Christopher Mayhew
Encyclopedia
Christopher Paget Mayhew, Baron Mayhew (12 June 1915 – 7 January 1997) was a British
politician who was a Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1945 to 1950 and from 1951 to 1974, when he left the Labour Party
to become a Liberal
. In 1981, Mayhew received a life peerage and was raised to the House of Lords
as Baron Mayhew.
Mayhew attended Haileybury
and Christ Church, Oxford
as an exhibitioner. In 1934 he holidayed in Moscow. While at Oxford
, he became President of the Oxford Union
. Mayhew was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1940, rising to the rank of Major
.
Mayhew was elected to Parliament for the constituency of South Norfolk
in the 1945 election
. He became Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office where he served under Ernest Bevin
and acquired the strong pro-Arab views that would make him a distinctive figure in British politics. Although Mayhew lost his seat in the 1950 election
, he soon returned to Parliament
upon the death of Bevin when he won the by-election in 1951
for Bevin's seat of Woolwich East
.
In 1955, Mayhew took part in an experiment that was intended to form a Panorama
special for BBC TV that was never broadcast. In this, under the guidance of his friend, Dr Humphry Osmond
, Mayhew ingested 400 mg of mescaline hydrochloride
and allowed himself to be filmed for the duration of the trip. A full transcript of the rushes from the filming is available here. Samples of the audio were used in the psychedelic dance tracks "Mayhew Speaks Out" and "Christopher Mayhew Says" by British band The Shamen
. Part of this footage was included in the 1986 BBC documentary LSD - The beyond within.
During Labour's 13 years in opposition, Mayhew played an important role in presenting the Labour Party
on television, both as a commentator on the BBC
and as a presenter on Labour Party Political Broadcasts. He introduced the first Labour broadcast during the 1951 election
in which he talked with Sir Hartley Shawcross. Mayhew also became known as one of the fiercest opponents of unilateral nuclear disarmament
in the Labour Party. Mayhew also served as Shadow War Secretary from 1960–1961 and as an Opposition Foreign Affairs Spokesman from 1961-1964.
When Labour took office in 1964, Mayhew became Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Defence - a post more often referred to as "Minister for the Navy". After the Wilson
government decided to shift British airpower from carrier-based planes to land-based planes and cancel the CVA-01
aircraft carrier programme, in 1966, Mayhew, along with the First Sea Lord
, Sir David Luce
, resigned.
In 1973 he offered £5,000 to anyone who could produce evidence that Nasser had stated that he sought to "drive the Jews into the sea". Mayhew repeated the offer later in the House of Commons (Hansard, 18 October 1973) and broadened it to include genocidal statements by other Arab leaders (Manchester Guardian, 9 September 1974), whilst reserving for himself the right to be the arbiter of the authenticity of any purported statements as well as their meaning. Mayhew received several letters from claimants, each one producing one quotation or another from an Arab leader, which Mayhew deemed to be fabricated. One claimant, Warren Bergson, took Mayhew to court. The case came before the High Court in February 1976. Bergson was unable to offer evidence of Nasser's alleged statement. Bergson acknowledged that, after thorough research, he had been unable to find any statement by a responsible Arab leader which could be described as genocidal.
Mayhew had been feeling increasingly uneasy with Labour policies under Harold Wilson
and in 1974, he defected to the Liberals
, being the first Member of Parliament
to cross the floor to the Liberals in several decades. In the October 1974 election
, Mayhew contested Bath
, instead of Woolwich East in order not to split his constituency party in Woolwich East. Mayhew lost Bath, which he also unsuccessfully contested in 1979
. In 1981, Mayhew became a life peer
with the title Baron Mayhew, of Wimbledon in Greater London
and became the Liberal Spokesman on Defence in the House of Lords
.
Mayhew also was active as an advocate for the mentally ill and served as Chairman of MIND (National Association for Mental Health) from 1992-1997. Mayhew wrote several books, including his autobiography, Time To Explain, in 1987. They also include Publish It Not: The Middle East Cover-Up (written with Michael Adams
in 1975) which was an account of the Middle East conflict from the Palestinian
perspective, unusual for an important British public figure at the time it was published.
Although Christopher Mayhew's career never lived it up to its early promise, he did serve an important role in British political history. Mayhew's defection to the Liberals was to serve as the forewarning of the split within the Labour Party that would occur in 1981 with the rise of the Social Democratic Party
. Mayhew's defection was the first sign of the large rift growing between the Left and Right in the Labour Party and began the process by which the Liberal party and its political heirs, the SDP-Liberal Alliance
and the Liberal Democrats
became a major force in British politics.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician who was a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) from 1945 to 1950 and from 1951 to 1974, when he left the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
to become a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
. In 1981, Mayhew received a life peerage and was raised to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Baron Mayhew.
