Clement Davies An Underestimated Welshman and Politician Clement Davies led the Liberal Party from 1945 to 1956. Emlyn Hooson reviews his life and career.
As I am not an historian, I cannot claim to have view certainly needs modification. In my view, he had always been powerfully identified with investigated the life of the subject-matter of my talk those ‘harmonies and historic continuities’. Also, this evening with that thoroughness which is the whilst it is hard to think of any worthwhile hallmark of the true historian’s skill. However, MP who has not, occasionally, appeared to be erratic, I hope to be able to provide some in- speaking as a politician, lawyer and businessman from sight into why Clement Davies appeared to be a rural Welsh background who was to follow so at times. Clement Davies as the Member of Parliament for The second catalyst came from Lady Byers, the widow of the late Lord Byers, who as Frank Montgomeryshire, and, as someone who happened Byers had been the Liberal Chief Whip from to know him reasonably well from my early twenties to . She wrote to me to say that she until the time of his death in , I feel able to was totally incensed by a sentence in the Daily Telegraph obituary to the late Lord Bonham contribute to the process of reassessing the life and Carter (Mark Bonham Carter). It read: career of this underestimated Welshman. I have also ‘Grimond took over the leadership from the ineffectual Clement Davies’. She was rightly had the advantage of knowing many of his old incensed, for, without Clement Davies, I am friends, both supporters and critics. Indeed, he and convinced that the Liberal Party would not my late father-in-law, Sir George Hamer, despite have survived the latter part of this century. In the course of my lecture, I hope to show some disagreements, were close friends. I was also that Clement Davies was anything but inef- privy to some of the praises and criticisms of him fectual and to point to certain signposts, which by some of his contemporaries and some of his I believe will lead to his being seen in a differ- ent perspective as his life and work are further closest political associates. reviewed in the future. Much light has already been shed on his career by, in particular, the The need for a reappraisal research work of Mr J. Graham Jones of the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, where For me to embark upon a new venture of this the Clement Davies Papers are kept, and of kind required some provocation. The first oc- Mr D. M. Roberts of the University of Wales, curred in a lecture delivered to this very Soci- Bangor. However, a full and considered biog- ety by our distinguished member, Professor raphy of this very remarkable man is long over- Kenneth O. Morgan. During a lecture on a due. There is quite a story to tell. I am not the century of Montgomeryshire Liberalism, he de- man to tell it, but I hope to provide the apéritif. scribed Clement Davies as ‘an erratic Member of Parliament’. He added: ‘Yet, it is a paradox that someone who was for so long a political His career in outline maverick became so powerfully identified with Let me begin by briefly summarising his ca- the harmonies and historic continuities of reer, aspects of which I shall consider in greater Montgomeryshire Liberalism.’ I believed then, detail later. He was born on February and do so even more powerfully now, that this journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 3 stant and constructive critic of the war effort. He is particularly famed for his part in the replacement as Prime Minister of Chamberlain by Winston Churchill. From on- wards, he was a Liberal without suf- fix or prefix after he officially re- joined the Liberal Party. I thought I would never quote with approval any saying of the late Sir Henry Morris-Jones, the Liberal National Conservative. However, when Clem had rejoined the Liberal Party, he said ‘Clem decided to rejoin his old love, which of course he had in principle never deserted.’ I believe that to be true and that during his so-called maverick period, he was much less of a political maverick in reality than at first appears. At heart, Clement Davies was always a radical Welsh Lib- eral and he admired Lloyd George enormously as the most effective of and died on March at the became Lord Justice Greer before radical politicians. In he was age of seventy-eight. He came from being elevated as Lord Fairfield, one elected leader of the Liberal Party and the Llanfyllin area of Montgomery- of the Law Lords. Clem, as we all remained so until , when Jo shire, where his father, Alderman knew him, briefly joined the North Grimond succeeded him. Moses Davies, was a small farmer, ag- Wales and Chester Circuit before On the Welsh front, he is particu- ricultural seedsman, valuer, and lo- transferring to the Northern Circuit. larly remembered for a devastating cal auctioneer. Clement was one of However, the area in which he en- report, which he produced just be- the first pupils at the then new local joyed a meteoric rise was in his com- fore the war, on the incidence of tu- County School. From there, he mercial law and admiralty law work berculosis in Wales and its causes. He won an open exhibition to Trinity in London. This was interrupted was also very active in the interna- Hall, Cambridge where he shone as only when he was drafted into the tional sphere — in particular, in the a law student, taking firsts in every- Civil Service for strategic work on movement for world government — thing and he became the top stu- shipping during the war. for which work he was nominated dent of his year. He was pressed to Clement Davies became a KC in and warmly recommended for the take a fellowship — an invitation he , but, in , he left the Bar and Nobel Peace Prize in . declined after he had definitely cho- joined the Board of Lever Brothers sen a practising career at the Bar, as an Executive Director. He re- rather than an academic one. Through mained in that capacity until his res- The Bar other scholarships and exhibitions he ignation in when he was ap- Historians should, I think, look more joined Lincoln’s Inn. In his Bar Fi- pointed as a legal advisor to Unilever closely at his work at the Bar. Its nals in , he took a first in every in a non-executive capacity. standard was such that he had the subject and was awarded the Certifi- In the meantime, in , he had reputation of having had the high- cate of Honour for being the high- been elected as the Liberal MP for est paid junior brief ever known for est achiever of his year. Montgomeryshire. During the his day. It came when, in the s, In the meantime, from – – period, he was a Lloyd without a leader, he was instructed he had been a lecturer in law at Ab- George supporter. But from to to appear for Lever Brothers for erystwyth. During this time, he , he was a National Liberal, sup- , guineas against Brunner/ wrote his first books. The main sub- porting the successive National Gov- Mond, now known as ICI. The case jects of his writing were the law re- ernments of Ramsay Macdonald, was eventually settled for lating to land and farm valuations Stanley Baldwin and Neville £,,. The scale of this settle- and land duties. These were subjects Chamberlain. In he changed ment in its day was so great that ICI on which his father had probably ad- his political course. From then until had to pay the damages over four vised him that there was a market! , he sat in the House of Com- years at the annual rate of £,! His pupil-master at the Bar was mons as an independent Liberal. Immediately after the First World a man called Greer, who afterwards During this period, he was a con- War, Clement Davies was succes-
