HUGH GAITSKELL, THE LABOUR PARTY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS 1955-63 by SIMON RIPPINGALE A thesis submitted to the University of Plymouth in partial fulfilment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Humanities & Cultural Interpretation Faculty of Arts & Education July 1996 Univer0: .)-· ~ u th Li ~;·:. .~ - Item No Cf OOliQ202-) - --1 ~~-~k"l+2. · 6gs RJP Simon Rippingale Hugh Gaitskell. the Labour Party and Foreign Affairs 1955-63 Abstract Hugh Gaitskell was leader of the Labour Party between 1955-63. The Cold War was at a critical level and bi-partisanship in international affairs was expected. With Gaitskell's accession this appeared to end, marked in particular by the disputes over Suez, the independent nuclear deterrent and Britain's 11rr lication to join the European Economic Community. Simultaneously, he was challenged by the Left over nearly every aspect of Labour's foreign and defence policy. Despite these major controversies, Gaitskell's influence over international affairs remains a neglected area of research, and he is remembered more for the domestic controversies over nationalisation, his ill-fated attempt to revise Clause Nand defeat at the 1960 Scarborough conference. This thesis addresses that imbalance by examining Gaitskell's contribution to foreign affairs and the following inter-related areas: bi-partisanship; policy formulation; internal divisions and the power struggle between Left and Right. In addition, it also considers how the structure of the Labour Party benefited the leadership during this turbulent period. The conclusions revise Gaitskell's reputation as a figure of unyielding principle, and demonstrates that his leadership was marked by a mixture of finesse and blunder. His responsibility for the end of bi-partisanship can be discounted, as Labour remained firmly committed to the policies laid down and followed since 1945. Yet, the personal control over policy that he exercised, allied to his determination to mould the Labour Party in his own image, needlessly accelerated the internal struggles for power. While the Scarborough defeat illustrates the limitations of his authority, Suez and Europe display his acute political awareness of the requirements needed to balance national interests, electoral prospects and maintain party unity. List of Contents List of Contents i Abbreviations 111 Acknowledgements V Author's Declaration vi INTRODUCTION 1 1. British Foreign Policy Since 1945: Bevin's Legacy 2. International Affairs & Opposition 3. Gaitskell as Leader: The Historical Debate 4. The Historical Debate: Filling the Gaps 5. Chapter Outlines Notes for Introduction CHAPTER ONE Gaitskell Takes Over: December 1955 -July 1956 25 PART ONE The Honeymoon Period 1.1 Gaitskell's Accession: Problems & Views 1.2 The Appointments: Conciliation or Captivity PART TWO Policy & Practice 2.1 The Middle East, 1945-55 2.2 The Tanks Scandal 2.3 Glubb, Nasser and the Approach of Suez 2.4 The Soviet Union, 1945-55 2.5 Labour's Defence Review, the Soviet Visit and 'That Dinner' 2.6 Defence Expenditure and National Service Conclusion Notes for Chapter One CHAPTER TWO Suez: Labour's Challenge 63 1. The Crisis Breaks 2. The 2 August Speech 3. The Leadership's Response 4. A Left-wing Rebellion? 5. The London Conference and a New Threat? 6. The End of Bi-partisanship? 7. The Outbreak of Hostilities: Labour's Fury 8. Widespread Unity, Negligible Dissent 9. The Aftermath: Public Opinion, Doubts and Resolution Conclusion Notes for Chapter Two CHAPTER IHREE The Fuse is Lit The Bomb 1956-59 114 1. Keep the Lid On! From Suez to Brighton 2. Challenges and Control: From Brighton to Scarborough, 1958 3. The Fuse is Lit: From Scarborough to the General Election Conclusion Notes for Chapter Three CHAPTER FOUR The Balloon Goes Up! The Bomb 1959-62 165 1. The Drift to Defeat: The General Election to Scarborough, 1960 2. No Quarter! From Scarborough to Blackpool 3. Victory and Consolidation: From Blackpool to Brighton Conclusion Notes for Chapter Four CHAPTER FIVE Wait and Seef Europe 1955-63 213 1. On the Sidelines: Labour and Europe 1956-59 2. The Divisions Emerge: The General Election to Macmillan's Application 3. Wait and See: The Application to the Brussels Meeting 4. Towards Opposition: From Brussels to Brighton, July- October 1962 5. Back on the Fence: After Brighton Conclusion Notes for Chapter Five CONCLUSION 272 BIBLIOGRAPHY 279 ii Abbreviations The following abbreviations occur in the text and footnotes AEU Amalgamated Engineering Union ASFS Anglo-Soviet Friendship Society ASSET Association of Supervisory St<tffs, Executives and Technicians BBC British Broadcasting Corporation BIPO British Institute of Public Opinion CAP Common Agricultural Policy (of the EEC) cos Campaign for Democratic Socialism CIGS Chief of the Imperial General Staff ClP