Politics
Tonge, Jenny (1 of 2). The History of Parliament Oral History Project
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Type
sound
Duration
02:23:36
Shelf mark
C1503/148
Subjects
Liberal Democrat
Recording date
2016-11-21; 2017-01-11
Recording locations
Interviewee's home, Kew, London, England, UK
Interviewees
Tonge, Jenny, 1941- (speaker, female)
Interviewers
Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, Florence, 1986- (speaker, female)
Abstract
Part 1: [Session one: 21 November 2016] Jenny Tonge [JT] describes early life: parents were school teachers and fantastic to her and her two older brothers [Michael and Robin]. [01:17] Mentions illness with brain abscess as child. Remarks on school elections and standing as a candidate aged seven. [01:58] Passed 11-plus, went to Dudley Girls’ High School, grammar school in west Midlands. School government made own rules and taught how democracy works. Anecdote about changing rules on school hats. Huge influence on JT. Sue Lawley also went there and Lenny Henry went to local tech college. School ran elocution lessons because Black Country accent a “no go”. Acted in school plays. [05:14] Comments on choosing O-levels and having “massive crush” on Albert Schweitzer, who became missionary in Belgian Congo and inspired JT’s desire to do good. She chose medicine and science rather than favourites English and history. Describes A-level physics as one of her greatest achievements. Went to medical school at University College, London [UCL] and mentions pride that it was first secular university in the country. Gives views on religion and secular state. Remarks on meeting husband [Keith] there: “dissected same corpse”. Ten women and 120 men in JT’s year. Good prep for House of Commons. [08:10] Comments on having family, including three children, and moving to Kew near Richmond in 1974; previously lived in Islington and Birmingham. Worked as a junior hospital doctor, going part-time after having children, which gave more time for extra-curricular activities. Comments on the Liberal party—later Liberal Democrats—taking off in Richmond in the Seventies and getting involved. Describes campaigns, including Heathrow and working with Des Wilson on lead in petrol. Comments on selection as council candidate, winning Kew by-election and serving for nine or 10 years, including as chair of social services. [10:56] Thought she’d have a go when parliamentary seat became vacant, at which time she was working full-time as community health manager of family planning and women’s services. [11:38] Selected as candidate but did not win [then called Richmond and Barnes] in 1992. Describes political situation, including the [SDP-Liberal] Alliance with Shirley Williams [SW], Bill Rodgers and David Owen [DO], and blames Neil Kinnock [NK] and Sheffield rally. Mentions feeling down for a while but won the [Richmond Park] seat in 1997 and doubled majority at next election. Took 20 years of working in area to get seat: hard for Lib Dems, particularly women. Husband consultant at St Thomas’ hospital. [14:20] Given international development brief by [then Lib Dem leader] Paddy Ashdown [PA]. Anecdote about husband buying atlas. [15:10] JT comments on membership of International Development Select Committee. Describes trip to Rwanda at start of genocide, prompting recollection of early interest in Schweitzer. Comments on how international development became her passion, linking it to work with women’s health, family planning and empowerment. Mentions Gates Foundation, Andrew Mitchell [AM] and others working in that area. Praises David Cameron and AM in this work, though “couldn’t stand Tories”. Mentions William Hague and Angelina Jolie. [18:20] JT realised that, although she’d wanted health brief, this was ideal for her. [18:47] In 2004 daughter killed in electrical accident. JT decided in 2005 to stand down from Commons to be with grandsons. A year later [Lib Dem leader] Charles Kennedy [CK] asked if she would like seat in House of Lords. Gives views on Lords, compared with Commons. [21:00] Comments on key events that shaped life: living near Heathrow, pollution, environment. Details of Heathrow campaign. [23:25] Describes being taken by Christian Aid to South Sudan during civil war as one of most extraordinary experiences of her life. [27:02] Death of daughter got JT involved in electrical safety. [27:14] Describes visit with [former MP, now Baroness] Oona King [OK] to Gaza and the West Bank in Palestine. Gives examples of humiliation she witnessed. Describes reaction when she said if she had been a Palestinian grandmother she might have been a suicide bomber. Taken off Front Bench. Completely changed her political life: campaigns for human rights and dignity and international law, which she says Israel breaks all the time. [31:30] Broader thoughts on situation, including Holocaust. [33:10] Comments on two parts to her role in House of Lords: support for Palestine