I never met John Profumo, but sadly his name will always be associated with the biggest political scandal of the 1960s. The BBC and Sky obituaries treat that as if it was the only thing which happened in his life. But we should not forget that he was bthe last surviving rebel from the House of Commons of 1940 who voted against the government and precipitated the downfall of Neville Chamberlain. His charity work in the East End which started immediately after his resignation culminated in his being given the CBE. I remember appearing on various news programmes a few years ago when there was a Commons Motion seeking to restore membership of the Privy Council to him. So of course we should not forget his part in the 1963 scandal, but nor should we forget the many good things he did too.
Friday, March 10, 2006
John Profumo Dies
I never met John Profumo, but sadly his name will always be associated with the biggest political scandal of the 1960s. The BBC and Sky obituaries treat that as if it was the only thing which happened in his life. But we should not forget that he was bthe last surviving rebel from the House of Commons of 1940 who voted against the government and precipitated the downfall of Neville Chamberlain. His charity work in the East End which started immediately after his resignation culminated in his being given the CBE. I remember appearing on various news programmes a few years ago when there was a Commons Motion seeking to restore membership of the Privy Council to him. So of course we should not forget his part in the 1963 scandal, but nor should we forget the many good things he did too.
In the end, he was a saint, but also an example to all public figures who get found out. Too often, politicians try to wriggle out of the situation but when the game was up he fell on his sword in the most honourable way, and for the rest of his life he never tried to excuse his actions.
ReplyDeleteI think we also ought to remember the dignity of his wife, Valerie Hobson. Her strength of character and her willingness to forgive was exemplary.
H was a true gentleman in the old fashioned sense of the word. Always courteous, he wrote thank you notes in his own hand and was generally delightful to deal with. He more than redeemed himself with his good work.
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