His handling of the Suez crisis has been criticised in the strongest terms. It is often said that he cracked up completely. But the best biography of him by D.R. Thorpe shows that, despite the great strain he was under, he directed the government’s controversial policy firmly in late 1956 and retained the upper hand in the House of Commons, where he came under ferocious attack. When The Times printed unsubstantiated comments of an extremely hostile kind, Alistair Lexden took issue with them in a letter published in the paper on February 12.
Sir, I doubt that at on November 4, 1956, Anthony Eden “broke down in tears as he accused his colleagues of deserting him before departing upstairs to compose himself” (leading article, Feb.5). A cabinet meeting was held on that day. Several ministers voiced doubts about the imminent British military landings at Suez .
The prime minister took Lord Salisbury, Harold Macmillan and Rab Butler aside, telling them that “if they wouldn’t go on [supporting him] he would have to resign. Rab said if he did resign no one else could form a government”, as Clarissa Eden recorded in her diary. After that, Eden was given overwhelming backing.
Melodrama (though without the tears) was injected into these events by Rab Butler in his 1971 memoirs. He stated that Eden adjourned the meeting “to go upstairs and consider his position.” Eden challenged Butler’s version, which was not supported by any of the others present.
Lord Lexden
Conservative Party historian
