Time and again when I have recalled a political situation, friends and colleagues have said: ‘I hope you will write it down somewhere’. This is a modest attempt to do just that. Having been involved in politics for the past fifty years, it has become clear to me that many of the things I could write about from first-hand experience were merely part of history to those who were later entrants into politics.
So, I have written about Lloyd George, whom I was privileged to know. With Churchill, my contact was limited to two encounters, each of which for me was memorable; a fair sprinkling of British and foreign personalities; events in the Commonwealth, some humorous, some less so; developments in the UK; I refer to my trial; I go in some detail into two political issues which dominated my life – the European Community and Rhodesia.
This is not an autobiography. It is more of an anthology. If any part of it stimulates enthusiasm for politics, I shall be content.