4 journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 sively appointed Secretary to the sorely tempted, but he saw that he mounting frustration at Lloyd President of the Probate, Divorce had a living to earn at the Bar and George’s leadership and the volte face and Admiralty Division of the High his father’s advice settled matters: ‘I over the Coal Mines Bill. Clement Court, Secretary to the Master of don’t know much about the Bar, but Davies had cancelled many very im- the Rolls and, in , as Junior I think if I were employing Coun- portant constituency engagements in Treasury Counsel. The two secre- sel, I should like him to give me all January and February to draft tarial jobs were sinecures. They pro- his attention and not part of his at- amendments to the Bill. The Liber- vided him with additional income tention.’ als could have brought down the and were clear pointers of the esti- By , he had agreed with the government. In the event, Lloyd mate of the legal establishment of Montgomeryshire Liberal Associa- George backed the government. It him. This was, to all appearances, a tion that, if they could not find an- is instructive to compare Clem’s per- man on the fast route to the Bench. other candidate, he would stand. formance and his activities in Par- He was not to pursue that course. Despite opposition from his pred- liament before the Coal Mines Bill In he was persuaded by the ecessor, David Davies, subsequently fiasco with the following ten years. Lord Chancellor to apply for Silk Lord Davies of Llandinam, he was From to , speeches from and became a King’s Counsel in that adopted as its candidate in . In Clement Davies were a rarity. Those year. His earlier acceptance of the the election of that year, he parried that he did make were almost en- post of Treasury Counsel, which he a very spirited attack from the Con- tirely devoted to the socioeconomic had resigned early in , indicated servative candidate, a Mr Naylor. Af- and administrative difficulties of ru- that the first option had been clearly ter that, he was never to face an op- ral Wales; the problems of his con- open to him. However, there may ponent for the seat until the stituents were often used as exam- have been an intervening cause, election, when Mr Philip Owen op- ples. I would go as far as to say that, which had blocked this path to the posed him for the Tories. in this period, he was almost the ar- Bench, to which I shall turn later. The election was fought chetypal semi-detached politician. Clement Davies had a substan- under the leadership of Lloyd He was not trying to further a po- tial amount of work as a Silk. In the George with, as far as the Liberals litical career in any way. My suspi- law reports of to , his name were concerned, the wholehearted cion is that he largely devoted his frequently appears in large commer- support of Clement Davies. The active mind to other matters, not cial and shipping cases. His decision campaign was founded on the fa- least his absorbing duties as an ex- in to accept a position on the mous Yellow Book, the Green ecutive director of Lever Brothers. board of Lever Brothers, rather than Book, and the Brown Book, which After the election, Lloyd continue at the Bar is, on the face rather upset his predecessor David George’s followers had virtually been of it, a mystery. His starting salary at Davies. These had largely been put reduced to a rump, largely compris- Lever Brothers was £, a year together by Lord Keynes with a ing members of his own family and — double the salary then of the wealth of other distinguished aca- one or two close friends. Clement Prime Minister, a High Court Judge demics and business people contrib- Davies espoused Simon’s National or the Lord Chancellor. But, the rea- uting. They formed a truly radical Liberals. His adherence to the soning and motivation behind the policy. Funded by his dubious elec- Simonites was due to his friendship move may be related to the cause of tion fund, Lloyd George mounted a with Sir John Simon. They both had a nervous breakdown he endured in vigorous campaign but achieved Welsh associations: Simon was the — a matter which does not only modest success. It is probably son of a nonconformist minister in seem to have been disclosed hith- one of the great tragedies of this Pembrokeshire. They had also been erto. country that Lloyd George’s ideas closely associated at the Bar; Simon were not effected here, but there is often led Clement Davies. At a time no doubt that Roosevelt’s ‘New of uncertainty in Clem’s mind, inci- Politics Deal’ in the USA in the thirties was sive advice from Simon coupled He had been involved in political largely founded on them. with, I suspect, his wife’s preference activity as a youngster in Mont- After a vigorous start to his Par- for that course were decisive. gomeryshire. In the – period liamentary career, by , Clement Simon was a very careful politi- he was certainly addressing meetings Davies was disillusioned with Par- cian, always interested in preserv- in Oswestry and in his home area in liament. He said to a reporter from ing opportunities for himself. Lloyd support of the Lloyd George the Montgomeryshire Express in au- George devastated him once by budget. In he rejected the tumn : ‘Losing my briefs, wast- stating in the House of Commons: blandishments of Lloyd George that ing my time [in the House of Com- ‘The Right Honourable Gentleman he should stand as a ‘true Liberal’ for mons], it really is appalling. Some- has sat on the fence for so long that Montgomery Boroughs after the in- times I wished I had stuck to my the iron has entered his soul’. Nev- cumbent, D. J. Rees, had quailed over proper job, but ambition is a terri- ertheless, I have no doubt that Si- the budget. Clement Davies was ble thing’. This comment reflected mon was to greatly influence Clem journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 5 on Munich and the prosecution of service, and in his autobiography, tained these words: ‘You had other the war. Lord Boothby tells of Clem’s organi- honours offered you, as I well know. In there was a sudden and sation of the campaign to remove The Privy Councillor is the right dramatic change in the political ac- Chamberlain and replace him with honour for your work and high tivity and posture of Clement Churchill. Boothby wrote: ‘He was character.’ Davies. He returned to the United one of the architects, some may I can only speculate as to what Kingdom having conducted a four- judge the principal architect, of the other honours were offered. Given month inquiry, as Chairman of a government which first saved us his intimacy with Churchill, commission consisting of business- from destruction and then led us to Beaverbrook would certainly have men and a considerable number of victory’. It was a small group which known of the offer of the viscountcy; MPs, into the affairs of East Africa. orchestrated the anti-Chamberlain that must be one of the honours to Upon his return, there was a very vote in the no-confidence debate which he referred. However, it different political atmosphere in this and foiled subsequent Tory party should be noted that this was well country. There was widespread pes- lobbying for Chamberlain to be- before the offer of a place in simism about the intentions of Hit- come deputy prime minister. Clem- Churchill’s Cabinet, which was made ler and Mussolini. It was a chance ent Davies, Robert Boothby, Leo in . meeting, under the auspices of Le- Amery, Arthur Greenwood and oth- vers, that led to Clem meeting an ers were all determined that Attlee important member of the Nazi Party should be deputy prime minister to Family background masquerading as a trade official. This make it a truly national government. In assessing his career, it is very im- meeting caused him, virtually over- Boothby, Amery and other Con- portant to have regard to his family night, to change his view and to re- servatives in the group were invited background. His father’s family came gard war as inevitable. Herr Wohltat, to be ministers in Churchill’s new from the Llanfyllin area. They had one of Goering’s economic advisors, wartime coalition, as were promi- been great Whig supporters, cer- was later reputed to have occupied nent Labour members and the Lib- tainly from the time of the a very high position in the Nazi hi- eral leader, Archie Sinclair, and his Reform Act. Some of the family had erarchy. Evidently he had been sent chief whip. We know that Boothby lost the tenancy of their farms as a over to the United Kingdom to has underlined the importance of result of their Liberal votes and Clem probe businesspeople to see whether Clem’s friendships with Attlee, never forgot it. His mother’s family there was a possibility of avoiding Greenwood and Lloyd George in came from the Banw Valley and were war with Britain if Germany invaded particular. We also know that traditional Tories. His maternal the Soviet Union. Churchill himself had a soft spot for grandfather, a cattle dealer, appar- Wohltat met some very distin- Clem, yet, on the face of it, nothing ently had had a thriving cattle trade guished people over here. There is was offered to him. When I asked with Ireland. Clem’s father and no doubt that his visit effected a Stanley Clement-Davies about this, mother lived on a relatively small transfiguration in Clem’s apprecia- he said that Churchill had offered a farm where all the children helped tion of where the policy of the viscountcy to his father. It was ex- with the farm work. The father, as I Chamberlain government had led. plained to him, apparently, that have mentioned earlier also ran a He was galvanized into action and Churchill had to accommodate all successful small-town auctioneering politics became central, as opposed parties within the government and, and land valuation business. The to being marginal, in his life. Jano of course, Clement Davies was not, parents were, in divergent but com- (his wife) loyally supported him al- then, a member of any party. plementary ways, very considerable though, I believe, she later came to The family was consulted about personalities and the family was a regret it. Gone now was his rather this offer of a viscountcy. They de- close-knit unit. thoughtless support for the Munich cided to support Clem’s refusal, al- The whole family was academi- agreement. Soon afterwards, Clem- though, I suspect, his wife, Jano, had cally talented. Also, in the tradi- ent Davies was elected Chairman of been tempted. Stanley has also told tional Welsh way, they each helped an all-party group of MPs which me that in the diary of his late sister, each other financially with their re- was more concerned about the im- Mary, there is an entry of the date spective careers. In a letter he wrote minent threat of war. It began as a and of the fact of the offer. The of- to his parents, soon after he was small nucleus with Leo Amery as fer of a viscountcy explains, in part called to the Bar, Clem said that he Vice-Chairman and Robert at least, a reference in one of the let- would have to know all the solici- Boothby as its Secretary. The group ters stored in the National Library tors he can, given the ‘tremendous grew in size and was particularly dis- of Wales. In , when Clement amount of money I have cost you comforted by Neville Chamberlain’s Davies was made a Privy Council- all.’ He added: ‘Dear old Dav is one apparently ineffectual leadership in lor, Lord Beaverbrook, that great in ten million and is more of an an- the early days of the war. In his ad- confidant of Churchill’s, wrote to gel than an ordinary brother.’ Out dress at Clement Davies’s memorial him a letter dated January. It con- of his ‘small income he has paid
6 journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 £ for me. In fact I have bled him she was the one leading the applause! from town to town, that he took no of all he has, and still he is as cheer- However, I gather from my conver- whitewash with him. He put blunt ful and pleasant over it as if it had sations with Stanley that Jano did not questions to all who came in front of been only two shillings.’ really enjoy politics or the company him.’ Upon publication, the report, In Clem married Jano of politicians. As a matter of taste, she with its condemnation of the dread- Elizabeth Davies, who had a distin- much preferred the legal fraternity. ful housing conditions in urban and guished teaching career before mar- Jano was an impressive person of rural areas and its biting criticism of riage. At the age of twenty-nine, she impeccable manners with a good private landlords and local authori- was one of the youngest headmis- deal of poise and style. Her instinct, ties, including some in his own con- tresses of Latymer School, a I suspect, had always been to per- stituency, had an immense and sen- well-known coeducational school in suade Clem to adhere to an entirely sational impact. Throughout his time London. She was the adopted legal career. These factors should all in Parliament, as the Rt Hon. James daughter of Mr Morgan Davies, a be remembered in seeking to deci- Griffiths pointed out, Clement Davies consultant surgeon who practised in pher the change of direction in had drawn attention to these matters. London, but originated from Clem’s career between and his He took full opportunity, when given Cardiganshire. She was also Welsh election to Parliament in . I will the chance to do so, to shake people speaking. Jano had graduated from come back to that and another im- out of their lethargy and acceptance University College of Wales, Aber- portant facet later. of such conditions as then existed in ystwyth, in classics and modern lan- parts of Wales. guages. I imagine that this is where Apparently, this report was the she met Clem during his period as Clement Davies as a best seller to emerge from the Pub- a lecturer from –. They had leader lic Print Office until the Beveridge four children, of whom the only sur- Report. This reflected not only its vivor is Mr Stanley Clement-Davies. Contrary to commonly expressed importance for Wales but also its sig- I am greatly indebted to him for in- belief, Clement Davies was not an nificance for the whole of the formation which he has given to me ineffectual