Mayhew attended Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
as an exhibitioner. In 1934 he holidayed in Moscow. While at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, he became President of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
. Mayhew was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1940, rising to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
Mayhew was elected to Parliament for the constituency of South Norfolk
South Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
South Norfolk is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1868 until 1885 it returned two members but thereafter elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in the 1945 election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. He became Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office where he served under Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin was a British trade union leader and Labour politician. He served as general secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1945, as Minister of Labour in the war-time coalition government, and as Foreign Secretary in the post-war Labour Government.-Early...
and acquired the strong pro-Arab views that would make him a distinctive figure in British politics. Although Mayhew lost his seat in the 1950 election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, he soon returned to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
upon the death of Bevin when he won the by-election in 1951
Woolwich East by-election, 1951
The Woolwich East by-election of 14 June 1951 was held after the death of Labour MP Ernest Bevin:The seat was safe, having been won at the United Kingdom general election, 1950 by over 12,000 votes-Result of the previous general election:...
for Bevin's seat of Woolwich East
Woolwich East (UK Parliament constituency)
Woolwich East was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983...
.
In 1955, Mayhew took part in an experiment that was intended to form a Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
special for BBC TV that was never broadcast. In this, under the guidance of his friend, Dr Humphry Osmond
Humphry Osmond
Humphry Fortescue Osmond was a British psychiatrist known for inventing the word psychedelic and for using psychedelic drugs in medical research...
, Mayhew ingested 400 mg of mescaline hydrochloride
Mescaline
Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class used mainly as an entheogen....
and allowed himself to be filmed for the duration of the trip. A full transcript of the rushes from the filming is available here. Samples of the audio were used in the psychedelic dance tracks "Mayhew Speaks Out" and "Christopher Mayhew Says" by British band The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
. Part of this footage was included in the 1986 BBC documentary LSD - The beyond within.
During Labour's 13 years in opposition, Mayhew played an important role in presenting the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
on television, both as a commentator on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and as a presenter on Labour Party Political Broadcasts. He introduced the first Labour broadcast during the 1951 election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
in which he talked with Sir Hartley Shawcross. Mayhew also became known as one of the fiercest opponents of unilateral nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
in the Labour Party. Mayhew also served as Shadow War Secretary from 1960–1961 and as an Opposition Foreign Affairs Spokesman from 1961-1964.
When Labour took office in 1964, Mayhew became Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Defence - a post more often referred to as "Minister for the Navy". After the Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
government decided to shift British airpower from carrier-based planes to land-based planes and cancel the CVA-01
CVA-01
The CVA-01 aircraft carrier was to be a class of at least two fleet carriers that would have replaced the Royal Navy's existing aircraft carriers, most of which had been designed prior to or during World War II....
aircraft carrier programme, in 1966, Mayhew, along with the First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, Sir David Luce
David Luce
Admiral Sir John David Luce GCB, DSO & Bar, OBE was First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy. He was the son of Admiral John Luce.-Naval career:David Luce joined the Royal Navy in 1919 and chose to become a submariner....
, resigned.
In 1973 he offered £5,000 to anyone who could produce evidence that Nasser had stated that he sought to "drive the Jews into the sea". Mayhew repeated the offer later in the House of Commons (Hansard, 18 October 1973) and broadened it to include genocidal statements by other Arab leaders (Manchester Guardian, 9 September 1974), whilst reserving for himself the right to be the arbiter of the authenticity of any purported statements as well as their meaning. Mayhew received several letters from claimants, each one producing one quotation or another from an Arab leader, which Mayhew deemed to be fabricated. One claimant, Warren Bergson, took Mayhew to court. The case came before the High Court in February 1976. Bergson was unable to offer evidence of Nasser's alleged statement. Bergson acknowledged that, after thorough research, he had been unable to find any statement by a responsible Arab leader which could be described as genocidal.
Mayhew had been feeling increasingly uneasy with Labour policies under Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and in 1974, he defected to the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, being the first Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to cross the floor to the Liberals in several decades. In the October 1974 election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
, Mayhew contested Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
, instead of Woolwich East in order not to split his constituency party in Woolwich East. Mayhew lost Bath, which he also unsuccessfully contested in 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. In 1981, Mayhew became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
with the title Baron Mayhew, of Wimbledon in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
and became the Liberal Spokesman on Defence in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Mayhew also was active as an advocate for the mentally ill and served as Chairman of MIND (National Association for Mental Health) from 1992-1997. Mayhew wrote several books, including his autobiography, Time To Explain, in 1987. They also include Publish It Not: The Middle East Cover-Up (written with Michael Adams
Michael Adams (journalist)
Michael Adams was a journalist who worked for the BBC.In 1975 he and Christopher Mayhew wrote Publish It Not: The Middle East Cover-Up, a pro-Palestinian work on the Middle East conflict.-External links:* from The Guardian...
in 1975) which was an account of the Middle East conflict from the Palestinian
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
perspective, unusual for an important British public figure at the time it was published.
Although Christopher Mayhew's career never lived it up to its early promise, he did serve an important role in British political history. Mayhew's defection to the Liberals was to serve as the forewarning of the split within the Labour Party that would occur in 1981 with the rise of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. Mayhew's defection was the first sign of the large rift growing between the Left and Right in the Labour Party and began the process by which the Liberal party and its political heirs, the SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
and the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
became a major force in British politics.
External links
- Amazon entry for Publish It Not: The Middle East Cover Up