and criticism of Israeli Government, and women’s health. [33:40] Thoughts on current “obsession” with anti-Semitism. Comments on background to Middle East problems, Sykes-Picot agreement, Zionist movement of Herzl and Weizman, and her work on hundredth anniversary of Balfour Declaration. [37:12] Discusses religion in early life, including being brought up as Anglican. Never questioned that or being a Liberal. Link to non-conformism. Mentions influence of father. JT comments on love of liturgy and church music but says she does not believe a thing. [39:08] Comments on how international development work influenced view of religion. Muses on nature of God, and messages of Jesus, Mohammed, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. Concerns about irrational rise of religion. Opposition to state-funded faith schools. [44:15] Discussion about how Liberal philosophy manifested in childhood home, including through the ‘News Chronicle’ and ‘Observer’. Comments on character of current newspapers. Compares her home’s Liberal values of the “survival of the community” with Mrs Thatcher’s Darwinist “survival of the fittest”. Fear of society losing Liberal values now. Mentions Trumpism. [48:42] Describes father’s advice: give money to beggar because he might be Jesus. Father died when JT was 16. [49:39] Describes blessings of being of the post-war generation, including free education and healthcare that saved her life. Gives views on constituents with big homes complaining that children cannot afford to buy. [52:39] Voices theory that revolution is going on, claiming that the dispossessed are revolting and voting for some revolting people and that the right is rising. Remarks on irony of Germany as shining light and gives views on Angela Merkel. [53:20] Comments on joining Liberal party when 18 and inspirational Jo Grimond. Compares party then and now. JT went to Lib Soc and had “starvation lunches”. [55:40] Loved being at UCL. Grandfather had been there briefly. Comments on secular UCL compared with other Anglican universities. Remarks on mix of religions, including Jews, at UCL and making friends. [57:22] Got more involved in early Seventies. Gives examples of community as the bedrock of Liberal party. Mentions community politicians Trevor Jones in Liverpool and Stanley Rundle, JT’s predecessor as councillor in Kew. Refers to David Penhaligon’s advice. Expresses sadness that process is now more top-down than down-up. [59:47] Discusses Nick Clegg, shooed into safe seat of Richard Allan in Sheffield [Hallam], and other new arrivals without community experience. JT’s thoughts on “tragic” coalition, which she voted against and refused party Whip. “Furious”, especially over Health and Social Care Act. [01:02:00] Mentions being disciplined over Palestine comments and gives reasons she became independent Liberal Democrat and then left party. Feelings about current politics. [1:02:34] Describes time as a councillor from 1981 to 1990 and as chair of social services. Comments on disadvantage of being a doctor, because people sought health advice. [01:04:00] Mentions collecting waste paper once a month because council did not do so. Gives examples of demands made. [01:05:00] Describes difficulties of being chair of social services, including problem of children’s home being involved with male brothel in Barnes. Comments on how naive people were at time. Muses on current problems. Refers to recommendation to hypothecate health tax when she was chair of health panel. [1:08:41] Describes “marvellous” local activists in Richmond upon Thames. Talks about area then and now. Reminisces about local Adrian Slade [AS], brother of Julian Slade, writer of ‘Salad Days’. JT remembers how older people used to hold things up when she was younger. Asserts faith in building for the future. [01:12:20] Remarks on how people become part of her life, including friend and councillor David Blomfield. [1:13:56] Comments on effect of political commitments on family life, including friction with husband when JT was a councillor. [01:16:40] Remarks on husband being happy when she became MP. Comments on how children were affected when she “got into trouble” with her views. Comments on advantage of being London MP, the nature and demands of being MP, and damage done by press. [1:19:15] Comments on increased workload between 1997 and 2005, and problems caused by treating MPs as social workers. Remarks on difference between the Commons and the Lords. [01:20:34] Describes campaign costs, fund raising and loss of income. Cites donations and lobbies as a problem in politics, and gives views on state funding. [01:23:00] Reflects on working in the health service and her family situation when she stood for Parliament. [01:23:45] Comments on issues when she first stood in 1992. Gives views on PA’s affair. Memories of that campaign, including of John Major and NK. Compares it with 1997, being swept in with Tony Blair’s “red revolution”. Gives