Constituency Labour Party CMD Campaign for Multilateral Disarmament CND Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament CPGB Communist Party of Great Britain CPSU Communist Party of the Soviet Union CWS-C Commonwealth Sub-Committee (of the Labour Party) DS,C Defence Sub-Committee ECSC European Coal and Steel Community EOC European Defence Community EDM Early Day Motion EEC European Economic Commmunity (Common Market) EES-C European Economic Sub-Committee (of the Labour Party) EFTA European Free Trade Area EIFTA European Industrial Free Trade Area FO Foreign Office F&ES-C Finance and Economic Sub-Committee (of the Labour Party) HCDebs House of Commons Debates ~Hansard) HOD Hugh Dalton Diary HGD Hugh Gaitskell Diary HMG Her Majesty's Government HPS-C Home Policy Sub-Committee (of the Labour Party) ID International Department (of the Labour Party) IS-C International Sub-Committe (of the Labour Party) ITV Independent Television LCMC Labour Common Market Committee LHBC Labour H-Bomb Committee LPCR Labour Party Conference Report MEOO Middle East Defence Organis(ltion NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 111 NCANWT National Committee for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons Tests NCL National Council of Labour NEC National Executive Committee (of the Labour Party) NUGMW National Union of General and Municipal Workers NUM National Union of Mineworkers NUR National Union of Railwaymen OEEC Organisation for European Economic Co-operation PC Parliamentary Committee (Shadow Cabinet) PGWD Patrick Gordon Walker Diary PLP Parliamentary Labour Party PPS Parliamentary Private Secretary PRO Public Record Office (Kew) RCD Richard Crossman Diary RD Research Department (of the Labour Party) SCUA Suez Canal Users Association SEATO South East Treaty Organisation TBD Tony Benn Diary T&GWU Transport and General Workers Union TUC Trades Union Congress (and by extension its General Council) UN United Nations USDAW Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers VFS Victory For Socialism IV Acknowledgements This thesis is the result of a long-term fascination with the British Labour Movement and the dilemma between socialist idealism and pragmatism. Without the support of a studentship from the University of Plymouth this would not have been possible. I am of course indebted to my supervisory team, Dr Kevin Jefferys, Dr Owen Hartley and Or Nick Smart. Also at the University, I should like to acknowledge the unfailing help, patience and humour of the library and administrative staff, as well as my friends and colleagues in the History Department and research base. I would also like to express my thanks to the following archivists, without whose co-operation and generous assistance this study would have been impossible: Steven Bird at the National Museum of Labour History; Dr Angela Raspin at the LSE, Helen Langley at the Bodleian; Dr Eleanor Vallis of Nuffield College, Oxford. Also the staff at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth; the National Newspaper Library, Colindale and the PRO, Kew. Finally, I am grateful to the many individuals who have contributed to the study, whether in interviews, permission to examine papers or in discussion: in particular, Frank Allaun MP, Tony Benn MP, Professor David Butler, Mrs Frleda Warman-Brown, Dr Chris Cook, Bryan Davies MP, Lady Gillian Greenwood, Lord Healey, Professor Kenneth 0 Morgan, George and Irene Wagner. V Author's Declaration At no time during the registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy has the author been registered for any other University award. This study was financed with the aid of a Studentship from the Faculty of Arts & Education, University of Plymouth. Relevant historical research courses, summer schools, conferences and seminars were attended at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London and at the Institute of Contemporary British History, London. Labour Heritage conferences were also attended in London, Oxford and Manchester. SignOO .... J!... 4.r. ....................... Date ...... /4.. ..4-;-d ... ./7..?./.. ............... vi INTRODUCDON This thesis seeks to examine the British Labour Party's views on foreign and defence policy under the leadership of Hugh Gaitskell between 1955-1963. This was a period where the Cold War was still at a critical level and the world was beset with international crises. World War Two had ended the predominance of the European states in world affairs and propelled the Soviet Union and United States of America to international primacy. Britain itself had emerged from the war victorious, but seriously weakened. Despite both major British political parties clinging to the notion of parity with the new superpowers it was increasingly evident that this position was unrealistic. Serious economic difficulties,