Above: the master diarist, Alan Clark in 1992
Richard Crossman, Leader of the Commons, at the Labour party conference in Scarborough in October 1967
“The PM’s speech came as the first big event after the fraternal greetings from the TUC. As I sat there listening I was spellbound to hear a speech on which I had worked so hard actually delivered. What struck me was the sheer punch of the delivery. Harold [Wilson] looked young and cheerful and vigorous, and, my God, he put it across. As he went along he added many additional little touches and there was a great use of hand and expression. I would say he added 30 per cent at least to the quality of the speech we had worked on. I think he deserved more than the minute’s ovation he got.”
Alan Clark on the Conservative party conference in Brighton in 1984
“Before breakfast, when I returned with the dogs, Jane told me that there had been a huge bomb at Brighton, the hotel [the Grand Hotel, where members of the cabinet were staying] had been all but demolished. They had ‘got’ Tebbit, Wakeham, Tony Berry, various dignitaries. Amazing TV coverage. The whole façade of the hotel blown away. Keith Joseph (indestructible), wandering about in a burgundy-coloured dressing-gown, bleating. The scene was one of total confusion, people scurrying hither and thither, barely a police officer to be seen. Mrs T had been saved by good fortune (von Stauffenberg’s briefcase!) as she was in the bathroom. Had she been in the bedroom she would be dead. But what a coup for the Paddies. The whole thing has a smell of the Tet offensive. If they just had the wit to press their advantage, a couple of chaps with guns in the crowd, they could have got the whole government as they blearily emerged—and the assassins could in all probability have made their getaway unpunished.”
Alastair Campbell at the Labour party conference in Blackpool in October 1994. Tony Blair plans to revise Clause Four of the Labour Party constitution which called for nationalisation
“At the hotel, Tony met Neil [Kinnock] and set out what he intended to say in detail. Bloody great, said Neil, right thing to do. The last time the three of us had talked together, we were in France. TB and NK on different sides of the argument. I felt a sense of privilege, in terms of witnessing history, to be in the room with one leader of the Labour Party explaining to another why and how he was changing the Party’s constitution as a means of giving real power and symbolism to the modernisation process the older man had started. Neil said, I never had a conference speech as good as this the night before I made it. Don’t mess around with it too much. TB to NK I knew you said these speeches were a nightmare, but I didn’t realise how big. NK to TB You’ll feel great tomorrow night, I promise you. That is a helluva speech.”
Richard Crossman, Leader of the Commons, at the Labour party conference in Scarborough in October 1967
“The PM’s speech came as the first big event after the fraternal greetings from the TUC. As I sat there listening I was spellbound to hear a speech on which I had worked so hard actually delivered. What struck me was the sheer punch of the delivery. Harold [Wilson] looked young and cheerful and vigorous, and, my God, he put it across. As he went along he added many additional little touches and there was a great use of hand and expression. I would say he added 30 per cent at least to the quality of the speech we had worked on. I think he deserved more than the minute’s ovation he got.”
Alan Clark on the Conservative party conference in Brighton in 1984
“Before breakfast, when I returned with the dogs, Jane told me that there had been a huge bomb at Brighton, the hotel [the Grand Hotel, where members of the cabinet were staying] had been all but demolished. They had ‘got’ Tebbit, Wakeham, Tony Berry, various dignitaries. Amazing TV coverage. The whole façade of the hotel blown away. Keith Joseph (indestructible), wandering about in a burgundy-coloured dressing-gown, bleating. The scene was one of total confusion, people scurrying hither and thither, barely a police officer to be seen. Mrs T had been saved by good fortune (von Stauffenberg’s briefcase!) as she was in the bathroom. Had she been in the bedroom she would be dead. But what a coup for the Paddies. The whole thing has a smell of the Tet offensive. If they just had the wit to press their advantage, a couple of chaps with guns in the crowd, they could have got the whole government as they blearily emerged—and the assassins could in all probability have made their getaway unpunished.”
Alastair Campbell at the Labour party conference in Blackpool in October 1994. Tony Blair plans to revise Clause Four of the Labour Party constitution which called for nationalisation
“At the hotel, Tony met Neil [Kinnock] and set out what he intended to say in detail. Bloody great, said Neil, right thing to do. The last time the three of us had talked together, we were in France. TB and NK on different sides of the argument. I felt a sense of privilege, in terms of witnessing history, to be in the room with one leader of the Labour Party explaining to another why and how he was changing the Party’s constitution as a means of giving real power and symbolism to the modernisation process the older man had started. Neil said, I never had a conference speech as good as this the night before I made it. Don’t mess around with it too much. TB to NK I knew you said these speeches were a nightmare, but I didn’t realise how big. NK to TB You’ll feel great tomorrow night, I promise you. That is a helluva speech.”
