Blue is the colour

The Middy - May 13 1999

The history of politics in Mid Sussex over the last century shows that the area has always been heart and soul Conservative – and represented by a string of blue bloods.

The pedigree of a members of Parliament for 100 years has been nothing less than immaculate – a heady mixture of aristocracy, Oxbridge thoroughbreds and distinguished military heroes.

Even when the unthinkable happened –the East Grinstead division voted in a liberal for the only time in the century in the landslide Liberal victory of 1906 – the urbane and somewhat surprised candidate seemed conservative in all but label. Charles Corbett, who lived at Woodgate, Danehill, was a barrister who had been educated at Marlborough and New College, Oxford. He held a seat with a whisper of a majority (262) for just four years – a short stint compared to the decades long tenures of later MPs.

His predecessor at the turn-of-the-century was Viscount Goschen – Sir George Joachim Goschen who was East Grinstead MP from 1895 to 1906, acting as assistant private secretary to the first Lord of the Admiralty and then ADC to Field Marshal Earl Roberts for the last part of his term. Later, in 1929, he went on to become viceroy and acting governor general of India.

Most of what we now know of the Mid Sussex parliamentary constituency was split between East Grinstead and Lewes until the boundary changes of 1970. But the bulk of the area came under East Grinstead, and it was served from 1910 to 1955 by just two MPs.

Henry Strother Cautley, Charterhouse and Cambridge (with a First in Maths) held the seat for 26 years until 1936. Mr Cautley, knighted halfway through, lived at Buxhalls Park, Lindfield at one time.

A lawyer, magistrate and East Sussex county councillor, he was first and foremost a man of the land. In his 1910 election address he declared: “I stand as an agriculturalist” and was true to his word– He was instrumental in preserving the old friendly societies for Sussex agricultural workers.

He campaigned vigorously for better prices for produce and better wages for farm workers and held popularity on that ticket – despite the shock of having to contend with the newly formed labour party in East Grinstead.

The foundation of the Socialists into a recognised group in 1918 provided some entertaining cut and thrust for that year's election.

Major D. Graham Pole was adopted as the Labour candidate and started a punishing schedule of public meetings. He believed that the Labour Party was the only party with ideals and with the courage and foresight to adopt them.

And in shades of today's new Labour, he told the voters: "there must be a new vision in life, a new conception of human qualities."

In October 1918 his version of a spin doctor – agent J. C. B. Durrant – moaned that “newspapers are busy misrepresenting the Labour Party which is the best organised party today,” and slammed into Mr Cautley for insinuating his candidate stood for “Bolshevism and revolution.”

But the voters ignored socialism and returned Mr Cautley, for the Coalition. As soothing editorial in the Middy said both men were patriotic to the core and added: “If any bad feeling had been created by either side we sincerely trust it will soon die away.”

In March 1924, congratulating Sir Henry on his Baronetcy, a relieved constituent told a Women's Unionist meeting: I hope East Grinstead Division would never send a Labour member to Parliament. They might be “Silly Sussex but they were not so silly as to do that.” And they were not. It's a success yet to see a socialist in the House of Commons.

When Sir Henry stood down in 1936 he was succeeded by Colonel Sir Ralph Stephenson Clark, Eton and Kings College, Cambridge (first class honours in natural science). The Colonel, who then held the seat for 19 years, had a distinguished military record in both wars and was regarded as a true country gentleman – even by his political opponents.

He was Joint Master of the Old Surrey and Burstow Hunt and hon treasurer of the British Field Sports Society. He seldom took part in debates in the comments and chose to reserve one of his most passionate speeches for a defence of fox hunting.

The family home was – and still is – Borde Hill, and fittingly he was keenly involved in agriculture, forestry and conservation, chairing the Forestry Commission after he gave up the seat.

He also represented Lindfield Rural on East Sussex County Council from 1934 to 1953.

Colonel Clark had a brisk view on home policy. In the Middy of January 1939 he was reported as telling the Lindfield and Scaynes Hill Conservative Association that “depression, or a pessimistic outlook, was one of the causes of a good deal of unemployment.”

He felt if people were more cheerful “much of the unemployment might be got rid of”. Equally upbeat was his view on the impending conflict – if air raid precautions were widely carried out he saw no reason why casualties “should not be reduced to a number practically negligible”.

The Middy added: “He did not want to give too cheerful an impression but did not see that any good could come from being defeatist.”

His successor was the formidable Hon Mrs Evelyn Emmet of Amberley Castle, who held the seat from 1955 to 1964.

She was a strong minded intellectual, and many of her constituents could never get over the fact that they had a woman MP.

A very different cup of tea from the Colonel, Mrs Emmet – who subsequently became Baroness Emmet – fell foul of the “hang ‘em and flog ‘em” brigade when she voted against capital punishment.

She came under terrific fire in Haywards Heath for her independent line and there was even talk of ousting her on the grounds that she was not reflecting her constituents’ wishes.

But she stuck to her guns, saying the issue was one of individual conscience. 

A former UK delegate to the United Nations Assembly, she ended her political career as deputy speaker in the House of Lords.

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith, Charterhouse and Oxford, succeeded her as MP until the constituency changed to mid Sussex.

Long before he took the seat, Sir Geoffrey was well known for his regular reporting assignments on the popular evening BBC news show Tonight which had a Cliff Michelmore as anchorman.

Sir Geoffrey stayed with East Grinstead Division – subsequently moving to Wealden which he represents to this day – and Tim Renton took the newly created Mid Sussex seat which he held until standing down at the 1997 election.

Mr Renton, now Lord Renton, was PPS to John Biffin and Geoffrey Howe and held posts in both the Foreign and Home Offices.

But it will moment of fame came as the government chief whip in 1990 but he was at the centre of one of the greatest dramas of modern politics – the downfall of Margaret Thatcher.

With the 1997 election came new Tory blood from two directions – Nicholas Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill and one of the last of the dynastic MPs, won the Mid Sussex seat; and Howard Flight took the newly created seat of Arundel and South downs – and along with it, about 12,000 electors from Hurstpierpoint and Keymer areas who transferred from Mid Sussex.