t!f'·JU IT\ l'Jll;lT !,..-'l't'~ :::r· ~·,; .... ;:: 4~ •• ~"'l-'".l.','..... ~ na 60 I NOVEMBER 25, 2018 THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA NOVEMBER 25, 2018 I 61 LIFE& WELLBEING HISTORY y had Mabel Strickland switched support tO PN? On the 30th anniversary of the death of Mabel Strickland on November 29, Victor Aquilina answers a frequently asked question: why had Mabel Strickland broken away from her party and switched support to the PN? She may not have risen to great heights in politics but she relentlessly championed press freedom,. fought for women's rights and made a strong contribution to journalism.

Mabel Strickland, fourth daughter of Lord Strickland, certainly one of the most contro­ versial figures in Maltese politics last century and whose name still resonates today, had an interesting and varied life. She was garrulous, domineering and highly active at a time when women were considered best suited to be left behind in the kitchen. But why had she switched support to the Nationalist Party in 1952? She had actually switched support to George Borg Olivier's coalition with the Malta Workers' Party. When she had stuck with her father through thick and thin in all his political battles, right from With former British Prime Minister Edward Heath. the start of self-government in 1921 to the very difficult years of his administration till he passed away in 1940, few could understand non-elected body, and I have not deviated from grave over Mabel's action. The Constitutional subsequently, of The Sunday Times of Malta, as sec­ her move, which ultimately led to the collapse my Constitutional principles." Party paid Mabel in kind and, infuriated as it had retary. But she failed to get elected in 1953 and of the Constitutional Party, or as it was more But her party and the Constitutional Party sup­ been over her move, challenged her seat in the leg­ 1955 elections and had to wait till1962 to make it popularly known, il-partit ta' Strickland. porters would not accept her views, more so when islative assembly as her Progress Press had to Parliament again. Her party was dismayed when, less than to many she had carried her father's torch, as it received a-government contract for the printing The Constitutional Party contested the 1953 two years after it was reconstituted in 1950, were, even though she certainly did not have his of the official reports of the debates of the assem­ election but none of its candidates got elected, she felt that "the stability of the coalition gov­ political acumen. Her sister, Cecilia (De Trafford), bly and pool coupons for the public lotto depart­ after which it bowed out altogether, an ignomin­ ernment over a reasonable period should be who had been elected twice for the Constitutional ment. A court of appeal declared her seat vacant ious ending to a party that had made such an above any party or individual, or sectional Party and who, unlike Mabel, could speak Maltese on January 26, 1953. impact on pre-war politics in colonial Malta. action that would tend to lessen the coalition (Lord Strickland spoke indifferent Maltese), felt Losing her seat was a big blow to her. Mabel was As for Mabel, she may not have risen much government's ability to seek a solution to Mabel's move was a big blow to the Constitutional accused of disowning her party on whose plat­ politically but she was among the first to fight for vital economic matters and to concentrate • Party as it deprived it of the press founded by their form she had been elected, and her boast of work­ women's rights, and, journalistically, her biggest on administration". She was vice-chairman father. Lord Strickland must have turned in his ing the Constitution was considered "an empty contribution was the setting-up, together with at the time, but feeling that she could also bubble" because "now that she styles herself as an father, of the Times of Malta, in 1935, and as editor perhaps make a greater impact on the polit­ Independent Constitutionalist," her following was of the newspaper during the war. . ical scene if she sided with Borg Olivier, she infinitesimal. stepped down. · Mabel had then gone on to set up her Progres­ Victor Aquilina is authOr of Strickland House: The Steering away from her official explanation, sive Constitutional Party to work for constitu­ standard-bearers and launching of the Times of a more compelling reason was Mabel's Former Nationalist Prime Minister George Borg Olivier making a point to Mabel Strickland. tional and social progress "for Malta and Gozo as Malta, Book One: 1921-1935, and Strickland House: ingrained fear of Dom Mintoff's socialist part of the British Commonwealth of nations", Times of Malta at war and Labour Party's sweeping ideas. She considered Mintoff a first-class with Edwin Busuttil as deputy leader and Anthony victory, Book Two: 1935-1947. His upcoming work is firebrand and strongly believed he repre­ as many made it out to be, given the political party's executive responsibilities, being as it Sunday Times of Malta. Imagines that her Montanaro, long-time editor of I!-Berqa and, Lord Strickland: Plots and intrigue in colonial Malta. sented a threat to Malta's stability and its rela­ circumstances of the time. is incompatible with the spirit and letter of father's mantle has fallen on her shoulders. tions with Britain. In a way, her decision to Or was it more a result of Borg Olivier's the statute of the party which requires every Has courage and energy and performed use­ support the coalition was not as outrageous political shrewdness in winning her over to member of the party's parliamentary group ful service by producing her papers without his coalition? A strong point in her favour was to be an ex officio member of the executive any hiatus during the siege. She is a syco­ that times had changed since her father's tur­ committee, renders your position inside the phant, and her friendship cannot be relied on. bulent days, but most party supporters were party untenable". Her views and opinions change from week to ...... --- unwilling to accept such an argument as, to She was further told that her decision "to week and she loves intrigue. Owing to her them, true Constitutionals could never ever take an individual line of action in Parliament intrigues and insistence in dire.cting policy, ---- vote for the Nationalist Party. Even so, the is an act of insubordination, totally unaccept­ she was largely responsible for the collapse times of Lord Strickland and his arch-rival, able to the party, leading the executive com­ of the Constitutional Party. With her manifold Enrico Mizzi, were long gone; the war had mittee no alternative but to consider you as faults, .she is a very staunch pro-Britisher but buried for good the long-running 'language no longer representing the interests of the often does the cause more harm than good." question', and the island had generally moved Constitutional Party in Parliament". In other Mabel tried to justify her decision to resign on. To her credit, Mabel had sensed the wind words, she was expelled. from the party in a letter she wrote for her of change and was therefore moving on too. Mabel declared herself an "Independent own newspaper, Times of Malta, which he I feel any lack of One little problem for her though was that Constitutionalist" and, probably out of pique, edited before going into politics in 1950. In only months before her resignation, her party she later told her staff at the Times of Malta Parliament, she wrote, "it is the duty of the stability in the boasted that with the reconstitution of the and Il-Berqa to strike off the word Constitu­ Opposition to oppose and to accept the Constitutional Party, "all rival political parties tionalist. What a turn of events. Hardline responsibility of the consequences fo~ so government is suicidal in the field have panicked ... As a cornered cat Striklandjani could hardly believe it. doing. But today I feel any lack of stability in Losing her seat was , would jump at its attacker, so have Boffists, In a most stinging assessment of her char­ the government is suicidal to major Maltese to major Maltese Mintoffians and Nationalists lashed out at the acter, drawn up in a secret report to the Colo­ interests, to the administration and to for­ big to her. reconstituted Constitutional Party". This, it nial Office in 1947, Mabel was held to be inde­ ward planning. a blow argued in a leader in the party's organ, The cisive, a view shared by those working for her. "I was returned to Parliament in the tbird interests, to the Banner, was substantial proof, if proof were One of her lawyers, Carmelo Scicluna, used to legislature by the votes of Constitutiona\s in Mabel was accused needed, of the Constitutional Party's strength. say she had a grasshopper's mind. the fourth district and the preferences ca$t in administration and to Needless to say, her party was not amused Secret reports about public figures drawn my favour by the supporters of the M lta of disowning her party at her decision to resign the vice-chairman­ up for the Colonial Office were often brutal Workers' Party and of the Nationalist P rty, forward planning ship. In a strong letter, signed by the leader, but they were also invariably correct. This is which two parties now form the coalition gov­ on whose platform she - MABEL STRICKLAND Robert V. Galea, the executive committee what one such report said of Mabel: '"Editor ernment, and I have always held that a Mem­ pointed out that her decision "to be free of the and proprietress of the Times of Malta and The ber of Parliament is not responsible to an~ had been elected Mabel Strickland speaking at a corner meeting. On her left is Anthony Montanaro.