The Path to Power

Acknowledgements

Writing this second volume of memoirs proved, slightly to my surprise, even more taxing than writing the first. In preparing The Downing Street Years, I had been able to consult a great mass of official papers which both revived and checked my memory of events. But when I turned to write the history of my early years — our family life, the first steps I took in politics, my experience as a minister and finally as Leader of the Opposition — I found that much less documentary evidence was readily available. There were, it is true, precious family papers for the Grantham years. Denis and I pooled our recollections of the fifties and sixties. Material from the Conservative Party archive and a (now sadly diminished) quantity of papers from the Department of Education supplemented this. Others allowed me to consult their papers, as I record below.

But I depended on my memoirs team to display even greater resourcefulness and powers of detection than for Volume I in the search for letters, diaries, cuttings, conference reports and all the multifarious files where little bits of modern lives are written down and stored away. All my companions in this venture were indispensable. But the most indispensable was Robin Harris, who helped me shape my thoughts, raised fruitful objections and ensured that I met a series of deadlines. John O’Sullivan parachuted in from America to polish the prose and sharpen the argument. Chris Collins ventured not only into the Conservative Party Archive but over half the country to assemble the scattered fragments of my life so as to refresh and correct my recollection. Debbie Fletcher worked unconscionably long hours, both in typing the manuscript and in looking after us, so that an accurate text was deposited in the publisher’s hands. If the work was often hard, it was always great fun. And I shall miss the convivial and stimulating times we spent knocking the book into shape. I must also record my gratitude to Eddie Bell and Stuart Proffitt of HarperCollins for encouragement and helpful suggestions.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss the turbulent and crucial years of my time as Leader of the Opposition with others who lived through them. A number of these friends also lent or gave me access to their papers. I would like to thank, in particular, the following: Sir Tim Bell, Roger Boaden, Sir Adam Butler, Lord Coin-brook, Gerald Frost, Sir George Gardiner MP, Sir John Hoskyns, Derek Howe, Sir John Lacy, Lord McAlpine, Sir Fergus Montgomery MP, Sir Peter Morrison, Sir Michael Partridge, Sir Gordon Reece, Richard Ryder MP and Caroline Ryder, Sir William Shelton, Sir Alfred Sherman, Sir John Stanley MP, Harvey Thomas, Alison Wakeham and Simon Webley.

Tessa Gaisman again helped me sort through the photographs. A number of people in Grantham kindly assisted in unearthing records of my life there: the editor and staff of the Grantham Journal; Jim Allen; and Lisa Budreau of Grantham Museum. In Oxford, Dr Pauline Adams gave me access to the archives of Somerville College. Dr Ann Gold helped in finding material relating to her brother, Edward Boyle. Tessa Phillips retrieved valuable material concerning Finchley. Alistair Cooke, Shirley Oxenbury and Dr Michael Maw gave me access to the archives of the Conservative Party. I am especially grateful to the Neave family for allowing me to see Airey Neave’s fascinating diary and papers.

For the last section of this book I was also able to call upon a number of experts who generously gave me advice. Some of these are mentioned in acknowledgements in the course of the text. But I would like to make special reference to: Martin Howe (on Europe, Chapter 13); Professor James Q. Wilson (on social policy, Chapter 15); Sir Alan Walters, Professor Tim Congdon and Professor Patrick Minford (on the economy, Chapter 16). Valuable information was also provided by Peter Campbell (Chapter 15) and Ramesh Ponnuru (Chapter 16). The chapter on foreign affairs (Chapter 14) reflects conversations over several years with, among others, Vladimir Bukovsky, Bob Conquest, Chris Cviic, Noel Malcolm, Radek Sikorski and Professor Norman Stone. It is, however, a more than formal disclaimer when I add that the views expressed are mine alone and should not be ascribed to others.

Finally, I had the benefit of the recollections and insights of the late Lord Joseph of Portsoken. As he approached the end in hospital, Keith, though mortally weak, was still alert; characteristically, after what would be our final discussion, he asked whether I would find it useful if he recorded his views in a memorandum. Sadly, it never came. The dedication of this volume records a debt which is acknowledged but which can never be repaid.