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John Platts-Mills

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John Faithful Fortescue Platts-Mills,QC(4 October 1906 – 26 October 2001) was a Britishbarristerand left-wing politician. He was theLabour PartyMember of ParliamentforFinsburyfrom 1945 to 1948, when he was expelled from the party effectively for his pro-Soviet sympathies. He remained a MP until 1950, and then returned to his legal career.[1]

Early life and career

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He was born inWellington,New Zealand in 1906 to John Mills, a prosperous businessman, andDaisy Platts,a doctor.[2][3]Platts-Mills was educated at Ocean Bay School,Port Underwood,Marlborough,from 1917 to 1918,[4]and atNelson Collegefrom 1919 to 1924.[5]He graduated with a first-class honours degree in law fromVictoria University Collegein Wellington where he had been an excellent sportsman in track athletics, boxing and as a rower. In 1929, he won aRhodes ScholarshiptoBalliol College, Oxford.[2]

After graduating fromOxford University,Platts-Mills wascalled to the Barfrom theInner Templein 1932, then worked as abarristerin London. He belonged to the ultra-conservativeEnglish Misterygroup and his flat at 2, Paper Buildings,Inner Temple,was the Mistery's address and meeting place for a time.

1935 to 1945

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The proposedHoare–Laval Pactpermanently altered his political outlook[6]and in 1936 he joined the Labour Party. Mills was a friend of Olympic gold medallist and anti-fascistLewis Clive,who died fighting againstNationalistforces in 1938 during theSpanish Civil War.[7]Platts-Mills was himself opposed to the Labour Party's policy of non-intervention.[1]In 1939 he took part as secretary in hearings set up byJohn Gollanof the British Youth Peace Assembly, a youth campaign having communist backing, withArthur Comyns Carras president, and Hyman Berger.[8][9]

On the outbreak of theSecond World War,he joined theRoyal Air Forceand was commissioned aspilot officerin June 1940.[10]However, he was asked to leave,[1]and it was suspected that this was due to his communist sympathies. After theSoviet Unionwas invaded by Germany, the military was more willing to accept communists. According to Platts-Mills' own account, SirStafford Crippsintroduced him to prime ministerWinston Churchill,who told him: "I have been teaching the British since 1918 that the Russians eat their young. For the sake of the war effort, take as much money as you need and change that public perception of them."[2]During the later part of the war, Platts-Mills volunteered to work as aBevin boyin thecoal mines.Then 38, he worked in the mines for 18 months.

In politics

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Platts-Mills was encouraged to become aLabourMember of Parliament (MP) byFrank Soskice,and in 1944 was added to a list of potential candidates. In 1945V. K. Krishna Menonasked him to represent Indian interest in independence, and suggestedFinsburyas a suitable seat.[11]At the1945 general electionhe was elected as its MP. In the Commons, Platts-Mills emerged as one of a small number of MPs with pro-Soviet sympathies. He toldSimon HattenstoneofThe Guardianin 2001, not long before he died: "I was a good constituency chap."[12]

Nenni telegram

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In 1948 Platts-Mills ceased to be a Labour MP, after an episode of factional strife, in which he was responsible for a telegram of support sent to the Italian socialist leaderPietro Nenniin April of that year.[13]He had helped organise a petition in support of Nenni and theItalian Socialist Partyin its campaign for the1948 Italian general election.The idea was up in the air at the time, andMaurice Orbachfound about a dozen Labour MPs who supported it. Platts-Mills sent off the telegram, with Hyman Berger who was now his parliamentary clerical assistant, on the evening of 16 April, despite a warning earlier that day fromGeoffrey Bingof potential trouble with the Labourwhips.[14]

The telegram was supported by 36 further Labour MPs, rather than literally being signed by them. They made up the "Nenni telegram" group. It overlapped with the "Keep Left"group taking their name from a 1947 pamphlet, with some sympathies in geopolitics for theUSSR.[15]Three of the supporters—William Dobbie,Harold Lever,andCharles Royle—were not identified with the Labour left.[16]

The position adopted by the Nenni supporters was contentious, because his party was in alliance with theItalian Communist Partyin apopular front,and the Labour Party's official backing was for thePartito Socialista Democratico ItalianoandGiuseppe Saragat,in the non-communist alignedSocialist Unityalliance.[1][17]According to Platts-Mills, Labour had in 1944 recognised the continuity of Nenni's party with the pre-Mussolini Italian socialists;[18]and the endorsement was repudiated after the telegram was sent byHector McNeilandMorgan Phillips,in favour of Saragat's group.[19]Edmond writes the telegram was provocative and the furore predictable, that the switch to support for Saragat was under consideration at the time, and thatErnest Bevincame under pressure fromGeorge Marshallto expel Platts-Mills, a critic of American foreign policy.[20]

Many of the MPs retracted their support when asked to do so, and in the end almost all came to an accommodation with the Labour Party managers.[16]Platts-Mills was an exception.[2]He was already under investigation by the Party'sNational Executive Committeeand was expelled from the Labour Party in April 1948 after he submitted a statement which was found unacceptable.[1]

Aftermath

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The expulsion of Platts-Mills led to the formation in 1949 of theLabour Independent Groupwhich gained support from four other Soviet-sympathising ex-Labour MPs:Konni Zilliacus,D. N. Pritt,Geoffrey BingandWilliam Warbey.

