Paul Murphy

Paul Murphy

Description

Born into a traditional Welsh valley community, Paul Murphy has been a member of the Labour Party for more than 55 years. In this book, he describes how the socialist beliefs of that community, and of his parents especially, helped to develop his own very early political consciousness. After three years studying at Oxford, and alongside work as a lecturer in History and Government, he went on to serve on his local council before succeeding Leo Abse in 1987 as MP for his home constituency Torfaen. His time in government from 1997 onwards included seven years as Secretary of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland, in the Cabinets of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and the book provides unique insights into Murphy’s leading role at times of major constitutional change, including the pivotal part he played as Northern Ireland Minister under Mo Mowlam in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement.

- 'During the weeks leading up to the referendum, I travelled the length and breadth of Northern Ireland talking to local and regional newspapers, and presenting the case for a ‘Yes’ vote.' Read an extract of Paul Murphy's autobiography here  - https://www.booklaunch.london/autumn-2019-page-10
 

List of Illustrations
Acronyms/Abbreviations
Foreword by Kim Howells
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Early Days
“West Mon”
Oxford
Apprenticeship 1970-1987
Opposition 1987-1997
Northern Ireland 1997-1999
In Cabinet 1999-2002
Ulster Again 2002-2005
Spies and Wales Again 2005-2010
2010 and After

Sujets

• Political
• Lettres et linguistique
• Biography
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786834737
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

P E A C E M A K E R

PA U L M U R P H Y Peacemaker

an autobiography

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S P R E S S 2 0 1 9

© Paul Murphy, 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the University of Wales Press, University Registry, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NS.

www.uwp.co.uk

British Library CIP Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN eISBN

9781786834720 9781786834737

The right of Paul Murphy to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The University of Wales Press acknowledges the financial support of the Welsh Books Council.

Typeset by Chris Bell, cbdesign Printed by CPI Antony Rowe, Melksham

Contents

List of illustrations

List of abbreviations

Foreword by Kim Howells

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Early days

West Mon

Oxford

Apprenticeship1970–1987

Opposition1987–1997

Northern Ireland1997–1999

In Cabinet1999–2002

Ulster again2002–2005

Spies and Wales again2005–2010

2010 and after

Index

vii

i

x

x

i

xiii

1

3

23

33

4

3

65

9

1

109

125

141

159

175

List of illustrations

1. Cefn Ila nursing home 2. Kilcrea Friary 3. Station Street, Abersychan 4. Jeremiah Murphy 5. Grandfather and me 6. Mam and Dad’s wedding, 1947 7. Mam and Dad, and Don Touhig’s daughter Katie 8. Me, at the age of five 9. The family in 1958 10. West Mon school 11. Freshers at Oriel College, 1967 12. With Leo Abse and Gerald Kaufman in Pontypool 13. With Michael Foot, Alun Michael, Leo Abse and Diana Telling 14. With Dad and Daniel at the 1987 General Election 15. Jumping over the votes, 1987 16. With Dave Lloyd and Barry Jones 17. With Kim, Eirlys and Scott Howells 18. With Neil Kinnock, Ray Morgan and Mary, and my second agent John Cunningham 19. With Neil Kinnock and Rhodri Morgan 20. With Roy Hattersley in Wales 21. With Joan Lestor in Wells

22. With David RoweBeddoe at the WDA 23. With Kim Howells, Hywel Francis and Don Touhig at the Wales Office 24. With Neil Kinnock and Romano Prodi in Swansea 25. With Prince Charles 26. With Mo Mowlam, 1998 27. With Bertie Ahern 28. With the Queen and Prince Philip 29. With Tony Blair and George W. Bush 30. With George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen and Michael McDowell 31. With George W. Bush and Tony Blair at Hillsborough Castle 32. With Ted Kennedy 33. With David Trimble, John Hume and Seamus Mallon 34. With Aunty Betty and my cousins Margaret and Marsden Paget, on my 50th birthday 35. Neil, Claire, Daniel and Rachel in Warsaw, photographed by me 36. With Stuart, Pam, Phyllis and Bernice, 1999 37. With Father Bill 38. With family and friends 39. With Brian Smith, 2002 40. The Cabinet, 2002 41. Former Welsh Secretaries 42. With the Intelligence and Security Committee 43. With Don Touhig and John McFall at the House of Lords 44. With my family at the House of Lords 45. With Pope John Paul II 46. With Nick ThomasSymonds

List of abbreviations

AEU AM ATTI BIPA BSC CLP CPA EEC GKN GOC IIC/IIDC

IPSA ISERBS ISTC ITT JMC LTTE MK MLA MP NALGO

Amalgamated Engineering Union Assembly Member Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions British–Irish parliamentary assembly British Steel Corporation Constituency Labour Party Commonwealth parliamentary association European Economic Community Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds General Officer Commanding IndependentInternationalCommissionon Decommissioning Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Iron and Steel Employees Readaptation Benefits Scheme Iron and Steel Trades Confederation International Telephone and Telegraph Joint Ministerial Committee Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Member of the Knesset Member of the Legislative Assembly Member of Parliament National and Local Government Officers’ Association