§ Mr. Hugh Gaitskell (Leeds, South)Before we proceed to the business of the day, I ask leave of the House to refer to the event which is in all our minds—the resignation, through ill-health, of the former Prime Minister. Sir Anthony Eden.
It may seem strange, Sir, that the privilege of being the first to pay tribute to a retiring Prime Minister should fall to the Leader of the Opposition, his most direct political opponent. Yet I feel that this custom illustrates a characteristic of this House of Commons often commented on by foreign observers, that we find it possible to engage in the most bitter political debates in this Chamber without—at least, for long—damaging our personal relationships.
It is always a sad occasion when someone who has been a Member of this House for a long time, someone who has impressed his personality upon all of us, someone who has held the highest offices of State, leaves us, but our sorrow is much greater when the cause of the change is a serious illness, an illness which I cannot but feel is itself associated with the heavy strain of Ministerial and Parliamentary responsibility over many years.
To most of us, I am sure, the announcement of Sir Anthony's decision came as a complete surprise. We had hoped that his health, though temporarily impaired, had been restored when he returned from Jamaica. Evidently this was not the case. We must all hope that the longer rest which he can now take will give him the convalescence he requires, and that in the next few months he will fully recover his former health.
During recent months we on this side of the House have very strongly disagreed with the policies of the late Government. To pretend that these differences did not exist would be dishonest and, indeed, absurd. To emphasise them today would be wholly out of place. I prefer, therefore, to ignore them and to concentrate such remarks as I have to make on the very distinguishd career of Sir Anthony Eden from the day when he first came to this House.
37 Sir Anthony came here as a young man of 26, in 1923. Three years later he began his long association with the Foreign Office, first as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Sir Austen Chamberlain, then, in 1931, as Parliamentary Under-Secretary, later as Minister of League of Nations Affairs, and, finally, in 1935 as Foreign Secretary.
Though I had the privilege of knowing him personally only during these last eleven years, I well remember the impression he made upon us during the 'thirties. We who were somewhat critical of the policies of Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Chamberlain looked upon Sir Anthony in those days as representing within Conservative Governments a more progressive outlook in foreign affairs than that of some of his colleagues. We welcomed particularly his activities on behalf of the League of Nations and his clear support for the principles of collective security. We applauded his courage in resigning from the post of Foreign Secretary, in 1938.
But it is, of course, of his work in more recent years that I, for my part, can speak with more direct experience. We in this House all recognise in him an outstandingly gifted Parliamentarian who, time and again, deeply impressed not only his own side but the whole House with his contributions to our debates. In many speeches on many occasions both from this Opposition Bench when he was deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, and later, as Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister, from the Government Bench opposite, he commanded the respect and general support of the House as a whole. He combined intimate knowledge, great experience and grasp of detail in the field of foreign policy with a very happy manner of speaking and unusual personal charm.
In addition to his talents in this House, he was also a most effective politician, in the best sense of that word, in his relations with the public. Indeed, through his work over the years in the international field he won the confidence of the British people as a whole in a manner granted to few.
Nor can there be any doubt as to his outstanding diplomatic ability. Out of many sucessful international negotiations which he conducted, two comparatively recent ones come at once to our minds— 38 his remarkable achievement in bringing about the Paris Agreements within a few weeks of the collapse of the European Defence Community project, and his successful handling of the Geneva negotiations on Indo-China.
Thus, today, in taking leave of him, we send him greetings and good wishes, and, above all, our hope that his health may be speedily repaired so that he may continue to serve his country and the world for many years to come.
I would also offer to his successor, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bromley (Mr. H. Macmillan), our congratulations and strictly personal good wishes upon his appointment. I cannot say that we wish him to have a long tenure of office. Nor can I hold out any hope that we shall give him an easy time—he would not wish it. His policies will be most closely scrutinised and, in so far as they seem to us inadequate or wrong, most strenuously resisted. We shall be happy to relieve him of the burden of office whenever he likes. But, meanwhile, at the beginning of what may be a series of stormy Parliamentary battles, we extend to him these few words of personal good will.
§ Mr. J. Grimond (Orkney and Shetland)My colleagues and I would like to join the Leader of the Opposition in expressing our deep regret at the illness of Sir Anthony Eden and in offering, too, our perhaps modified congratulations to the new Prime Minister and wishing him personal success.
Sir Anthony rendered this country very great service in a number of offices, particularly at the Foreign Office. He wore himself out in the work which he did for this country, and it must be a matter of great sorrow to us all that he has had to go in these circumstances. All I feel that we can do now is to wish him good luck on his voyage and a happy return to this country, restored in health.
§ Mr. David Grenfell (Gower)This is an occasion when I feel that the recognition given to my seniority in the House should be addressed to all my colleagues here and to the public outside. I am not speaking as a party man at this moment.
I wish to refer to the resignation of Sir Anthony Eden and his departure from the House, but I do not wish to say anything that will convey an impression that I have 39 strong personal approval or disapproval of anything that has been done in recent weeks.
We do not dispose of the leaders of parties or of Her Majesty's Ministers: there are circumstances which determine the tenure of Government offices. We are to take responsibilities in this House, and our powers are limited by public opinion and the public will. This is an occasion of exceptional significance to hon. Members and to the parties with which we are associated. I do not wish to give an appearance of criticism or reproof at this stage.
Parliamentary history has been written in strong terms here in recent weeks. There are outstanding gaps in our Parliamentary structure. I do not wish to criticise the conduct of any leaders today. Discussion will be forced upon us here and in the country. I sincerely hope the House will fulfil its responsibility for reorganisation now that there are vacancies to be filled and opportunities for Parliamentary power to be made permanent and effective.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)My first duty is to thank the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition and the other hon. Members who have spoken for what they have said this afternoon about Sir Anthony Eden. He has been struck down in the prime of life by serious illness, and I know that he and Lady Eden will be encouraged by the good wishes which have been expressed today for his speedy recovery.
This is not the time, nor have I the qualities, to attempt any appraisal of Sir Anthony's political achievements. I have been a close personal friend of his for thirty-three years since we first entered the House of Commons together, and during many of those years I have worked in close association with him.
Among the many qualities of Sir Anthony Eden—great diligence, tact, charm, and very high skill in negotiation—I think there are two which, when the full history of his career is written, will be regarded as outstanding. Throughout his whole political life he has shown complete integrity in every sense of the word. He has also shown on many occasions rare courage. He has 40 always done what he thought was right, and we can pay no greater tribute to any man.
Some very kind words were said by the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition about myself. Of course, I know that these are to some extent the stylised preliminaries to combat, like the salutes between duellists. Nevertheless, the House of Commons has also such traditions of good fellowship that I feel that there is a genuine welcome given by the House as a whole to any of its Members called upon to undertake the great tasks which have fallen to me.
I can only say that I have been much touched by the kindness which has been shown to me on all sides of the House, and that I will do my best.