Tam Dalyell
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Dalyell Loch, 11th Baronet (icon; born 9 August 1932), known as Tam Dalyell, is a British Labour Party
politician, who was a Member of Parliament
(MP) in the House of Commons from 1962 to 2005
, first for West Lothian
and then for Linlithgow
.
, but raised in his mother, Nora Dalyell's family home, The Binns, near Linlithgow
, West Lothian
; his father (Percy) Gordon Loch, C.I.E., was an Empire
civil servant (Political Agent
) and a scion of the Loch family
. His father took his wife's maiden name in 1938, and through his mother he inherited the Baronetcy of the Binns in 1972, although he never uses the title.
and Eton College
and did his National Service
with the Royal Scots Greys from 1950 to 1952 - as an ordinary trooper, after failing his officer training. He then went to King's College, Cambridge
to study History and Economics, where he was Chairman of the Conservative Association
. He then trained as a teacher at Moray House College in Edinburgh
and taught at a non-selective school and a ship school. He joined the Labour Party in 1956 after the Suez Crisis
.
He became a Member of Parliament in June 1962, when he defeated William Wolfe
of the Scottish National Party
in a hard fought by-election
for West Lothian
. From 1983 onwards, he represented Linlithgow
(when the New Town
of Livingston split off to form its own constituency) and easily retained his position as their representative. He became Father of the House
after the 2001 General Election
, when Sir Edward Heath
retired. He was a Member of the European Parliament
from 1975 to 1979, and a member of the Labour National Executive from 1986 to 1987 for the Campaign group
.
In the 1990s, Dalyell asked the Lord Advocate
, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, to grant diplomatic immunity to Lester Coleman
, a coauthor of Trail of the Octopus, so that he could give evidence in the Lockerbie bombing trial in Scotland; the Federal Government of the United States
had indictments against Coleman, accusing him of passport fraud and perjury. Allan Stewart
, a former Office Minister of Scotland and a Conservative Party MP for Eastwood, also said that Coleman should be granted immunity so he could testify in Scotland. The Lord Advocate rejected Dalyell's plea, saying that the Home Office and the English courts have the jurisdiction over the demand of the U.S. government's extradition demand regarding Coleman, and that the Crown Office and the Scottish Office had no authority over the case. Dalyell later said "I had contact with Les Coleman 10 years ago. In my opinion, though he has a chequered history, I take him seriously."
Following his outspoken opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
and criticism of the government, Downing Street suggested that he might face withdrawal of the Labour whip
.
In 2003, Dalyell stated in an interview with the American magazine Vanity Fair
that Prime Minister
Tony Blair
was unduly influenced by a "cabal of Jewish advisers." He specifically named Lord Levy who was Blair's official representative in the Middle East and Labour Party
politicians Peter Mandelson
(whose father was Jewish) and Jack Straw
(whose great-grandfather was Jewish). He denied accusations that the remarks were anti-Semitic. In March 2003, regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, Dalyell accused the then Prime Minister Tony Blair of being a war criminal
. Stating, "since Mr Blair is going ahead with his support for a US attack without unambiguous UN authorisation, he should be branded as a war criminal and sent to The Hague."
On 7 March 2003, Dalyell was elected Rector of the University of Edinburgh by the staff and students. He was succeeded in 2006 by Mark Ballard
.
It was announced on 13 January 2004 that he would stand down at the next election, and he left the House of Commons in April 2005 after 43 years as a member of the Commons. He had been Scotland's longest-serving MP since the resignation of Bruce Millan
in 1988. He was succeeded as Father of the House
by Alan Williams
.
He married Kathleen Wheatley, a teacher, on 26 December 1963. They have one son, Gordon Wheatley Dalyell, and one daughter, both of whom are lawyers. He is a 6th cousin of Harry S. Truman
through the daughter of the 1st Baronet Dalyell of the Binns.
In his retirement, and for some years previously, he has contributed obituaries to The Independent
.
In 2011 he published his autobiography, The Importance of Being Awkward. The dedication is "To the men and women of West Lothian - Labour, SNP, Conservative, Liberal, Communist - who, whatever their political opinions, were kind to me in all sorts of ways over 43 years as their representative in the House of Commons."
that then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
was "being unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisers". In response, Peter Mandelson
, one of those named, said: "Apart from the fact that I am not actually Jewish, I wear my father's parentage with pride."
