Daniel Crewe examines the career of Sir Clement Freud, artist, journalist, chef, bon viveur – and Liberal MP, 1973–87. ‘ONE OF NATURE’S LIBERALS’

n the years immediately pre- Clement Freud as put it, he was ‘one Clement Raphael Freud was ceding Sir Clement Freud’s addressing Liberal of nature’s liberals’. In political born on 24 April 1924 – he election as an MP in July conference terms, as Freud himself said: ‘I later felt that 24 was his lucky 1973, he had starred in a was an anti-conservative who number – and was the youngest pet food commercial, had couldn’t join a Clause 4 Labour of the three sons of Lucie and Idebuted on and Party, and I hugely admired Jo Ernst Freud, an architect. Jew- appeared on Jackanory (inspir- Grimond.’2 ish, though not religious – Freud ing many children to cook), During his career he made himself was non-practising – they and had won the Daily Mail positive references to the ideas fled for England –New York air race. It of Lloyd George,3 and com- in early 1933. With his two was thought by many – not least munity politics were certainly brothers, Clement was first sent within the Liberal Party – that fundamental to his political to the progressive Dartington he would not be a heavyweight work. ‘He has created a formi- Hall in Devon and then, after political figure. But he served dable local following,’ wrote a further move, to Hall School, as an excellent constituency J. W. M. Thompson during . He later described MP for the Isle of Ely from July the February 1974 election his two and a half years at the 1973 until 1983, and then for campaign.4 Freud recalls that Hall School as ‘the happiest of North East, his later success was influenced my life … In my last year at the and, although the seat was lost by his military training in Glas- Hall I was house captain, played in 1987, he played a significant gow, when he spent numerous first-team soccer, rugby, cricket role in the Liberal revival of the evenings thanking the hospi- and squash and wrote regularly 1970s. table residents of the city. But for the school magazine.’5 Known to friends as Clay within Freud there was also a He was then educated at St – and to the illiterate as ‘Frood’1 Millite freedom from conform- Paul’s School, London, and went – he was the grandson of Sig- ity. Like many Liberals, he was on to be an apprentice chef and a mund Freud, nephew of Anna pluralist, honest and anarchic, waiter at the Dorchester Hotel in and brother of Lucian. He and supported community poli- London, as he describes in Chap- was progressive, eccentric and tics, innovation in policies and ter Three of his witty autobiogra- dedicated to individual liberty; constitutional change. phy: ‘In which I discover that life

14 Journal of Liberal History 43 Summer 2004 Journal of Liberal History 43 Summer 2004 15 ‘ONE OF NATURE’S LIBERALS’ out there is neither middle class Antipodes to select the winner majority of 1,470 and arguing: nor necessarily celibate.’ Freud of the Great Australian Bake Off, ‘[O]ur main attraction was that recalls: ‘I … had set my heart on and sailing in the race from Cape we were neither Labour nor reading English at Exeter Col- Town to Rio. Conservative’.13 Jeremy Thorpe lege’, but his father could not It was in the spring of 1973, noted: ‘The last time Liberals had afford ‘to send a third son into during a period of Liberal revival victories on this sort of scale was tertiary education.’6 During the and concentration on commu- in March 1929’.14 Freud had put war he served with the Royal nity politics, that Freud sought a bet on himself at 33 to 1 and Ulster Rifles and emerged a lieu- to become an MP. A by-elec- won more than £3,000. tenant in 1947. tion had been called following In his maiden speech he said After the war Freud worked the death of Sir Harry Legge- that Britain’s tourist industry was in a restaurant in Soho, in hotels Bourke, the Conservative MP a ‘laughing stock’.15 (When he in Cannes and near Barnstaple, for the Isle of Ely, who had taken had taken his seat he had been and was an innovative catering the seat in 1945 after it had been met with calls of ‘woof woof’, manager at the Arts Theatre Liberal for sixteen years. ‘[M]y and he later enjoyed commenting Club near Leicester Square credentials as a Liberal were upon the maiden speech from the (helped along the way by royal- impeccable,’ Freud wrote. ‘My new MP for Barking.16) In Febru- ties from the work of his grand- father had voted Liberal: “They ary 1974 he increased his major- father). It was here, on 2 April have no policies either, but tend ity to 14.8 per cent but in the 1950, that he met June Beatrice to be nicer people.”’9 He thought second general election of that Flewett (Jill); they