Knowledge (XXG)

Bernard Floud

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231:. On the basis of MI5 files, Andrew states that Wright and another MI5 agent interviewed Floud in the autumn of 1966 and finally in March 1967, culminating in an interview on 20 March 1967 at which Floud was told that: "because of lack of frankness about his past Communist associations, he was regarded as a 'full security risk' and could not therefore be given security clearance. Floud can have been in little doubt that his prospects of a ministerial career had gone." Andrew suggests that this "added to his despair" arising from a long-standing depressive illness and his wife's death. Andrew concludes that "Save for the personal tragedy with which it was associated, the investigation of Floud was of less importance than it seemed to the Security Service at the time. There was – and is – no evidence that he had any Communist contacts after 1952. His pre-war contacts with Soviet intelligence are also unlikely to have been of great significance, though it would have been very different" if 138:
erroneously states in the first edition of his book and on the basis of MI5 files that she committed suicide; this statement was removed from the second edition), and he too had suffered from ill-health for some time. In March he agreed to undergo psychiatric treatment, but had a relapse in June, and
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was intense, lasting two days and producing neither an admission nor denial of guilt, even when Wright explained that without any further clarification on the matter, MI5 would be forced to deny him the clearance for the appointment. He returned to work shortly after the conclusion of the second day
153:. Although Wilson had a standing policy to deny MI5 the right to interrogate MPs, the service strenuously objected; Wilson subsequently allowed an interrogation after being sent a brief on Floud. Floud had been friends with many 330: 239:, whom Floud had recruited to the Communist cause, had decided to become a Soviet agent, instead of leaving the Party and pursuing a career with the Home Office and later Oxford University. 519: 246:, one-time Keeper of the Department of Circulation in the Victoria and Albert Museum, was also among those identified by Peter Wright as linked to the suspected Oxford Ring as well as 134:
with a majority of 2,599, and was re-elected in 1966 with an increased majority of 4,941. He was depressed after the death of his wife Ailsa after a long illness in January 1967 (
209:(1981), alleged that Floud had been presented by MI5 with evidence that he had worked for the KGB and recruited others to its service. This was firmly rebutted in a letter to 534: 504: 544: 215:
by his sister-in-law Jean Floud. The claim that Floud had been presented with evidence was repeated by Wright in 1987 upon the release of his autobiography,
95: 340: 539: 509: 19:(22 March 1915 – 10 October 1967) was a British farmer, television company executive and politician. He was the father of the economic historian Sir 56: 87: 476: 186: 468: 123: 99: 91: 161:, and was directly named by two separate inactive agents as having worked a spy in the past, handling recruitment. The interrogation by 40: 463: 127: 446: 154: 135: 529: 524: 514: 455: 170:
he said he was "unable to go on". The next day, 10 October 1967, he killed himself allegedly by taking an overdose of
275: 162: 175: 226: 131: 190: 52: 499: 494: 437: 254:, who admitted passing messages to the Floud brothers from the KGB spy-handler "Otto", identified as 158: 79: 376: 304: 44: 179: 150: 83: 71: 103: 279: 202: 111: 255: 107: 75: 60: 20: 488: 236: 142: 48: 36: 289: 247: 232: 171: 55:. He served in the Army from 1939 to 1942, then as a wartime civil servant in the 335: 251: 243: 167: 283: 217: 145:
had mentioned that he was considering appointing Floud to the government, and
211: 432: 331:"British secret files on Nigeria's first bloody coup, path to Biafra" 64: 32: 377:"Civil servant Arthur Wynn revealed as recruiter of Oxford spies" 305:"Civil servant Arthur Wynn revealed as recruiter of Oxford spies" 224:
Wright's account is disputed by Professor Christopher Andrew in
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after a holiday in August he returned to his constituency work.