To which, Labour MP Louise Ellman
, a prominent member of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee Against Anti-Semitism, said: "This absurd proposition implies a Jewish plot in high places rather like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
." Adding to this, former Tory Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind
said "in fact Blair had been prominent in encouraging Bush to make progress on the Road map for peace
". Rifkind, a senior member of Scotland’s well-established Jewish community, said: "We all know that Tam gets bees in his bonnet and eight times out of 10 they are nuts but the other two are brilliant. This is, I’m afraid, one of the nutty ones."
On 16 May 2009, the Daily Telegraph revealed that Dalyell had claimed £18,000 for three bookcases just months before his retirement from the House of Commons. Dalyell, however, claimed that this was a legitimate expense to which he was entitled, and the House of Commons' Fees Office, in fact, finally released £7,800.
(PPS) to Richard Crossman
. But he annoyed a number of ministers and was heavily censured by the privileges committee
for a leak about the biological weapons research establishment Porton Down
to the newspapers (though he claimed that he thought the minutes were in the public domain
). When Labour failed to hold power in 1970 his chances of senior office were effectively over. He was opposed to Scottish devolution and first posed the famous "West Lothian question
", although it was given its name by Enoch Powell
. He continued to argue his own causes: in 1978 to 1979 he voted against his own government over 100 times, despite a three-line whip.
Dalyell is vocal in his disapproval of imperialism
. Beginning with his opposition to action in Borneo
in 1965, he has contested almost every British action - arguing against action in Aden
, the depopulation of Diego Garcia, the Falklands War
(especially the sinking of the General Belgrano
), the Gulf War
, and action in Kosovo
and Iraq
, saying, "I will resist a war with every sinew in my body". When invited by a television journalist to rank Tony Blair
among the eight Prime Ministers he had observed as a parliamentarian, he cited policy over Kosovo and Iraq as reasons for placing his party leader at the bottom of the list. He was also a strong presence in Parliament concerning Libya
and led no fewer than 17 adjournment debate
s on the Lockerbie bombing, in which he repeatedly demanded answers by the government to the reports of Hans Köchler
, United Nations
observer at the Lockerbie trial.
He has been a columnist for the New Scientist
magazine since 1967. Recently he has also been a strong supporter of Classical subjects (Greek and Roman studies) in higher education.
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...
politician, who was a 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) in the House of Commons from 1962 to 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, first for West Lothian
West Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)
West Lothian was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....
and then for Linlithgow
Linlithgow (UK Parliament constituency)
Linlithgow was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of elections....
.
Early life
Born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, but raised in his mother, Nora Dalyell's family home, The Binns, near Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
; his father (Percy) Gordon Loch, C.I.E., was an Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
civil servant (Political Agent
Political Resident
In the British Empire a Political Resident or Political Agent was an official diplomatic position involving both consular duties and liaison function....
) and a scion of the Loch family
Loch (surname)
Loch is the surname of a Scottish lowland family whose members have included:*James Loch , a Scottish estate commissioner and later a Member of Parliament....
. His father took his wife's maiden name in 1938, and through his mother he inherited the Baronetcy of the Binns in 1972, although he never uses the title.
Career
Dalyell was educated at the Edinburgh AcademyEdinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
and Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and did his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
with the Royal Scots Greys from 1950 to 1952 - as an ordinary trooper, after failing his officer training. He then went to King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
to study History and Economics, where he was Chairman of the Conservative Association
Cambridge University Conservative Association
The Cambridge University Conservative Association is a long-established political society going back to 1921, with roots in the late nineteenth century, as a Conservative branch for students at Cambridge University in England...
. He then trained as a teacher at Moray House College in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and taught at a non-selective school and a ship school. He joined the Labour Party in 1956 after the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
.
He became a Member of Parliament in June 1962, when he defeated William Wolfe
William Wolfe
William Cuthbertson "Billy" Wolfe was the leader of the Scottish National Party from 1969 to 1979...
of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
in a hard fought by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for West Lothian
West Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)
West Lothian was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....
. From 1983 onwards, he represented Linlithgow
Linlithgow (UK Parliament constituency)
Linlithgow was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of elections....
(when the New Town
New towns in the United Kingdom
Below is a list of some of the new towns in the United Kingdom created under the various New Town Acts of the 20th century. Some earlier towns were developed as Garden Cities or overspill estates early in the twentieth century. The New Towns proper were planned to disperse population following the...
of Livingston split off to form its own constituency) and easily retained his position as their representative. He became Father of the House
Father of the House
Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
after the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, when Sir Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
retired. He was a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
from 1975 to 1979, and a member of the Labour National Executive from 1986 to 1987 for the Campaign group
Socialist Campaign Group
The Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing democratic socialist grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It was formed in December 1982 as an alternative Parliamentary left-wing group to the Tribune Group...
