labour Policy Survives Attacks’, The Guardian, 13 May. Benn wrote in his diaries: ‘That is the first time in twenty-three years on the NEC that I have ever known a chairman accept a motion to prevent a vote’. Benn, Judith Hart, Frank Allaun, and Jo Richardson voted against the Dunwoody–Boothroyd proposal; T. Benn, The End of an Era, p. 222.
- 144.
Healey listed them as follows: ‘They accepted there could be negotiations before the withdrawal of Argentinian troops; they accepted there could be a ceasefire before the withdrawal was complete; that Britain could not administer the islands alone after withdrawal; that British sovereignty could be negotiated in the longer term. They had qualified their original position that the islanders had the right to veto on any final settlement’.
- 145.
House of Commons, Official Report, 13 May 1982, vol. 23, cc. 958–964.
- 146.
Ibid., cc. 1023–1027.
- 147.
Ibid., cc. 988–990.
- 148.
Ibid., cc. 991–994.
- 149.
Ibid., cc. 1013–1016.
- 150.
Ibid., cc. 999–1002.
- 151.
Ibid., cc. 978–981.
- 152.
Ibid., cc. 1004–1007.
- 153.
Ibid., cc. 1009–1011.
- 154.
Ibid., cc. 1019–1021.
- 155.
Ibid., c. 999.
- 156.
Ibid., c. 1004.
- 157.
Ibid., c. 1010.
- 158.
See for example J. Haviland, ‘Harriers Strike Again as Suspicions over Argentina Grow’, The Times, 17 May 1982.
- 159.
Scottish TUC telegram to M. Foot, 6 May 1982, LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L/19.
- 160.
‘Seamen Back Use of Force’, The Times, 18 May 1982; ‘Aslef Votes for Task Force Recall’, The Times, 20 May 1982; LHASC, LPA, NEC, ID/1981-82/July-202, Resolutions on the Falklands Crisis.
- 161.
D. Stewart, The Labour Party and the Falklands War, p. 186.
- 162.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, ID/1981-82/July-202, Resolutions on the Falklands Crisis.
- 163.
LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L/19, M. Foot to M. Thatcher, 17 May 1982.
- 164.
See speeches by Merlyn Rees, Eric Heffer, Gerald Kaufman, Neil Kinnock, and Michael Foot.
- 165.
T. Dalyell, One Man’s Falklands, p. 86; and T. Benn, The End of an Era, p. 223.
- 166.
House of Commons, Official Report, 20 May 1982, vol. 24, cc. 484–489.
- 167.
Ibid., cc. 494–498.
- 168.
Ibid., cc. 510–514.
- 169.
Ibid., cc. 541–544.
- 170.
Ibid., cc. 517–519.
- 171.
Ibid., cc. 536–538.
- 172.
Ibid., cc. 530–533.
- 173.
Ibid., cc. 525–527.
- 174.
Ibid., cc. 500–502.
- 175.
Ibid., cc. 504–507.
- 176.
Ibid., cc. 506–507.
- 177.
They were: Leo Abse, Frank Allaun, Norman Atkinson, Tony Benn, Andrew Bennett, Hugh Brown, Dennis Canavan, Bob Cryer, Tam Dalyell, Alfred Dubs, Andrew Faulds, Martin Flannery, Judith Hart, Stuart Holland, Les Huckfield, David Lambie, James Lamond, John Maxton, Joan Maynard, William McKelvey, Robert McTaggart, Michael Meacher, Ian Mikardo, Robert Parry, Raymond Powell, Reg Race, Jo Richardson, Allan Roberts, Ernest Roberts, Ernie Ross, Dennis Skinner, Stan Thorne, John Tilley. Even the two Plaid Cymru MPs-Dafydd Thomas and Dafydd Wigley-voted against the Government.
- 178.
See Abse’s speech at the Welsh Labour Party Conference quoted in ‘Labour Rebel Defends Stand’, The Guardian, 22 May and Dubs’s letter to Foot, 22 May 1982, LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L 19.
- 179.
LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L 31/1/4, M. Meacher to M. Foot, 21 May 1982.
- 180.
‘The Party’s Divisions under the Surface’, Labour Weekly, 28 May 1982.
- 181.
‘Foot Has Support for Dismissal of Rebels’, The Times, 22 May.
- 182.
G. Clark, ‘Rebellious Dame Judith Encouraged by Letters’, The Times, 25 May 1982.
- 183.
‘Peace Movement Grows as 7000 March Against the Fighting’, The Guardian, 24 May 1982.
- 184.
‘Foot Accuses Government of Blunder over UN Proposals’, The Guardian, 22 May 1982.
- 185.
Ibid.
- 186.