Platts-Mills stood as an Independent Labour candidate in the newShoreditch and Finsbury constituencyin the1950 general electionbut came third. He was opposed toNATOand claimed that the United States had too much power in Europe. He was readmitted to the Labour Party in 1969 after previous attempts in 1964 and 1966 were unsuccessful.[1]

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He returned to his legal career and was made aQueen's Counsel(QC) in 1964.[2]"A master of courtroom theatre.. [whose] clashes with the Bench entered into legal legend",[2]Platts-Mills was defence counsel to many clients, including theGreat Train Robbersat their appeal[1]and Ronnie Kray. Of theKray Twins,who were found guilty of the murders ofGeorge CornellandJack McVitiein 1969, Platt-Mills later said: "I genuinely believed they were not guilty".[21]

Platts-Mills was said to have encouragedBilly Strachan,a fellow communist activist and one of the pioneers of black civil rights in Britain, to study law.[22]Strachan then went onto be elected the President of Inner London Justices' Clerks' Society, and became an expert in laws regarding adoption, marriage, and drink-driving.

Personal life

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In 1936, he married artistJanet Cree.He was the father of a forester, Tim Platts-Mills; aLonrhodirector, Jonathan Platts-Mills;Thomas Platts-Mills;film directorBarney Platts-Mills,[23]a wood sculptor, Benjamin Platts-Mills, and Mark Platts-Mills QC.

His wife died in 1992. Platts-Mills himself died on 26 October 2001.[1]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^abcdefghJeger, Lena (27 October 2001)."John Platts-Mills".The Guardian.Retrieved11 February2021.
  2. ^abcdef"John Platts-Mills".The Telegraph.26 October 2001.Retrieved11 February2021.
  3. ^"Obituary: John Platts-Mills".NZ Herald.2 November 2001.ISSN1170-0777.Retrieved24 May2020.
  4. ^Harlen, Jonathan (1987).The School at Ocean Bay.New Zealand: Cape Catley.
  5. ^Nelson College Old Boys' Register, 1856–2006,6th edition
  6. ^Sedley, Stephen (11 November 1999)."In Judges' Lodgings".London Review of Books.21(22). Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2008.
  7. ^Farman, Chris; Rose, Valery; Woolley, Liz (2015).No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39.London: Oxford International Brigade Memorial Committee. pp. 63=64.
  8. ^Platts-Mills, John (2001).Muck, Silk and Socialism: recollections of a left-wing Queen's Counsel.Paper. p. 244.ISBN0-9539949-0-2.
  9. ^"The Departments of the Communist Party of Great Britain: A Detailed Guide".British Online Archives.
  10. ^"No. 34887".The London Gazette.2 July 1940. p. 4022.
  11. ^Platts-Mills, John (2001).Muck, Silk and Socialism: recollections of a left-wing Queen's Counsel.Paper. p. 175.ISBN0-9539949-0-2.
  12. ^Hattenstone, Simon (2 January 2001)."Soldier of fortune".The Guardian.Retrieved11 February2021.
  13. ^Gildart, Keith; Howell, David (31 January 2020).Dictionary of Labour Biography: Volume XV.Springer Nature. p. 91.ISBN978-1-137-45746-2.
  14. ^Platts-Mills, John (2001).Muck, Silk and Socialism: recollections of a left-wing Queen's Counsel.Paper. pp. 275–277.ISBN0-9539949-0-2.
  15. ^Brady, Robert Alexander (1950).Crisis in Britain.University of California Press. p. 35.
  16. ^abGildart, Keith; Howell, David (31 January 2020).Dictionary of Labour Biography: Volume XV.Springer Nature. p. 91.ISBN978-1-137-45746-2.
  17. ^Sedley, Stephen. "Mills, John Faithful Fortescue Platts-(1906–2001)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/76388.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  18. ^Platts-Mills, John (2001).Muck, silk and socialism: recollections of a left-wing Queen's Counsel.Paper. p. 274.ISBN0-9539949-0-2.
  19. ^Platts-Mills, John (2001).Muck, silk and socialism: recollections of a left-wing Queen's Counsel.Paper. p. 280.ISBN0-9539949-0-2.
  20. ^Edmond, Martin (9 November 2017).The Expatriates.Bridget Williams Books. p. 186.ISBN978-1-988533-14-8.
  21. ^Morton, James (4 April 2019)."The trial that finally jailed the Krays".The Times.London.Retrieved11 February2021.(subscription required)
  22. ^Horsley, David (2019).Billy Strachan 1921–1988 RAF Officer, Communist, Civil Rights Pioneer, Legal Administrator, Internationalist and Above All Caribbean Man.London:Caribbean Labour Solidarity.p. 25.ISSN2055-7035.Retrieved8 May2023.
  23. ^Gilbey, Ryan (15 October 2021)."Barney Platts-Mills obituary".The Guardian.Retrieved15 October2021.

Further reading

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of ParliamentforFinsbury
1945–1950 		constituency abolished
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