Michael Foot

Michael Foot, the son of Isaac Foot, the MP for Bodmin, was born on 23rd July, 1913. Educated at Wadham College, Oxford, he became president of the Oxford Union in 1933.

Foot joined the Labour Party and was the unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for Monmouth in the 1935 General Election.

A journalist, he worked for The Tribune and the Daily Herald. In 1940 Foot joined with two other left-wing journalists to publish the Guilty Men, an attack on Neville Chamberlain, Lord Halifax and the British government's appeasement policy.

During the Second World War Foot helped establish the 1941 Committee. One of its members, Tom Hopkinson, later claimed that the motive force was the belief that if the war was to be won "a much more coordinated effort would be needed, with stricter planning of the economy and greater use of scientific know-how, particularly in the field of war production."

The chairman of the 1941 Committee was J. B. Priestley and other members included Edward G. Hulton, Kingsley Martin, Richard Acland, Peter Thorneycroft, Thomas Balogh, Richie Calder, Tom Winteringham, Vernon Bartlett, Violet Bonham Carter, Konni Zilliacus, Victor Gollancz, Storm Jameson and David Low.

In December 1941 the committee published a report that called for public control of the railways, mines and docks and a national wages policy. A further report in May 1942 argued for works councils and the publication of "post-war plans for the provision of full and free education, employment and a civilized standard of living for everyone." Soon afterwards Foot became editor of the Evening Standard.

In the 1945 General Election Foot won Plymouth Devonport. In the House of Commons Foot became associated with the left-wing of the party led by Aneurin Bevan.

Foot was defeated in the 1955 General Election but returned to Parliament when he won Ebbw Vale in November, 1960.

Foot's left-wing views made him unpopular with the leadership of the Labour Party and he had the Labour Whip withdrawn from March, 1961, to May, 1963.

In the Labour Government elected to power in 1974, Foot served as Secretary of State for Employment (march, 1974 to April 1976) and Leader of the House of Commons (April, 1976- May, 1979).

In 1980 Foot became leader of the Labour Party. He held the position for three years but resigned after the party's heavy defeat in the 1983 General Election.

Foot has published a large number of books and pamphlets including The Trial of Mussolini (1943), Who Are The Patriots? (1948), The Pen and the Sword (1957), Parliament in Danger (1959), a two volume biography of Aneurin Bevan, Aneurin Bevan: 1897-1945 (1962) and Aneurin Bevan: 1945-1960 (1973) and Debts of Honour (1980).

Vicky, cartoon showing Harold Wilson, Aneurin Bevan, Michael Foot, Ian Mikardo
attacking Herbert Morrison, Clement Attlee and Hugh Gaitkill (July, 1951)

Forum Debates

Second World War Discussions

Second World War: Questions for Historians

History Debates

Controversial Issues in History

(1) In an article written for the Evening Standard in November, 1938, Michael Foot wrote an article about the assassination of Walter Rathenau in 1922.

Today 400,000 German Jews are persecuted while a disciplined people shout their approval. Sixteen years ago one German Jew was murdered. He heard the roar of a pounding engine behind him. A high-powered six-seater tourer shot alongside. It was almost a crash. Suddenly a muffled figure ripped out a revolver, rested it on his armpit and fired.

(2) Michael Foot, Peter Howard, and Frank Owen, The Guilty Men (1940)

The England of the Conservative party condoned fascism, consorted with fascism, connived at imperialist war, abandoned any hope of building a sane and secure international society. It was the England of the left, the England of Labour, it was the resurrection of this other England which saved the world, and the hopes of the European revolution will depend on which England rules as the fighting subsides.

(3) Michael Foot was highly critical of Neville Chamberlain and his appeasement policy and welcomed his resignation on 10th May, 1940.

Churchill, on his entry into the Commons, was greeted with loud Labour and Liberal cheers, but with almost total silence on his own side. So deeply ingrained was the subservience to Chamberlain among the men who still retained a parliamentary majority. This fact was quickly blotted from the public memory.

(4) In 1943 Michael Foot resigned as editor of the Evening Standard. He explained his decision in a letter to Lord Beaverbrook, the owner of the newspaper.

Your views and mine are bound to become more and more irreconcilable. As far is this socialist business is concerned, my views are unshakable. For me it is the Klondyke or bust, and at the moment I am doubtful whether I am going the right way to Klondyke. There does not seem much sense in my continuing to write leaders for a newspaper group whose opinions I do not share and some of whose opinions I strongly dissent from. I know you never ask me to write views which I disagree. But as this works out is is good business neither for you nor for me.

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