Bennett Gill - Six moments of crisis : inside British foreign policy

Six Moments of Crisis

Harold Wilson contemplates the burdens of premiership, 1964

Inside British Foreign Policy

GILL BENNETT

Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX 2 6 DP ,
United Kingdom

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Gill Bennett 2013

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First Edition published in 2013

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

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ISBN 9780199583751

Printed in Great Britain by
Clays Ltd, St Ives plc

Events take place everywhere but the crux
is at the centre.

Han Fei: Chinese philosopher, c.280233 BC
(The Art of Attainment, trans. Tony Blishen)

A great many people have helped me in the writing of this book, either by discussing the issues with me or by commenting on specific chapters. I cannot name them all, but I am most grateful. In particular, I would like to thank Professor Christopher Andrew, Dr Christopher Baxter, Jim Daly, Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Professor Keith Jeffery, Professor Roger Morgan, Sir David Manning, Sir David Omand, Professor George Peden, Constance Regnier, Professor Patrick Salmon, Professor David Stafford, Sir Stephen Wall, and Mrs Heather Yasamee for their advice, friendship, and support. I am grateful to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Historians, and to the Official Histories team within the Cabinet Office Knowledge and Information Management Unit, for facilities and help, and to the staff of The National Archives and Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge. I could not have done any of it without my agent, Bill Hamilton of A. M. Heath, while my editor, Matthew Cotton, has been unfailingly supportive. Finally, to my two sons, Henry and Dominic, and to those of my friends who have put up with me while I have been writing this book, many thanks.

Lord Privy Seal, 19402

Secretary of State for the Dominions, 19423

Lord President of the Council, 19435

Deputy Prime Minister, 19425

Prime Minister, 194551, Minister of Defence, 19456

Minister of Health, 194551

Minister of Labour and National Service, 1951

Minister of Labour and National Service, 19405

Foreign Secretary, 194551

Lord Privy Seal, 1951

Parliamentary Private Secretary to Minister of Labour and National Service, 19457, and to Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1947

Joint Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, 194751

Minister of Works, 1951

First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, 19646

Foreign Secretary, 19668

Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign Office, 193841

President of the Board of Education, 19414

Minister of Education, 19445

Minister of Labour and National Service, 1945

Chancellor of the Exchequer, 19515

Lord Privy Seal, 19559

Home Secretary, 195762

First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister, 19623