HL Deb 12 November 1992 vol 540 cc317-9

3.3 p.m.

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Wakeham)

My Lords, I am sure that the House would not wish the retirement of the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos, to pass without paying tribute to his many years as Leader of the Opposition. Of course, when the noble Lord was elected Leader in 1982 he already had decades of experience as a parliamentarian and a Minister. That depth of experience has been invaluable in helping this House to run smoothly over the past 10 years as the noble Lord has drawn on his typically Welsh virtues of charm and common sense. The work of the party leaders in the Lords, both in expressing the sense of the House and in serving the domestic committees of the House, is in a very real sense a partnership.

The noble Lord has proved himself both a generous and pragmatic partner as well as a challenging adversary across the Floor. The whole House will be very grateful for his years of service and will, I am sure, join me in hoping that we will continue to benefit from his contributions to our debates. Perhaps I could also use the opportunity to welcome to the Dispatch Box the noble Lord, Lord Richard, as Leader of the Opposition.

Lord Jenkins of Hillhead

My Lords, I join the noble Lord the Leader of the House in extending congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Richard, and I add my tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos. It is nearly 27 years since the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, and I first sat in a Cabinet together. Since then, I have regarded him as a friend and, on nearly every issue, an ally. I hope that I shall not be introducing too controversial a note if I say that my mind goes back to the referendum campaign of 1975 when, as vice-president of Britain in Europe, he secured the notable and almost amazing result of a 72 per cent. affirmative vote in Gwynedd. That was a great tribute to his local influence.

In your Lordships' House for the past 10 years, the noble Lord has exercised great national influence. While reading something totally separate this morning, it so happened that I came across a tribute which John Morley had drafted—not to Gladstone, whom one might think, but to a nearly equally notable leader—in which he referred to a leader's, strong sense in council, power in debate and consummate mastery of all the habit and practice of public business". I thought that those words were by no means inappropriate to the noble Lord, Lord Penrhos—I mean, the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos.

On a more personal note, I must say that I shall greatly miss the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, among the leaders. Apart from anything else, with the thrusting presence of the noble Lord the Lord Privy Seal and the noble Lord, Lord Richard, his absence from the Front Bench will make me feel something of the loneliness of age. However, the noble and splendid Baroness, Lady Hylton-Foster will keep me company in that respect. Nonetheless, I shall greatly miss the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos. I pay tribute to the notable contribution which he has made to the standing and effectiveness of your Lordships' House over the past 10 years.

Baroness Hylton-Foster

My Lords, we on the Cross Benches are very sad that the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, wishes to retire as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. We shall miss his knowledgeable, wide experience, his wise and balanced advice and his unfailing good manners. We thank him for being so approachable to all of us. We wish him every happiness in whatever he decides to do now.

The Lord Bishop of Worcester

My Lords, those who sit on these Benches sometimes have a detached view of the proceedings of your Lordships' House, but we do have a particularly advantageous view of those who sit on the opposite Benches. So often we have seen the noble Lord, Lord Penrhos—I am sorry, I mean the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn; I do not think that I should follow the Liberal Democrats so slavishly—climb up to his eyrie at the Dispatch Box and always oppose firmly but without a contentious tenor. It has been a great study to see the way in which a Leader of the Opposition does his duty without, as I said, introducing a contentious tenor.

The noble Lord has shown enormous friendship and kindliness towards bishops in a way that only the son of a Free Church minister of Wales could do, for at no time has he ever been under any bishop's jurisdiction. Therefore, from these Benches, I wish him every happiness and repeat our thanks to him for his friendliness and encouragement to us.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, I am deeply grateful to the noble Lord the Leader of the House, the noble Lord, Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, the noble Baroness, Lady Hylton-Foster, and the right reverend Prelate for the generous words that they have expressed about me. It has been a great privilege to occupy this office for 10 years. I was reminded this morning that I was elected to the position exactly 10 years ago yesterday. The time has passed by very quickly.

I am particularly grateful, as the House will understand, to my noble friends on these Benches for the consistently loyal support that they have given me throughout that period. I remember with affection the many friends who worked with us here and who have passed away since 1982. I am also conscious of the kindness and friendship that I have received from noble Lords and Ladies in every part of the House. That is part of the character of this House: we can argue and we can disagree, as we should. The chief objective of a Leader of the Opposition is that he should oppose. That I have sought to do but I have at the same time valued the friendship which I have enjoyed with Members of all parties and those on the Cross Benches.

I can only say that I do not feel I have deserved the kind things that have been said, but I value them, and I look forward to the companionship of my friends here over the years that remain to us. Finally, perhaps I may congratulate my noble friend Lord Richard upon his election as my successor and wish him equal happiness during his tenure of office.