leader. To regard him as United Kingdom. It undoubtedly and for his permission to disclose, ineffectual fails to take account of his influenced the whole thinking of into the public domain, some mat- undoubted leadership qualities as political parties on social, housing ters which may explain some of the evidenced by his work in three dif- and economic matters in the apparently strange decisions taken ferent capacities: first, in the tuber- pre-Beveridge years. Its effect was during Clem’s life. culosis inquiry; second, as chairman reflected in the post-war policies of Few families have suffered as of an all-party group of MPs which the Labour Government and indeed many tragic misfortunes as those that brought Churchill’s wartime coali- in Macmillan’s approach to these befell Clement Davies and his fam- tion into being; and third, as leader matters. ily. Two of the sons and the only of the Liberal Party. daughter died in tragic and unfore- The Tuberculosis Inquiry seen circumstances, each at the age During his Chairmanship of twenty-four. I remember Mr of the Government Com- Stanley Clement-Davies telling me, mission in – into many years ago, of the sigh of relief the incidence of tubercu- he breathed when he achieved the losis in Wales and its age of twenty-five. The family bore causes, Clement Davies these tragedies with great fortitude, showed considerable lead- as far as the outside world was con- ership qualities, both in his cerned, but the internal anguish must thorough gathering of evi- have been great. It will not surprise dence, and in the incisive- any of you I think, to learn that Jano ness of the report’s recom- herself had two serious nervous mendations. Support for breakdowns — one before she was this assertion can be married and another in . In all gleaned from, in particu- Clem’s political activities she was, to lar, the contribution of Mr all appearances, a fervent and indeed George Griffiths MP to adoring supporter of her husband. the debate on the report. On the very first occasion on which He thanked Clement I spoke publicly with Clem at a Davies for being ‘so defi- packed meeting in Llanidloes, I was nite’, and added: ‘I was very amazed to see that Jano was not only pleased to see, as he went beaming throughout, but also, that journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 7 tional insurance reform, the party was united in support of much of what Labour was trying to achieve. But, over Labour’s nationalisation plans, there was deep dissension. It led to the Liberals in the Commons voting in different ways. In retro- spect, it does appear to me, although I was a considerable critic of Clem’s at the time, that his refusal to give blanket support was fully justified in the light of subsequent events. He was right in his appraisal that, on economic matters, Labour’s ideo- logically driven approach tended to lead towards disaster. Ironically, most of those who wanted greater sup- port for Labour were themselves defeated and replaced by Labour members. For instance, in Anglesey, Chairmanship of the All-Party Group the use of the architect for his own Megan Lloyd George was replaced The All-Party Group of which furtherance. by Cledwyn Hughes. Clement Davies was chairman mo- Lady Megan Lloyd George and Leadership of the Liberal Party bilised to achieve a much tougher Lady Violet Bonham Carter epito- When he became Liberal Leader in prosecution of the war effort than mised the polarisation in the party. , one can well understand the was apparent under Chamberlain. It In , a few months after I had ambivalent attitude of some of the is clear that Clement Davies showed been adopted as the prospective Lib- other Liberal MPs. After all, until the great leadership skills. He was wholly eral candidate for Caernarfon Bor- early s, Clem had not been a determined to get rid of Chamber- oughs, I came to London to read for member of the party since , al- lain and was indefatigable in organ- my Bar Finals. I recall that Clement though in Montgomeryshire he was ising the matter. In the course of Davies then invited me to be a always regarded as a proper radical doing so, Clem succeeded in per- member of a strange body called the Liberal. That he was first made suading Lloyd George, who had Liberal Party Committee — appar- Chairman of the Parliamentary Party, sulked over something, to return to ently, entirely nominated by the rather than its leader, illustrates the the Chamber to make what Sir leader. This body effectively decided suspicion of his colleagues, despite Winston Churchill subsequently de- and controlled the policy of the the high reputation he had obtained scribed as his last decisive interven- party. Some of the debates were, to during the war as a constructive tion in the House of Commons — put it mildly. vitriolic. In retrospect, critic of the National Government. a devastating attack on Chamberlain, as I look around that table in my In the press tended to dis- ending with a peroration to the ef- mind’s eye, I cannot think of any- miss the Liberals as having been rel- fect that all had to make sacrifices body else who could possibly have egated entirely to the Celtic fringe. in war but that the greatest sacrifice kept them together. I would nor- Indeed, of the twelve Liberals re- Chamberlain could make was to sur- mally sit between the two captivat- turned in , six were from Wales, render his seals of office. ing mistresses of the generally acer- two were from Scotland and one In the Clement Davies Papers, bic, but always charming comment, each from Cumberland, East Anglia, there are two handwritten letters to Lady Violet Bonham Carter and Dorset and Cornwall. There were Clem from that well-known Lady Megan Lloyd George. They al- also deep policy divisions. Megan self-seeker, Sir William Jowitt. At ways chose to sit at the end of the Lloyd George, Dingle Foot, Tom about this time, naturally seeking table directly facing Clem. Each of Horobin, Emrys Roberts and Edgar help and guidance on his own pos- them was very critical of him but Granville certainly wanted more sible preferment, it is interesting that from entirely different directions. blanket support for the Labour Gov- one letter begins ‘Dear Warwick There was a third chair between ernment than the other six were pre- the Kingmaker’ — eloquent testi- them at the table and there I would pared to give. Unquestionably, it mony from an outsider for the view sit. A particularly difficult session looked as though the Liberal Party that Clement Davies was regarded by ended one day with a very mundane might disintegrate. insiders as the principal architect of matter at the end of the agenda. On social policy, such as educa- the replacement of Chamberlain by Cornwall required a recommenda- tion, housing, the health service, na- Churchill. Here, Jowitt was seeking tion for the colour the party should