.
In the 1990s, Dalyell asked the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, to grant diplomatic immunity to Lester Coleman
Lester Coleman
Lester Knox Coleman II is an American who was the co-author of the 1993 book Trail of the Octopus, The Untold Story of Pan Am 103, in which he claimed that a secret drug sting enabled terrorists to evade airport security in the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan American World Airways Flight 103...
, a coauthor of Trail of the Octopus, so that he could give evidence in the Lockerbie bombing trial in Scotland; the Federal Government of the United States
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
had indictments against Coleman, accusing him of passport fraud and perjury. Allan Stewart
Allan Stewart (politician)
Allan Stewart , is a former Scottish Conservative politician.Educated at Bell Baxter High School, St. Andrews University and Harvard University, where he obtained a first class degree, he was a lecturer in Political Economy at St. Andrews before unsuccessfully standing for the Dundee East...
, a former Office Minister of Scotland and a Conservative Party MP for Eastwood, also said that Coleman should be granted immunity so he could testify in Scotland. The Lord Advocate rejected Dalyell's plea, saying that the Home Office and the English courts have the jurisdiction over the demand of the U.S. government's extradition demand regarding Coleman, and that the Crown Office and the Scottish Office had no authority over the case. Dalyell later said "I had contact with Les Coleman 10 years ago. In my opinion, though he has a chequered history, I take him seriously."
Following his outspoken opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and criticism of the government, Downing Street suggested that he might face withdrawal of the Labour whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
.
In 2003, Dalyell stated in an interview with the American magazine Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
that Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
was unduly influenced by a "cabal of Jewish advisers." He specifically named Lord Levy who was Blair's official representative in the Middle East and 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...
politicians Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
(whose father was Jewish) and Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
(whose great-grandfather was Jewish). He denied accusations that the remarks were anti-Semitic. In March 2003, regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, Dalyell accused the then Prime Minister Tony Blair of being a war criminal
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
. Stating, "since Mr Blair is going ahead with his support for a US attack without unambiguous UN authorisation, he should be branded as a war criminal and sent to The Hague."
On 7 March 2003, Dalyell was elected Rector of the University of Edinburgh by the staff and students. He was succeeded in 2006 by Mark Ballard
Mark Ballard
Mark Ballard is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians region between 2003 and 2007, representing the Scottish Green Party and was Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh between 2006 and 2009...
.
It was announced on 13 January 2004 that he would stand down at the next election, and he left the House of Commons in April 2005 after 43 years as a member of the Commons. He had been Scotland's longest-serving MP since the resignation of Bruce Millan
Bruce Millan
Bruce Millan is a Scottish Labour politician. He was born in Dundee and educated at the Harris Academy in that city.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Craigton at the 1959 general election and served for that seat, and after its abolition for Glasgow Govan, until 1988...
in 1988. He was succeeded as Father of the House
Father of the House
Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
by Alan Williams
Alan Williams
Alan John Williams is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Swansea West from 1964 to 2010.-Early life:...
.
He married Kathleen Wheatley, a teacher, on 26 December 1963. They have one son, Gordon Wheatley Dalyell, and one daughter, both of whom are lawyers. He is a 6th cousin of Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
through the daughter of the 1st Baronet Dalyell of the Binns.
In his retirement, and for some years previously, he has contributed obituaries to The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
.
In 2011 he published his autobiography, The Importance of Being Awkward. The dedication is "To the men and women of West Lothian - Labour, SNP, Conservative, Liberal, Communist - who, whatever their political opinions, were kind to me in all sorts of ways over 43 years as their representative in the House of Commons."
Controversies
In May 2003, Dalyell provoked controversy when he complained in an interview with Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
that then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
was "being unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisers". In response, Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
, one of those named, said: "Apart from the fact that I am not actually Jewish, I wear my father's parentage with pride."
To which, Labour MP Louise Ellman
Louise Ellman
Louise Joyce Ellman is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Liverpool Riverside since 1997. In parliament she is Chair of the Transport Select Committee and a member of the Liaison Committee.-Early life:Ellman was born in Manchester to a British...
, a prominent member of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee Against Anti-Semitism, said: "This absurd proposition implies a Jewish plot in high places rather like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a fraudulent, antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for achieving global domination. It was first published in Russia in 1903, translated into multiple languages, and disseminated internationally in the early part of the twentieth century...
." Adding to this, former Tory Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind
Malcolm Rifkind
Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind KCMG QC MP is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Kensington. He served in various roles as a cabinet minister under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including Secretary of State for Scotland , Defence Secretary and...
said "in fact Blair had been prominent in encouraging Bush to make progress on the Road map for peace
Road map for peace
The roadmap for peace or "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a "quartet" of international entities: the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations. The principles of the plan, originally drafted by U.S. Foreign Service...
". Rifkind, a senior member of Scotland’s well-established Jewish community, said: "We all know that Tam gets bees in his bonnet and eight times out of 10 they are nuts but the other two are brilliant. This is, I’m afraid, one of the nutty ones."
On 16 May 2009, the Daily Telegraph revealed that Dalyell had claimed £18,000 for three bookcases just months before his retirement from the House of Commons. Dalyell, however, claimed that this was a legitimate expense to which he was entitled, and the House of Commons' Fees Office, in fact, finally released £7,800.
Political views
Dalyell's stance in Parliament ensured his isolation from significant committees and jobs. His early career was promising and he became Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to Richard Crossman
Richard Crossman
Richard Howard Stafford Crossman OBE was a British author and Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson, and was the editor of the New Statesman. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists...
. But he annoyed a number of ministers and was heavily censured by the privileges committee
Committee on Standards and Privileges
The Standards and Privileges Committee of the United Kingdom House of Commons was established in 1995 to replace the earlier Committee of Privileges...
for a leak about the biological weapons research establishment Porton Down
Porton Down
Porton Down is a United Kingdom government and military science park. It is situated slightly northeast of Porton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. To the northwest lies the MoD Boscombe Down test range facility which is operated by QinetiQ...
to the newspapers (though he claimed that he thought the minutes were in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
). When Labour failed to hold power in 1970 his chances of senior office were effectively over. He was opposed to Scottish devolution and first posed the famous "West Lothian question
West Lothian question
The West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
", although it was given its name by Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
. He continued to argue his own causes: in 1978 to 1979 he voted against his own government over 100 times, despite a three-line whip.
Dalyell is vocal in his disapproval of imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
. Beginning with his opposition to action in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
in 1965, he has contested almost every British action - arguing against action in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, the depopulation of Diego Garcia, the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
(especially the sinking of the General Belgrano
ARA General Belgrano
The ARA General Belgrano was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Formerly the , she saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II before being sold to Argentina. After almost 31 years of service, she was sunk during the Falklands War by the Royal Navy submarine ...
), the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and action in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, saying, "I will resist a war with every sinew in my body". When invited by a television journalist to rank Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
among the eight Prime Ministers he had observed as a parliamentarian, he cited policy over Kosovo and Iraq as reasons for placing his party leader at the bottom of the list. He was also a strong presence in Parliament concerning Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and led no fewer than 17 adjournment debate
Adjournment debate
In the Westminster system, an adjournment debate is a debate on the motion, "That this House do now adjourn." In practice, this is a way of enabling the House to have a debate on a subject without considering a substantive motion.- Types of debate :...
s on the Lockerbie bombing, in which he repeatedly demanded answers by the government to the reports of Hans Köchler
Hans Köchler
Hans Köchler is a professor of philosophy at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and president of the International Progress Organization, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations...
, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
observer at the Lockerbie trial.
He has been a columnist for the New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
magazine since 1967. Recently he has also been a strong supporter of Classical subjects (Greek and Roman studies) in higher education.
See also
- Hans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer missionHans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer missionHans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer mission stemmed from the dispute between the United Kingdom, the United States, and Libya concerning arrangements for the trial of two Libyans accused of causing the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988.The dispute was resolved on...
- The Maltese Double Cross – LockerbieThe Maltese Double Cross – LockerbieThe Maltese Double Cross – Lockerbie is a documentary film about the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.Produced, written, and directed by Allan Francovich and financed by Tiny Rowland, the film was released by Hemar Enterprises in November 1994....
- Dalyell BaronetsDalyell BaronetsThe Dalyell Baronetcy is a baronetcy in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, which was created 7 November 1685 for the Scottish General, Thomas Dalyell of the Binns. The succession of the title is interesting in that it was created with remainder to his eldest son and heirs male, yet failing that, could...
- West Lothian questionWest Lothian questionThe West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
External links
- Tam Dalyell to step down at 2005 election
- BBC NEWS | Politics | Tam Dalyell
- Tam Dalyell – the longest serving MP
- Tam Dalyell, former MP Linlithgow
- Westminster Diary: Tam Dalyell Column from New ScientistNew ScientistNew Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
magazine - Blair the war criminal by Tam Dalyell article about Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper 27 March 2003 - Tam Dalyell Profile – 'Heckling for Britain' – from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper 13 April 2002