In a BBC Radio World At One interview, Silkin ‘spoke of the honourable tradition of pacifism, and of the history of the armed struggle against fascism’; ibid. During a meeting in Hertford, Heffer said: ‘There is a dilemma at the heart of this problem. The Labour Party cannot agree to a bunch of fascist military thugs being allowed to do what they like. At the same time, the party does not want an all-out war, with all that would mean’; ibid.
- 187.
See, for example, Denis Healey in Labour Weekly, 28 May 1982; Neil Kinnock in Tribune, 28 May 1982, and Jack Straw’s speech at Weymouth on 27 May; see also ‘Foot and Owen Warn Against Surrender Demand’, The Guardian, 29 May 1982.
- 188.
On 21 May he declared: ‘At the moment all our politics are dominated by the Falkland Islands. That is inevitable and I do not see how they can do their jobs properly holding the views they do’; P. Webster, ‘Foot Has Support for Dismissal of Rebels’, The Times, 22 May 1982.
- 189.
Ibid.
- 190.
Dalyell also warned Foot about the fact that his decision could have led to possible negative spillovers: the three frontbenchers had a large following in their constituencies and widespread sympathy among trade unions. Moreover, to sack them could create trouble in many Scottish constituencies. LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L 19, Dalyell to Foot, 22 May 1982. Some excerpts of the letter were published in ‘Shadow Spokesman Quits over Invasion’, The Guardian, 25 May 1982.
- 191.
According to Strang, none of the reasons given to justify the invasion could be considered valid: the British victory would not have favoured a democratic transition in Argentina; there was no real evidence that the Argentines would disregard the Falklanders’ civil and political rights; the UN had not mandated the UK to proceed in this way; the negotiations had not come to any standstill, indeed there was good room for an agreement. LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L 31/1/4, G. Strang to M. Foot, 24 May 1982. Gavin Strang did not vote against the party whip on 20 May, since he missed the debate; ‘Resignation as Labour Rebels Go’, The Times, 25 May 1982.
- 192.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 26 May 1982.
- 193.
Ibid.
- 194.
J. Langdon, ‘Foot Wins Backing from Divided Labour Executive’, The Guardian, 27 May 1982.
- 195.
In favour: Frank Allaun, Tony Benn, Eric Clarke, Judith Hart, Douglas Hoyle, Les Huckfield, Joan Maynard, Jo Richardson, and Dennis Skinner. Abstaining: Laurence Coates, Eric Heffer and Sam McCluskie. Against: Gwyneth Dunwoody, Roy Evans, Michael Foot, John Golding, Alan Hadden, Denis Healey, Neil Kinnock, Joan Lestor, Gerry Russel, Shirley Summerskill, Syd Tierney, Eric Varley, Russell Tuck and David Williams. LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 26 May 1982.
- 196.
Against: Allaun, Benn, Clarke, Coates, Hart, Huckfield, Maynard, Richardson and Skinner. Abstaining: Heffer and Hoyle. In favour: Dunwoody, Evans, Foot, Golding, Hadden, Healey, Kinnock, Lestor, McCluskie, Russel, Summerskill, Tierney, Varley, Tuck and Williams. Ibid.
- 197.
Cf. ‘Thatcher Rejects Argentine Ceasefire Campaign’, The Guardian, 26 May; and ‘Kamikaze Foot Fights to the Last Peruvian’, The Times, 26 May.
- 198.
House of Commons, Official Report, 25 May 1982, vol. 24, cc. 789–794.
- 199.
‘Thatcher Rejects Argentine Ceasefire Campaign’, The Guardian, 26 May 1982.
- 200.
House of Commons, Official Report, 27 May 1982, vol. 24, cc. 1049–1052. See also ‘Foot and Owen Warn against Surrender Demand’, The Guardian, 29 May 1982; and ‘Foot and Owen Voice Concern’, The Times, 29 May 1982.
- 201.
‘Foot Sides with Pym on British Commitment’, The Times, 1 June 1982.
- 202.
‘Colleagues Vilify Pym as Split with Thatcher Widens’, The Times, 31 May 1982; ‘SDP Leaders Split over Talks Before Final Assault’, The Times, 2 June 1982; and ‘Healey Urges Thatcher to Delay Attack’, The Guardian, 5 June 1982.
- 203.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes of the International Committee, 8 June 1982.
- 204.
House of Commons, Official Report, 8 June 1982, vol. 25, c. 17.
- 205.
LHASC, LPA, Foot papers, MF/L 19, M. Foot to M. Thatcher, 9 June 1982.
- 206.
LHASC, LPA, NEC, Minutes, 16 June 1982.
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Bruni, D.M. (2018). The Labour Party. In: The British Political Parties and the Falklands War. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-31471-0_4
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