views on tactical voting. Mentions issues relating to Europe in 1992 and perennial issues of campaigns locally. Comments on advantages of being doctor when health service important. [1:30:00] Gives views on the Alliance, the gang of four and formation of Liberal Democrats. Mentions David Steel [DS], SW and DO. Comments on satire of ‘Spitting Image’ puppets. Remarks on AS and SW, the chief negotiators in merging parties. Views on PA as leader after DS. Differed with PA over bombing of Afghanistan. Breakthrough under PA in 1997. Remarks on how she heard the news he had stood down. Views on his successor, CK. [1:37:20] Mentions optimism of 1997, with more women and Liberal Democrats, and diversity with Anne Begg in wheelchair and David Blunkett with guide dog. Praises work of early years, especially Gordon Brown, but then Iraq war and banking crash. Anecdote about optimistic constituent at May fair. [01:40:21] Comments on finding feet in Parliament and the atmosphere of a “crumbling” building, including catching moths with sticky pads. Mentions liberating nature of Portcullis House. Anecdote about watching from her office when George Bush visited Parliament. [01:43:30] Describes staffing arrangements, including constituency office and its cost. Little money compared with Tories, especially Zac Goldsmith. JT rented flat near Parliament but got into trouble for that. [01:46:50] Describes working late hours but how that improved in Commons after she had stood down. Anecdote about sleeping in office. [1:49:14] Discusses closest friends and allies, including Clare Short, Alice Mahon, Anne Clwyd, OK, Tess Kingham and Caroline Spelman. JT mentions respect for Crispin Blunt and Alan Duncan, and for Ed Davey, Vince Cable and Jackie Ballard [JB] in her own party. Remarks on how JB lost her Taunton seat over fox hunting. Mentions Ray Michie, the third of the only three female Lib Dem MPs at the time. [01:51:53] JT friendly with a lot of women because they were in international development, which was seen as women’s issue. Explains how friends and allies are made around issues. Nicknamed ‘Mother Teresa’. Refers again to AM. Anecdote about Nicholas Soames being disparaging but later friendly. Mentions Commons being a friendly place but Lords more cliquey. [1:55:27] Comments on lack of social life and work being spread equally between tea room, Chamber and office. Comments on staff at House and constituency. Mentions Friday afternoons at constituency office, describing surgery work as “a grind”, likening it to being a doctor. [01:59:40] Comments on the “incredible” House staff, including Library, Table Office, police, Door Keepers, civil servants, cleaners, catering staff. Gives views on ‘Westminster village’ and the privilege to work there. [02:02:09] Discusses relationship with political journalists. Mentions Polly Toynbee and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Comments on media work, including appearances on ‘Question Time’, ‘Newsnight’, ‘Any Questions’, Andrew Neil’s late-night programme and ‘Today’ with John Humphrys. [02:03:01] Story about ‘Today’ programme sending her to Jerusalem and West Bank with a reporter to meet people affected by suicide bombings on both sides. Gives broader views on Israel and occupied territories. [02:08:50] Reflects on her media involvement.[2:10:22] Describes “wonderful” International Development Select Committee work in first term. Mentions travelling abroad in comfort, unlike current NGO work. [02:11:18] Does not feel achieved much of what she wanted to, except morning-after pill to be available over the counter. Discusses bad press and good fortune that Frank Dobson was Secretary of State for Health. Yvette Cooper, then a Health Minister, was keen on emergency contraception. JT praises “the new world” of that Labour Government. [2:13:19] JT comments on being even more evangelical in attempts to change political system. Comments on electoral system not being representative. Remarks on being in favour of proportional representation, strongly opposed to lobbying and outside contributions, and pro state funding. [02:15:20] Gives views on Commons and Lords, and mentions need to cut down on peers and bishops. Gives views on monarchy and muses on prospect of elected Lords. [02:19:10] Remarks on the need to co-opt expertise such as that of Lords Patel, Winston and Turnberg on to Committee stage of Bills. [02:20:19] Comments on the need for reform, based on her experience of both Houses. Criticises harassment of MPs. [02:22:00] Reflects on the interview and how all people in public life “love talking about themselves”. [02:22:22] Reflects on recent trip to Sierra Leone and compares lives of women there with hers. Mentions husband’s favourite quote from Donald Rumsfeld: “Stuff happens.”
Description
Life story interview with Jenny Tonge (1941-), former Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament.
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