8 journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 use in elections. Lady Violet wither- He appreciated that disaster for campaign. He was a tremendous ingly suggested it was obviously ‘a the party was but a hair’s-breadth mob-orator, but had none of the subject for you, Megan dear, to ad- away; any open split during the subtleties that I had heard, a couple vise upon’. Upon which Megan re- – period would have brought of years earlier, from Lloyd George. joined: ‘Oh well, dear, I don’t really about the end of the Liberal Party Nevertheless, he made a great im- mind what colour they have, pro- as such. Clem’s sustained wisdom, pression on me. Later, when I came vided, of course, it’s not violet’. To determination and sheer devotion to know him well, I always found give an idea of the problems the Lib- kept them together at that time, and him most friendly and amiable. He erals then faced, Churchill engi- this achievement has been grossly had an amazing rapport with his neered matters so that there was no underestimated. constituents who loved his partly Conservative opponent to Lady Vio- It is against this perilous back- declamatory and partly narrative let in the Colne Valley in the ground that one must understand style. To illustrate his individual style election. Nevertheless, she still lost. Clement Davies’ refusal of a place in he would frequently speak like this: Although the Liberals were re- Churchill’s cabinet following the ‘I said to Winston on this problem duced to only six by , it has to election. Churchill’s govern- … and Winston said such and such. be remembered that they were the ment was returned in October of However, when we got into the remnants of a party historically used that year with a small, but perfectly chamber, things were different.’ In an to being treated in the House of workable, overall majority. Church- age when there was no television Commons as a major party. It had ill immediately offered Clement and when reports on political mat- its own Whip’s room, a leader’s room Davies a place in his Cabinet as the ters were very matter-of-fact, it is no and its leader was invited to take part Secretary of State for Education. This wonder that his style went down in all state occasions. Clement Davies must have been an enormous per- well. It evoked a scene of an Old insisted that this continued. His close sonal temptation for Clem; he had Testament prophet addressing his personal ties with Labour and Con- been widely described as the ablest adoring followers. servative leaders enabled him to pre- MP who had never held ministerial I now turn to a personal matter serve all the essential framework for office and he must, by then, have ‘had which must be put on the scales, es- a national party. Any new centre or a bellyful’ of dissension within his pecially in assessing some of the os- centre-left party would have taken own party, in the words of a mod- tensibly strange twists and bumps an age to acquire such a framework ern prime minister. He was also that characterised parts of Clem’s on its own. deeply interested in education, as was career. In his article on Clement During this period he was greatly his wife. Churchill spent a long Davies in the Dictionary of National criticised both by the left wing and time trying to persuade him, at Biography, the late Francis Boyd, a the right wing within his party. When Downing Street and over lunch at famous and charming political cor- I was a Bar student, I would inter- Chartwell, to accept. After consult- respondent for The Guardian, who mittently do some research for a ing widely, Clem refused the post in was a considerable admirer of Clem, highly independent Liberal MP, of order to preserve the Liberal Party. mentioned publicly for the first time whom I was dearly fond, Rhys The News Chronicle of Octo- that Clem had lived with another Hopkin Morris, KC. I remember that ber refers to Clement Davies’ problem. Francis wrote in this way: he used to tell me that Clem was li- resignation from the leadership of ‘He had an appalling political task, able to put over a viewpoint at the the Liberal Party. It emphasises that and he was working under a severe Liberal committee which the last per- it was his refusal of the post in the personal strain of which the public son he had talked to in the lavatory Churchill’s Cabinet that was the knew nothing — the effects of ex- had put into his head! This was a gross foundation for the ability of the Lib- cessive indulgence in alcohol.’ I dis- simplification, because Clem was in- erals to reemerge as an independent cussed that statement and explored dulging in a very careful balancing act. fighting force, appealing particularly it further with Mr Stanley Given the difficulties, I think it as- to youth, under Grimond. Clement-Davies. What I say now is tonishing that any leader managed to said entirely with his agreement and keep the Liberal Party together, but approval. Clement Davies did so. A letter from Clement Davies the No-one that I had met in him to Professor Gilbert Murray man Montgomeryshire or elsewhere ever shows that he was acutely aware of remembers seeing Clement Davies the precariousness of the situation: Clement Davies was a tallish, under the influence of drink. He ‘My own position is one of almost distinguished-looking man of a re- certainly had a tremor in his hand supine weakness for if I give full ex- served, but very friendly disposition. and in my innocence as a young man pression to a definite course of ac- I first heard him when I was a I attached no importance to that, but tion, that at once leads to trouble and schoolboy on a market day in nobody else seemed to do so either. a definite split. It is that split that I Denbigh appealing for funds to buy He certainly did not appear to suf- am so anxious to avoid.’ aeroplanes in the ‘Wings for Victory’ fer from alcoholism as such. How- journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 9 ever, he had a very severe drink quite insecure and lacking in confi- both of them. Another interesting problem, which may have manifested dence. Like Jano, he never gave me letter, which is among his papers, sets itself in sessions of private drinking. the impression of being able to re- out clearly his belief that in order to I know a distinguished Silk who, lax. What his leisure pursuits were, achieve a sensible and satisfactory these days, after the strain of a heavy if any, I do not know. It is very inter- answer to the socioeconomic and case, will go off on a great binge last- esting to discover among the Clem- administrative problems of Wales, it ing days at times. Whether it was that ent Davies papers in Aberystwyth, a was necessary for Wales to have its kind of manifestation with Clem, I very touching letter, dating from his own Parliament where the Welsh do not know, but the problem that student days, from a close friend, language would have the same stand- beset the family was a real one. From whose signature is indecipherable, ing as the English language. the early s, he definitely had this giving Clem some reassurance after serious problem. It was apparent an uncharacteristic failure to win a within the family by . The nerv- prize at University. It reads: ‘Of your Clement Davies as a ous breakdown which Clem sus- success in life there must not be the lawyer in politics tained in was related to drink. slightest misgivings, a man with your You will recall that he resigned as a incomparable energy and engaging Before I conclude, I wish to make Junior Treasury Counsel in , personality must, sooner or later, some observation on how I would which was an indication that the come to the fore at the Bar. I know class Clement Davies among other smooth path to the Bench, to which that you rather lack confidence in lawyers in politics. In my view, law- I referred earlier, which appears to yourself and are of a retiring disposi- yer/politicians fall into one of two have been his first, preference, was tion (a quality to be rather admired categories. In the first, I would put being abandoned. Intimates at the than otherwise) but [an indecipherable those whose first priorities are their Bar and on the Bench must have had name] tells me that father was the political beliefs and allegiances. The a severe jolt if they learnt of the fact same and even to this day is quite shy, law is a secondary matter. Lloyd of his drink problem in the early ’s. so let his career be an example to George and Asquith were two ob- Does it account for his change of you.’ Who was the author of that vious examples of such men. In his direction between and ? letter? It shows an insight into Clem’s biography of Benjamin Disraeli, Was the smooth path to the Bench personality and character, which, per- André Maurois says that the great removed from him? Was this back- haps, only a very close friend and prime minister was once asked: ‘Why, ground problem a major factor be- contemporary would have had. Was as you were called to the Bar, didn’t hind his decision to join the board this basic insecurity linked to his later you practice and become a great of Lever Brothers? Did that position drink problem? lawyer?’ Disraeli is said to have an- raise the possibility, not only of swered cryptically: ‘I gave up the greater security, but also of a more chance of being a great lawyer to structured and less stressful life than Wales preserve the chance of being a great that which exists at the Bar? I my- Clement Davies’ concern for Wales man’. There was speaking a man self have had at least four occupa- and its people runs like a golden who was truly of the first category. tions, some simultaneously, but the thread through his career. I have al- In the second category are those practising Bar is easily the most ready mentioned his report on tu- who are lawyers first and politicians stressful if you cannot relax. berculosis and that even in his second. Events may pull them into I find it astonishing that Clem ‘semi-detached’ period, the concerns politics and they often bring highly and his wife and family lived with of his constituents and the inter- focused minds to the pursuit of their this problem for forty years and that ests of Wales were never forgotten. responsibilities in political life with- it was known only to a few. It must This illustrates my belief that he was out being creative or innovative poli- have been an inhibiting, as well as a ticians. In such a category, I would throughout ‘powerfully identified deciding factor behind a number of put Lord Shawcross and Lord with the harmonies and historic decisions taken in their lives. Tre- continuities of Montgomeryshire Gardiner. mendous discipline must have been Liberalism’. He was also a consist- To reflect on the nature of legal necessary repeatedly to present a ent advocate of the appointment of training as a basis for political life, confident and reassuring public face. first, it is necessary to consider the a Secretary of State for Wales. It seems that his problem was dif- Among his papers are letters to nature of life at the Bar. A barris- ferent in kind and in degree from prime ministers Chamberlain, ter is trained to behave like a race- Churchill’s. Churchill and Attlee on the subject. horse. He is taught to be wholly ori- Perhaps you will now permit me It is interesting to note that the most ented on his objective, which is fixed to indulge in a few reflections on the promising replies came from for him at the outset of a case by, way I see Clement Davies in retro- Churchill and Attlee and it is prob- among other things, the side he is spect. I believe that, for all his ability, ably quite significant that he had a on and the rules of the profession. discipline and achievements, he was fairly close personal relationship with As for the racehorse, there are rails
10 journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 on either side of the course and his ever come across.’ The words were On balance, I would place Clem- training will have taught him to ac- said to me by the late Mr Cyril ent Davies in the second category cept a blinkered approach. Whatever Jones of Wrexham, then the doyen of lawyer/politicians. He was at his his own private view of the merits of Labour solicitors in North Wales best when his objective was set for of the case, he must present his cli- and a very remarkable man. I was him rather than as a self-generating ent’s case in the best possible light driving him as my Instructing So- politician. The three examples I have to seek to achieve his objective. The licitor to a planning appeal for one given of effective leadership from aim may be an acquittal, a convic- of his clients at Montgomeryshire Clement Davies illustrate this. In his tion, or an award of damages. By Quarter Sessions, over which famous report on tuberculosis, his contrast, in politics, there are no rails Clement Davies presided. Legally, intention was set on shaking the at all. One can have a life in politics we had in our favour a difficult, but country out of its supine acceptance without any focus. Some accept the unanswerable point. Otherwise our of bad housing and drainage, and focus imposed upon them by party case had no planning merit! It re- poverty. He achieved it. When he discipline. But the lack of rails and lated to an enforcement notice in a organised Chamberlain’s downfall, blinkers offers much greater scope case concerning a car dump. Dur- he was ruthless and determined in for individual expression and even- ing the journey, I expressed the fear pursuing his objective. Again, he tually achievement. I think that this that Clem might take a sentimen- achieved it. He saw his leadership of is what Disraeli had in mind. I have tal view of the desecration of his the Liberal Party as an exercise to often said that I found the average beloved Montgomeryshire coun- preserve the independence of the standards of behaviour and of tryside by old car bodies and that party for a younger generation to achievement to be higher at the Bar he would lose sight of the legal take over with all the basic machin- than in Parliament. However there point as the magistrates, against ery for a national party maintained. were individuals from all parties in whom we were appealing, had Again, he achieved it. Parliament who had a bigger and done. Cyril dismissed my fear im- broader vision, and who, in some mediately: ‘Mr. Hooson,’ he said, cases, were capable of becoming ‘you will see a different Clem to- Conclusion great men. day. As you know, I don’t share his There is certainly a fascinating story I have reflected on this because political views, but there isn’t a bet- yet to be fully explored. Among the of a view of Clem expressed to me ter mind than his when it is focused, biographical notes made by one of by a man whose judgement I held and when at the Bar it is always fo- his sisters, Dr Laura Maule-Horne, in high regard: ‘when Clement cused.’ He was quite right. Clem who was a distinguished doctor, Davies is focused, he has, in my saw the force of our argument im- there is a quotation from the late opinion, about the best mind I have mediately. Lord Atkin of Aberdovey, probably the greatest judge of Clement Davies with Lord Samuel, Liberal leader 1931–35 the twentieth cen- tury. At a meeting in Montgomeryshire or to the London Welsh he said of Clement Davies: ‘There was no high office in the land which was not his for the acceptance, when he was kid- napped by com- merce and became one of the head di- rectors of Unilever, the biggest combine in the world.’ In the light of what I have said earlier, it may be that ‘kidnapped by commerce’ may prove not to be quite correct. I hope that future journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 11 historians will be allowed to see pa- in existence today. Speaking at the Lib- May to May . pers from the Lord Chancellor’s De- eral Party Assembly in , David Steel CDP T//. partment and the archives of summed up why Davies’ leadership was Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the important. He said, ‘Had it not been for Anti-Tuberculosis Service in Wales and Unilever. The latter will show, I those who have more recently gone be- Monmouthshire, published March . believe, that he was a tremendously fore us to preserve and maintain the Lib- His visions for an united Europe, inter effective and incisive administrator eral Party when many doubted the need, alia, are summarised in his noteworthy who was much travelled. He must then the condition of the country would letter to Walden Moore, the Director of have made many more international demand that men and women come to- the Declaration for Atlantic Unity. In gether to conspire to invent it.’ particular, he is scathing about the missed contacts than were available to most See ‘The Reminiscences of Clement opportunity for Britain represented by MPs of his era. He was a man of Davies’, National Library of Wales Journal the failure to join the Common Mar- broad knowledge and deep insight, no , Winter , –; ket. He said that as France could not get but was not in my view a political ‘Montgomeryshire Politics: Clement a stable government, and as Germany philosopher, although he knew per- Davies and the National Government’, and Italy were ‘down and out’, all looked Montgomeryshire Collections (), – to the UK for leadership and ‘Britain fectly well what his core beliefs were. ; ‘The Clement Davies Papers: A threw the opportunity away and threw At heart, he was a traditional, radi- Review’, The National Library of Wales it away again in ’. CDP F/: dated cal Welsh Liberal who remains at the Journal (–), –. January . present time, for all the reasons I have Henceforth ‘CDP’. CDP B//–. B// is a letter from given, a very underestimated Welsh- See: ‘Clement Davies and the fall of Gilbert McAllister, Secretary General of Neville Chamberlain, –’, Welsh the World Association of Parliamentar- man and politician. History Review (–), –; ians, of which Clement Davies was presi- ‘Clement Davies: The Liberal Party dent, and contains a draft press notice This paper is based on a lecture given to –’ MA Thesis (unpublished). headed ‘Life Devoted to the Rule of the Honourable Society at the British His headmaster at Llanfyllin County Law’. It lists all the main nominees which Academy on June , with Lord School, Ifor H. Lewis, was never to for- included politicians from around the Cledwyn of Penrhos, CH, in the chair. I get Clement Davies brilliance. Upon world. The prize was, however, not Clement Davies becoming a Privy awarded that year; he was also nominated am grateful to my former researcher, Councillor, he wrote to him saying that for the ‘Légion d’Honneur’ for services William Williams, Esq., Barrister at he had won his way ‘to the highest peak to France, see letter from R. B. Vielleville, Law, for collating references to the sources at the Bar and Parliament by sheer bril- President of the Comité d’Etudes du as given in the footnotes, and to my sec- liance and scholarship’, CDP B/: let- Groupe Parlementaire Français pour un retary, Mrs Calan McGreevy, for typing ter dated January . Gouvernement Mondial, May , CDP : top of the Inter-Collegiate in Law; B/. the various drafts and the final version. Foundation Scholar (£); : first for Sir John Simon, KC, had rejected the Emlyn Hooson, QC, LLB, was MP for both parts of the Law Tripos; made sen- invitation of Lever Brothers to appear, ior scholar at Trinity Hall; Latham apparently for political reasons. Montgomeryshire from May (win- Prizeman; : awarded prize for first Later known as Unilever. ning the seat in the by-election caused class honours. Now known as the Family Division. by Clement Davies’ death) until . There are ten references to Clement £, in today’s money. Now, as Lord Hooson of Mongomery, he Davies’ works, be it as author, co-author, Among his papers are posters for meet- speaks for the Liberal Democrats in the or contributor, at the British Library: e.g. ings at which he spoke at this time: CDP, Land Valuation Under the Finance (– A/; A/. Lords on Welsh affairs, legal affairs, agri- ) Act , Reports of Land Valuation Ap- It must also be remembered that MPs culture and European affairs. He was peals in Referee’s Courts, HC, and Hl. Re- were unpaid until . President of the Welsh Liberal Party vised by Clement Edward Davies, vol. See interview with Clement Davies on –. Estates Gazette & Sweet & Maxwell, twenty-five years as an MP, Liberal News, London, (Cat No .c.); Clem- May , CDP B/. This article first appeared in the Trans- ent Davies and Ernest Evans, An Epitome For an insight into the relationship be- actions of the Honourable Society of Agricultural Law, pp xxii, . Estates tween the two men and into the dra- of Cymmrodorion (new series, Gazette, London, (Cat No matic nature of the change in Clem’s .aaal); Abridgment on Particular Sub- views in on how the war ought to Vol. , ), and is reprinted here by jects, Agriculture, Laws & Statutes, IV (Cat. be prosecuted, see CDP Class I: in par- kind permission of the author. No. .e.); The Agricultural Holdings ticular I/, letter from David Davies to Act , Laws & Statutes VIII Chrono- Clem and I/, letter from Clement Notes: logical Series Ed. VIII [ – ] (Cat. Davies to his wife, Jano. My emphasis. No .r.). We Can Conquer Unemployment, cam- Daily Telegraph, September . Now known as Unilever. paign based on the book, Britain’s Indus- See e.g. Geoffrey Sell, ‘Clement Davies Not as legal advisor as has elsewhere trial Future. — the Forgotten Leader’, Radical Quar- been suggested. According to some bio- Dealing with the national control of land terly, – , where Clement Davies’ role graphical notes written by R. J. and related issues. is described as one of considerable sig- Maule-Horne, Clement Davies’ sister, he John Maynard Keynes, the author of the nificance: ‘Had he accepted [Churchill’s was the Head of Transport, Chairman of most influential work on economics of offer of a post in Cabinet in , the the Internal Board of Commerce (CDP the twentieth century: The General Theory Liberal Party could have suffered the B//). of Employment, Interest and Money, pub- same fate of other coalition partners of August to June . lished in . the Conservatives — the Liberal Union- June to May . Baldwin Montgomeryshire Express September ists and the Liberal Nationals. Neither is was quite friendly with Clement Davies. . For an authoritative account of this
