OBITUARY: Eddie Griffiths
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tam Dalyell's obituary of Eddie Griffiths [20 October] draws attention to his naive maiden speech in the House of Commons, and to his inability to realise that a failure to reside in his constituency would render him politically vulnerable, writes D. J. Stapley. However, neither his continued Welsh residence nor his indiscreet visit to a Conservative MP in Suffolk, reported by Dalyell, were ever more than an excuse and the "last straw" needed to get rid of a man who spoke his mind too openly.
Eddie maintained that irreparable damage had been done to the steel industry from the 1950s onwards by both Conservative and Labour parties who had used it as a political football. He was also angry, like many other loyal trade-unionists, some in senior positions, at the way that the Labour government had set up the nationalised industry in 1967 and had then interfered daily in operational matters - and angry at the way that they had forced on the industry political, rather than commercially sensible, decisions.
After he ceased to be an MP, Eddie worked with me in British Steel Corporation Sheffield Division headquarters on a research project and was, also, writing a book to demonstrate the damage done to the industry by political interference.
He believed that honest criticism and debate could correct the faults in both unions and management in the industry and in the Labour Party. Was he ahead of his time or just too naive? As a Christian democrat, he should never have been wedded to that particular constituency party.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments