Difference between revisions of "John Freeman"

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[[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] '''John Horace Freeman''' was a British politician, diplomat, broadcaster and [[British Army]] officer. He was the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Watford (UK Parliament constituency)|Watford]] from 1945 to 1955.<ref name="Death"/>
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==Early life==
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Freeman was born in a house in the [[Regent's Park]] neighbourhood of London on 19 February 1915, the son of a [[barrister]]. The family later moved to [[Brondesbury]]. He joined the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] whilst a student at [[Westminster School]] in the early 1930s, and later obtained his degree at [[Brasenose College, Oxford]]. He worked for a time at the advertising firm Ashley Courtenay.<ref name="Purcell">http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2013/03/john-freeman-face-face-enigma</ref>
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==Career==
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===Military service===
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During [[World War II]], Freeman saw active service in the Middle East, North Africa, Italy and North West Europe. He enlisted in the [[Coldstream Guards]], was commissioned in the [[Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)|Rifle Brigade]] in 1940<ref name="Purcell"/> and served in Britain's [[7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Division]] (the "[[Desert Rats]]").  [[Bernard Montgomery]] called him "my best [[brigade major]]".<ref name=Pruden>Pruden, Wesley (2 January 2015). "Success in a curious turn in Washington". Washington Times. p. B1.</ref>  He was appointed MBE in 1943.
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===Political career===
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After his return to Britain, he was selected as Labour candidate for [[Watford (UK Parliament constituency)|Watford]] and was elected as a Member of Parliament in the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 election]].
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In September 1947, he was appointed Vice-President of the [[Army Council (1904)|Army Council]], the supreme administering body of the [[British Army]].<ref name="LG 10 October 1947">https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38093/page/4753</ref>
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Originally, Freeman was on the [[Aneurin Bevan|Bevanite]] left-wing of the Party, although also supported by [[Hugh Dalton]] who liked to go 'talent-spotting' among young MPs. He rose quickly through the ministerial ranks, but resigned along with Aneurin Bevan and [[Harold Wilson]] in 1951 over [[National Health Service]] charges. He stood down as an [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] at the [[1955 United Kingdom general election|1955 general election]].
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===Journalism and public career===
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Freeman became a presenter of ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' and was editor of the ''[[New Statesman]]'' from 1961 to 1965. He also presented the [[BBC]] television interview programme, ''[[Face to Face (British TV series)|Face to Face]]''.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009q2t3/episodes/player BBC ''Face to Face'' archive]. Interviews with: [[Carl Jung]], [[Bertrand Russell]] and [[Dame Edith Sitwell]] (1959); [[Adam Faith]], [[Stirling Moss]] and [[Evelyn Waugh]] (1960); and [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] (1961).</ref>
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In 1962 he described [[Richard Nixon]], then bidding to become governor of California, as “a man of no principle whatsoever except a willingness to sacrifice everything in the cause of Dick Nixon”. Later in the pages of the ''New Statesman'' he portrayed Nixon<ref>Purcell, Hugh (July 2019). "New Statesman letter". New Statesman: 10.</ref> as "a discredited and outmoded purveyor of the irrational and inactive" whose 1964 defeat would be a "victory for decency."<ref name=Pruden/> In the event Nixon did not run for President in 1964, but instead supported [[Barry Goldwater]], who lost easily.
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While [[Harold Wilson]] was [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], Freeman was appointed the [[List of High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to India|High Commissioner to India]] (1965–1968) and [[List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the United States|Ambassador to the United States]] (1969–1971). During his time in Washington he became fast friends with Nixon and [[Henry Kissinger]].<ref name=Pruden/> He was appointed to the [[Privy Council]] in 1966.
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Freeman became Chairman of [[London Weekend Television]] Ltd in 1971, serving until his retirement in 1984. During this period, he wrote an article in 1981 which criticised what he saw as the heavy-handed, interventionist broadcasting policy of the British government expressed in the ethos of the [[Independent Broadcasting Authority]] and expressed views that would soon come to be closely associated with [[Margaret Thatcher]] and the deregulatory, laissez-faire new school of [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politics. He was director of several other companies in this period and President of [[Independent Television News|ITN]] (1976–1981).
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From 1985 to 1990, he was Visiting Professor of [[International Relations]] at the [[University of California, Davis]]. Freeman was elected an honorary fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1968.
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==Later life==
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In later life Freeman commentated on [[bowls]] for [[Granada Television]].
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He retired to [[Barnes, London]], removing himself to a military care home in south London in 2012.<ref name="Purcell"/>
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When [[Morgan Morgan-Giles]] died on 4 May 2013, Freeman became the oldest surviving former MP. He was the last survivor of those [[List of MPs elected in the 1945 United Kingdom general election|elected to Parliament in 1945]]. Following the death of [[Tony Benn]] on 14 March 2014, he was also the last surviving member of the [[List of MPs elected in the 1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]] parliament and the last surviving MP under [[George VI]].
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Freeman died on 20 December 2014, aged 99, less than two months before his 100th birthday.<ref name="Death">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30565798</ref>
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==References==
 
==References==
 
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Latest revision as of 09:48, 13 July 2022

Person.png John Freeman  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(diplomat)
John Freeman MP.jpg
Born1915-02-19
London, England
Died2014-12-20 (Age 99)
NationalityBritish
Alma materWestminster School, Brasenose College (Oxford)
Childrensix
British politician, diplomat, broadcaster and British Army officer. Ambassador to the United States 1969-71.

Employment.png New Statesman/Editor

In office
1961 - 1965
Succeeded byPaul Johnson

Major John Horace Freeman was a British politician, diplomat, broadcaster and British Army officer. He was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford from 1945 to 1955.[1]

Early life

Freeman was born in a house in the Regent's Park neighbourhood of London on 19 February 1915, the son of a barrister. The family later moved to Brondesbury. He joined the Labour Party whilst a student at Westminster School in the early 1930s, and later obtained his degree at Brasenose College, Oxford. He worked for a time at the advertising firm Ashley Courtenay.[2]

Career

Military service

During World War II, Freeman saw active service in the Middle East, North Africa, Italy and North West Europe. He enlisted in the Coldstream Guards, was commissioned in the Rifle Brigade in 1940[2] and served in Britain's 7th Armoured Division (the "Desert Rats"). Bernard Montgomery called him "my best brigade major".[3] He was appointed MBE in 1943.

Political career

After his return to Britain, he was selected as Labour candidate for Watford and was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 1945 election.

In September 1947, he was appointed Vice-President of the Army Council, the supreme administering body of the British Army.[4]

Originally, Freeman was on the Bevanite left-wing of the Party, although also supported by Hugh Dalton who liked to go 'talent-spotting' among young MPs. He rose quickly through the ministerial ranks, but resigned along with Aneurin Bevan and Harold Wilson in 1951 over National Health Service charges. He stood down as an MP at the 1955 general election.

Journalism and public career

Freeman became a presenter of Panorama and was editor of the New Statesman from 1961 to 1965. He also presented the BBC television interview programme, Face to Face.[5]

In 1962 he described Richard Nixon, then bidding to become governor of California, as “a man of no principle whatsoever except a willingness to sacrifice everything in the cause of Dick Nixon”. Later in the pages of the New Statesman he portrayed Nixon[6] as "a discredited and outmoded purveyor of the irrational and inactive" whose 1964 defeat would be a "victory for decency."[3] In the event Nixon did not run for President in 1964, but instead supported Barry Goldwater, who lost easily.

While Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, Freeman was appointed the High Commissioner to India (1965–1968) and Ambassador to the United States (1969–1971). During his time in Washington he became fast friends with Nixon and Henry Kissinger.[3] He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1966.

Freeman became Chairman of London Weekend Television Ltd in 1971, serving until his retirement in 1984. During this period, he wrote an article in 1981 which criticised what he saw as the heavy-handed, interventionist broadcasting policy of the British government expressed in the ethos of the Independent Broadcasting Authority and expressed views that would soon come to be closely associated with Margaret Thatcher and the deregulatory, laissez-faire new school of Conservative Party politics. He was director of several other companies in this period and President of ITN (1976–1981).

From 1985 to 1990, he was Visiting Professor of International Relations at the University of California, Davis. Freeman was elected an honorary fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1968.

Later life

In later life Freeman commentated on bowls for Granada Television.

He retired to Barnes, London, removing himself to a military care home in south London in 2012.[2]

When Morgan Morgan-Giles died on 4 May 2013, Freeman became the oldest surviving former MP. He was the last survivor of those elected to Parliament in 1945. Following the death of Tony Benn on 14 March 2014, he was also the last surviving member of the 1950 parliament and the last surviving MP under George VI.

Freeman died on 20 December 2014, aged 99, less than two months before his 100th birthday.[1]


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References

  1. ↑ a b https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30565798
  2. ↑ a b c http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2013/03/john-freeman-face-face-enigma
  3. ↑ a b c Pruden, Wesley (2 January 2015). "Success in a curious turn in Washington". Washington Times. p. B1.
  4. ↑ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38093/page/4753
  5. ↑ BBC Face to Face archive. Interviews with: Carl Jung, Bertrand Russell and Dame Edith Sitwell (1959); Adam Faith, Stirling Moss and Evelyn Waugh (1960); and Martin Luther King Jr. (1961).
  6. ↑ Purcell, Hugh (July 2019). "New Statesman letter". New Statesman: 10.
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