married that that he had failed to capture the year, in October, his majority fell September and in London the party’s nomination, but won by to 5.1 per cent, the Liberal share wedding was front-page news. thirteen votes to eight, and his of the vote falling in most seats. A fortnight after his honey- friend Lord Beaumont of Whit- In 1979 he increased his major- moon he lost his job and ended ley, who had helped the finan- ity to 5.9 per cent, beating the up marketing Campari before cially struggling party and was Conservative Dr Thomas Stut- managing a nightclub. ‘I had the Liberal spokesman on edu- taford. Boundary changes meant determined that by my twenty- cation in the Lords, then helped that the Conservatives felt that eighth birthday I would have a to organise Freud’s campaign. It the new seat of Cambridgeshire wife, a child, a house, a car and was notable for Freud’s demon- North East would be winnable £1000 in the bank’, he wrote.7 stration of his competitive spirit. in 1983, but again Freud held the Aged twenty-seven, he had all (He has owned or part-owned seat, this time with a majority of except the money. The couple many horses – and when riding 9.7 per cent. was to have five children: Mat- himself his colours were orange In 1987, however, a 6.1 per thew, Emma, Ashley, Nicola and black.) ‘[M]y cre- cent swing to the Conserva- and Dominic. The constituency – large, flat tives led to his losing the seat. From 1952 until 1962 Freud and wet, created in 1885 and tak- dentials Writing in the Sunday Times on was the proprietor of the Royal ing in Ely, March and Wisbech as a Lib- September 20, 1987, he cited Court Theatre Club, but when – had not been contested by the ‘complacency compounded by the restaurant made way for an Liberals in 1970 and the Con- eral were five consecutive victories’ as the extension to the auditorium, servative Party had a majority of reason for his defeat. Lord Beau- he became a professional writer 9,606. Freud recalls of his previ- impecca- mont says: ‘He had not taken – having written, from 1956, ous political experience: ‘I had enough trouble with the new on sport for the Observer. Ini- been to the House of Commons ble,’ Freud influx of electorate.’ The national tially he was a columnist for the once, for an article in the Daily wrote. ‘My vote for the Alliance went down News of the World. From 1961 Telegraph on “How to Lobby by 3 per cent, and the seat was until 1963 he was the cookery your MP” … Nor did I know father had one of five Liberal losses of the correspondent of Time and Tide, the Isle of Ely very well …’10 He nineteen seats then held. and in 1964 he became food and goes on: ‘Prior to the election I voted Lib- Given the size of the parlia- beverage editor of the Observer had … been supportive rather mentary party, Freud was likely magazine. But once he became than passionate about the Liber- eral: “They to have had an impact on it dur- a celebrity – with increased fre- als.’11 But according to the Daily have no ing his period in Parliament, and quency his voice was described Telegraph: ‘He claims to have he did, though it was perhaps as ‘lugubrious’, his facial expres- extracted promises of votes from policies not as great as it might have sion as ‘hangdog’ – his com- a large number of people who are been. In November 1973 he was mercial alongside a bloodhound dissatisfied, especially with prices either, but appointed party spokesman on called Henry ‘made me virtually and wages’.12 education, and from November unemployable … I grew a beard Freud won a battle with tend to be 1974 he was also spokesman to avoid immediate recogni- Young, the Labour candidate, nicer peo- on the arts and broadcasting. tion.’8 The years of 1970 and for the non-Conservative vote, He was ‘a very good educa- 1971 included periods in the eventually triumphing with a ple.”’ tion spokesman,’ recalls Lord

16 Journal of Liberal History 43 Summer 2004 Journal of Liberal History 43 Summer 2004 17 ‘ONE OF NATURE’S LIBERALS’ Steel, ‘very assiduous at going ‘I don’t of the Policy Committee, but in the election to become round universities and colleges. equally he was entertaining, of St Andrews University, having People thought because of his want to be announcing during a party con- been rector of the University of image that he wouldn’t take ference in the unpopular venue Dundee from 1974 until 1980, things seriously but he did.’17 a minister,’ of Margate that the following and he was particularly proud Freud believed in steady progress morning would see the meeting of his new role. Freud suggested towards non-selective education he told one of the escape committee. that his epitaph might read: ‘He and also argued for the abolition journal- As