The day tired and emotional Brown quit as Foreign Secretary

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In March 1968 the inimitable George Brown dramatically resigned as Foreign Secretary from Harold Wilson’s Labour Government. Pat Parkin looks back at the checkered career of the outrageous, impossible, brilliant and much-loved MP for Belper.

George Brown and his wife, Sophie, on the doorstep of their London home the morning after he resigned as Foreign Secretary in March, 1968

The days when the House of Commons was filled with waggish characters with a mischievous sense of humour, who regularly entertained MPs and members of the public with their witty, droll and sparkling comments, seem to have disappeared.

Apart from William Hague, an occasional touch of venom from Boris Johnson and the spasmodic reawakening of Derbyshire’s own Dennis Skinner, once the scourge and tormentor of every Tory MP, there are few Members of Parliament today deserving of the cheers and whoops of laughter from their colleagues.

No wonder characters like George Brown, the former MP for Belper, who became Lord George-Brown in his later years, are still missed.

It was 40 years ago this weekend that the never-to-be-forgotten George Brown made his dramatic decision to resign as Foreign Secretary because, he told Prime Minister Harold Wilson, he was fed up with the way the government was run.

It came out of the blue to the British public, for it was known that Brown was a dedicated Member of Parliament who had always harboured ambitions to have the top job himself.

He had worked long and hard for the Labour Party ever since he was a very young man and, on entering the House of Commons in 1945, continued in government under Clement Atlee, and, in opposition, under Hugh Gaitskell.

]George Brown celebrating Labour’s victory with Harold Wilson in 1964

When, in January 1963, the latter met an early death, George was one of the main contenders for the party leadership but lost the ballot to Harold Wilson, who went on to become Prime Minister at the General Election the following year. George, deputy leader of the party from 1960-70, was made Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.

In 1966, he became Foreign Secretary and led the government’s application for membership of the European Economic Council, which was twice rejected by President de Gaulle.

Though he held the post for only two years, until he walked out furious that he had not been party to important Cabinet decisions, he is remembered by members of all political parties as one of the best Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs that Britain has had in recent times.

George Brown always regarded this neck of the woods as his “home”, even though he was born in London, and is remembered locally for his great sense of humour, friendliness, hard work and concern for others.

Unfortunately, elsewhere, and no doubt here too in some quarters, he also gained a reputation – gossiped about before his death in 1985 and gathering momentum as each year passes ever since – for his capacity to drink.

He certainly enjoyed a drink and occasionally over-indulged but the stories about his misbehaviour, falling into gutters, insulting people and saying the wrong thing to the wrong people, have become something of a legend without much substance.

Deputy Labour leader George Brown is pictured campaigning on behalf of the party's West Derbyshire candidate John Dilks (far right, standing) in Matlock during the 1964 General Election

Journalist John Twells, who lived in Darley Abbey until his death two years ago, stood against George Brown for the Tories in Belper on one occasion and had nothing but good to say about him.

In fact, George used to go into Twells’ office at Raymonds News Agency to type out his speeches and John would sometimes help him to make a specific point, even though it would often be against him and his beliefs.

Of course, Raymonds, who supplied news to the national and regional press, as well as radio and television, were always first with the news when George was “having a go” at his own party.

John would often say: “Belper folk won’t get a better man to represent them” and was the first with the congratulations when his one and only attempt to enter Parliament ended unsuccessfully with George’s election.

As all journalists knew, George Brown was always good for a story and he knew how to capture the headlines, though some – such as the time it was claimed he was pictured staring down the décolletage of the wife of a well-known foreign politician – were not always as he would have liked.

George Brown playing dominoes with a constituent

Born in 1914, the son of a lorry driver, George was initially a full-time trade union official. His first post in government was as PPS too the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hugh Dalton. He later became Minister of Works and when Labour lost the 1951 election, held various positions, including shadow spokesman for Agriculture, Supply, Defence and Home Affairs. With the death of Aneurin Bevan in 1960, he became deputy leader of the Labour Party until 1970.

His first major post in government was as Harold Wilson’s Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, a post he held for two years and during which he upset many Labour supporters by establishing a Prices and Incomes Board.

In August 1966 came his biggest boost when he was appointed Foreign Secretary, leading the government’s application for membership of the European Economic Community which was twice rejected by President de Gaulle.

If becoming Foreign Secretary brought one of his highest points, his defeat at the ballot box in Belper in 1970 was certainly his lowest.

George Brown watching Earl Attlee bowl at Swadlincote in 1957

He knew it would be a difficult fight because boundaries were altering and new housing brought many more Conservative supporters into his Belper area territory.

Even so, when he learned that he had been beaten, he was seen to be close to tears in Derby’s Midland Hotel. But never down for long, he surprisingly accepted the offer of a seat in the House of Lords and after a battle which involved him having to change his surname by deed poll to George-Brown, he was eventually enobled as Lord George-Brown – but not before several national newspapers continually referred to him as Lord George George-Brown.

A review of a book The Political Memoirs of Lord George-Brown brought one reviewer’s comment: “George Brown is one of the most outrageous, impossible, yet strangely attractive personalities in British public life. At his best, he is brilliant; at his worst, he is unbearable.”

It would be interesting for people who knew him in the Belper constituency to make their feelings known. If you have a story to tell about George Brown, why not add your comments below.

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