12 journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 period, see J. Graham Jones, ‘Mont- for Production. Churchill refused, but, See also, Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig – gomeryshire Politics: Clement Davies ‘twelve months later, we had one’. (London, ). and the National Government’, The Later Lord Jowitt, Labour’s Lord Chan- This appears to be the impression he Montgomeryshire Collections (), cellor from . gave to G. B. Shriver, his tutor at Trin- et seq. W. Jowitt to Clement Davies May ity Hall, as well as that of being a See J. Graham Jones, ‘The Reminiscences (CDP). workaholic. In a letter of December of Clement Davies MP’, National Library See Alan Watkins, The Liberal Dilemma , he implores Clem not to worry of Wales Journal XXVII no. , Winter – at –. After the election, about the ‘Whewell’ and to enjoy his , –, at in which Clement neither was an MP: ‘It is arguable, of vacation: ‘Vacations are not so frequent Davies’ record of what Herr Wohltat said course, that the Liberal Party in Parlia- as all that. Say you live sixty more years, to a meeting is: ‘Europe is in a chaotic ment was more harmonious for the ab- with three vacations per annum; the condition. Let us take control over Eu- sence of these two from its ranks; Lady ‘diminution’ total is only ’, CDP rope. You have the rest of the World.’ Megan was moving rapidly to the Left, A/ (i). Sometimes called the ‘Vigilantes Group’. Lady Violet just as rapidly to the Right. The ‘Whewell’. His son, Geraint, was seething when he But despite their predilection for quar- CDP A//. had heard that his father had been of- relling — partly, perhaps, because of it ‘James Griffiths, who entered parlia- fered a minor post in the Government: — they were undoubtedly the ment in as the Labour member ‘What does the PM think you are — an best-publicised members of the Liberal for Llanelli, was immediately impressed office boy to run and fetch for Arthur Party.’ by Davies’ pleas in the Commons on Greenwood?’, CDP R / letter from CDP, J/, letter from Clement Davies behalf of his constituents: “He always son to father, November , quoted to Gilbert Murray, May (copy); used to talk about “my people, my by J. Graham Jones, op. cit., at . he also said that ‘there is no party today, county”.’ David M. Roberts, ‘Clement CDP, B/. but a number of individuals whom be- Davies and the Fall of Neville Cham- For further details on his father’s life and cause of their adherence to the party berlain’, –, Welsh History Review Clement Davies’ family background, see come together to express completely di- , –, ; for corroboration of the obituary of Alderman Moses Davies, vergent views.’ For further insight into this view of Clement Davies as an ar- CDP A/. the difficulties Clem faced see Class J dent constituency MP, see Jo Grimond, E.g., his sister, Dr Laura Maule-Horne, generally. Memoirs (London ), . took medical degrees at London, Edin- See, e.g., The Times on Davies’ honour ‘Davies was closely involved in the for- burgh and Paris, CDP A, and she ap- on being made a Privy Councillor on mulation of this plank in the Liberal plat- pears to have been a highly regarded January : ‘The distinction justly form in , was associated with the member of her profession (see a refer- recognises the tactical ability with which approach to Chamberlain in , and ence written for her at A/); his brother, Mr Clement Davies has led the small, continued to fight for this appointment David Thomas Davies, qualified as a sur- but vigorous, Liberal section of the op- throughout his career’, J. Graham Jones, veyor and became the Superintending position.’ See also Lord Boothby, My Yes- ‘The Clement Davies Papers: A Review’, Valuer for Wales, CDP A. terdays, Your Tomorrow, , in which he The National Library of Wales Journal XIII, His brother, David Thomas Davies. says that few would deny ‘that he led [the –, . CDP A. Liberal Party] with dauntless courage, CDP, D. David Morgan Clement-Davies, then and no small measure of success.’ Churchill wrote to Arthur Evans on articled to a London solicitor, died of a i.e. John Major. October , saying that it was ‘no heart attack, Sep ; Mair Eluned died Latymer School. doubt a very fit and proper matter for whilst serving in the ATS, Nov. — See Alan Watkins, op. cit., at : ‘some discussion in a transition period or when a verdict of suicide was recorded; Geraint tribute should perhaps be paid to those peace is restored’, CDP D/. died in a road accident in Wiltshire whilst Liberals who, in the dark days of Something which, tragically, was on active service, Feb. . and , kept the faith: Philip Fothergill, achieved not long after his death in , Attributed to the pressure of her de- Clement Davies, Frank Byers and oth- when James Griffiths became the first manding job. ers. It would have been easy for any of Secretary of State for Wales. Jano was also a campaigner in her own these to find a satisfactory, perhaps a glo- Ibid., D/: letter from Clement Jones right, working for women’s rights, and rious, future with one of the other par- to W. J. Jones, July (copy). she was a powerful public speaker. See, ties. Davies, as we have seen, could have Hartley Shawcross, famed for his role in e.g. J. Graham Jones, op. cit. at – had a post in the Churchill Cabinet. Yet the Nuremberg trials. See, e.g., J. Graham Jones, op. cit., at : he stood firm … “We refuse to be Gerald Gardiner, who as Labour’s Lord ‘All too often, Davies is portrayed as stamped out” he said to the Liberal As- Chancellor, immortalised himself for stu- leader of the party at a time when its sembly. “In spite of all temptations we dents and practitioners of law for liber- electoral fortunes were at their nadir. But, still prefer our own doctrine and we are ating the House of Lords from its own as The Times commented when Davies determined to maintain our independ- precedents, Practice Statement () All resigned the leadership in October , ence”.’ ER . “No leader could have prevented [the] Announcing his resignation to the I confine myself to this branch of the numerical decline [of the Liberal MPs]; Folkestone Assembly, Clement Davies, profession as it is the one I know well. a less devoted leader than Mr Clement using a nautical metaphor, said: ‘It is time He had become its Chairman in Davies might have failed to prevent it that the tiller was placed in the hands of and remained in that position until his turning into a rout”.’ a younger man and that a new voice death. In in recognition of his work Clem was a workaholic and, it was said, should be calling on the ship’s company, on the Bench, he was awarded with a he had written the entire report himself rallying them to the great cause, which Gregynog Presentation Book, which re- save for the medical contribution. we all have so much at heart. Fortunately, mains in his collection, CDP, E/. See Hansard March col. – I can step down knowing that there is a Papers from the Unilever archives , . worthy successor waiting — one who were, I believe, offered to Clement According to his sister’s biographical note has fully earned his master’s certificate. ‘ Davies’ sister when she was making supra, they called, inter alia, for a Ministry Quoted by Alan Watkins, op. cit. biographical notes. journal of liberal democrat history 24: autumn 1999 13