regards Freud’s impact on very seldom insulted people of assisted places, more local gov- British politics, it is hard to disa- intentionally.’28 ernment autonomy and pupils ist during gree with his recollection that ‘I on governing bodies, and he was provided some humour in what Daniel Crewe writes for The critical of corporal punishment. the 1987 was a dull House’;23 he had pre- Times and has contributed to the In 1976 he backed Jeremy viously written that he objected Oxford Dictionary of National Thorpe while an ever-increasing campaign. to ‘the unworldliness of the Biography. majority of Liberal MPs said that ‘I like my Members’.24 He made innovative the leader should resign.18 When policy proposals, suggesting that 1 Clement Freud, Freud Ego (hereaf- he came round to the view that the government should purchase ter FE) pp. 40, 146, 153 etc. constitu- 2 Interview by the author, 30 Thorpe had to go, the resignation Aintree and that 20 per cent of a December 2002. took place in Freud’s house in ency very football transfer should go to the 3 Letter to , 28 May 1985; London. police to prevent hooliganism.25 also FEp. 29. He then supported Steel, who much more More importantly, he put 4 Sunday Telegraph, 24 February was acting Chief Whip, for the forward the Official Information 1974. than West- 5 FE, pp. 20, 22. leadership and was given respon- Bill, of which he was particularly 6 Ibid., pp. 33–34. sibility for prices and consumer minster.’ proud, to allow greater public 7 Ibid., p. 100. protection and for Northern Ire- access to government decision- 8 Ibid., p. 152. land,19 during a period in which making and which was to be a 9 Ibid., p. 197. opinion on the issue was divided forerunner of later legislation. 10 Ibid., pp. 198–99. 11 Ibid., p. 210. in the party. Though not a keen He also played a prominent 12 16 July 1973. supporter of the Lib–Lab Pact, in role on the House of Commons 13 FE, p. 207. September 1977 Freud said that catering sub-committee, though 14 The Times, 28 July 1973. breaking it would ‘plunge this he resigned in December 1975, 15 Ibid., 2 November 1973. country into yet another swing of saying that MPs had no right to 16 Ibid., 6 April 1974. 20 17 Interview by the author, 30 the yo-yo’. He perhaps referred exclusive facilities at the taxpay- December 2002. 26 to education in particular, argu- ers’ expense. 18 The Times, 15 March 1976. ing that Liberals ‘deplored the Finally, although Freud him- 19 Ibid., 15 July 1976. two-party conflict which did so self admits that all Liberal MPs at 20 Ibid., 29 September 1977. little for children’.21 the time were good constituency 21 Ibid., 25 November 1975. 22 Interview by the author, 30 It might be argued that MPs, he was particularly good. December 2002. Freud won his by-election only ‘There was nothing he liked 23 Ibid. because the Liberals were win- more than badgering ministers,’ 24 News of the World, 6 November ning by-elections at that time says Lord Beaumont. During 1966. – the party won five between his time in Ely his wife organ- 25 The Times, 6 May 1977. 26 Ibid., 10 December 1975. 1972 and 1973, creating ised activities for local disabled 27 Ibid., 8 June 1987. momentum before the election children. And having promised 28 Sunday Times, 18 January 1981. of February 1974, when the to live among his constituents, Liberals gained almost four mil- Freud bought a converted pub lion votes. But, as Freud himself near Ely. ‘I don’t want to be a Further reading said, getting into parliament was minister,’ he told one journal- an achievement in itself,22 and ist during the 1987 campaign. ‘I Freud Ego (2001) describes his his background meant that his like my constituency very much life until the by-election victory; 27 contribution then stood out. more than Westminster.’ he does not plan to continue the ‘Having a household name gave Although he was knighted in story. the party panache and style,’ says 1987, Freud did not get a peer- Other books: Grimble (1968); one Liberal peer. age. He considered standing as Grimble at Christmas (1973); He brought in people from a ‘traditional Liberal’ for the by- Freud on Food (1978); Clicking outside the party when raising election in Kensington in 1988, Vicky (1980); The Book of funds; he did his share of cam- and starting that year he wrote a Hangovers (1981); Below the paigning, even in working men’s diary and a sports column in The Belt (1983); No One Else Has clubs when he was known for Times; in 1990 he created two Complained (1988); and The not being able to stand smoke. new sandwiches for British Rail. Gourmet’s Tour of Great Britain and Ireland (1989). Freud was a conscientious chair In 2002 he beat

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