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Council from 1952 to 1955. From 1955, he was an executive with
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before leaving the Civil Service in 1951 to become a farmer in
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Labour Relations Committee in 1963. His son, Professor Sir
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from 1942 to 1945. At the end of the war, he moved to the
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The Defence of the Realm: the authorized history of MI5
520:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies 166:of questioning, but upon leaving his office at 258:. Peter Floud died suddenly at the age of 48. 8: 438:contributions in Parliament by Bernard Floud 375:Macintyre, Ben; Bird, Steve (13 May 2009). 303:Macintyre, Ben; Bird, Steve (13 May 2009). 442: 401:Who's Who of British members of parliament 535:British politicians who died by suicide 267: 185:Acton was regained by the Conservative 122:Floud was elected to Parliament in the 545:Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning 421:, letter by Jean Floud, 30 March 1981 130:, gaining the marginal seat from the 78:Parish Council from 1952 to 1961 and 7: 176:gassing himself with carbon monoxide 505:People educated at Gresham's School 41:British High Commissioner to Canada 14: 540:Drug-related suicides in England 510:Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford 447:Parliament of the United Kingdom 409:(A & C. Black, London, 1967) 74:. He was a Labour councillor in 339:. 7 August 2016. Archived from 229:: the authorized history of MI5 365:(Allen Lane, 2009) pp.538–541. 70:In 1937, Floud had joined the 1: 90:for the Labour Party at the 17:Bernard Francis Castle Floud 182:home. He was 52 years old. 561: 473: 462:Member of Parliament for 460: 452: 445: 149:was asked to approve his 102:. He was Chairman of the 35:, Surrey, the son of Sir 233:Jenifer Fischer Williams 227:The Defence of the Realm 207:Their Trade is Treachery 197:Accusations of espionage 57:Ministry of Information 242:Floud's elder brother 104:Independent Television 53:Wadham College, Oxford 124:1964 general election 100:1959 general election 92:1955 general election 515:Councillors in Essex 361:Andrew, Christopher 118:Parliament and death 80:Ongar Rural District 43:and was educated at 292:. pp. 264–266. 189:in the subsequent 168:Granada Television 151:security clearance 136:Christopher Andrew 84:Granada Television 483: 482: 474:Succeeded by 415:, 14 October 1967 110:, was Provost of 86:. He also fought 552: 530:UK MPs 1966–1970 525:UK MPs 1964–1966 453:Preceded by 443: 393: 392: 390: 388: 372: 366: 359: 353: 352: 350: 348: 343:on 30 March 2017 327: 321: 320: 318: 316: 300: 294: 293: 280:Greengrass, Paul 272: 235:, later wife of 45:Gresham's School 560: 559: 555: 554: 553: 551: 550: 549: 485: 484: 479: 467: 458: 428: 397: 396: 386: 384: 374: 373: 369: 360: 356: 346: 344: 329: 328: 324: 314: 312: 302: 301: 297: 274: 273: 269: 264: 203:Chapman Pincher 199: 193:in March 1968. 120: 112:Gresham College 96:Hemel Hempstead 31:He was born in 29: 12: 11: 5: 558: 556: 548: 547: 542: 537: 532: 527: 522: 517: 512: 507: 502: 497: 487: 486: 481: 480: 475: 472: 459: 456:Philip Holland 454: 450: 449: 441: 440: 427: 426:External links 424: 423: 422: 416: 410: 407:Who's Who 1967 404: 395: 394: 367: 354: 322: 295: 266: 265: 263: 260: 256:Arnold Deutsch 198: 195: 119: 116: 108:Roderick Floud 76:Kelvedon Hatch 61:Board of Trade 28: 25: 21:Roderick Floud 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 557: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 531: 528: 526: 523: 521: 518: 516: 513: 511: 508: 506: 503: 501: 498: 496: 493: 492: 490: 478: 477:Kenneth Baker 470: 466: 465: 457: 451: 448: 444: 439: 435: 434: 430: 429: 425: 420: 417: 414: 411: 408: 405: 402: 399: 398: 382: 378: 371: 368: 364: 358: 355: 342: 338: 337: 332: 326: 323: 310: 306: 299: 296: 291: 287: 286: 281: 277: 276:Wright, Peter 271: 268: 261: 259: 257: 253: 249: 245: 240: 238: 237:H. L. A. Hart 234: 230: 228: 222: 220: 219: 214: 213: 208: 204: 196: 194: 192: 188: 187:Kenneth Baker 183: 181: 177: 173: 169: 164: 160: 156: 152: 148: 144: 143:Harold Wilson 140: 137: 133: 132:Conservatives 129: 125: 117: 115: 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 85: 81: 77: 73: 68: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 49:Holt, Norfolk 46: 42: 38: 37:Francis Floud 34: 26: 24: 22: 18: 461: 431: 418: 412: 406: 400: 385:. Retrieved 380: 370: 362: 357: 345:. Retrieved 341:the original 334: 325: 313:. Retrieved 308: 298: 290:Viking Press 284: 270: 248:Jenifer Hart 241: 225: 223: 216: 210: 206: 200: 184: 172:barbiturates 163:Peter Wright 141: 121: 72:Labour Party 69: 30: 16: 15: 500:1967 deaths 495:1915 births 436:1803–2005: 403:, Volume IV 336:Media Trust 252:Phoebe Pool 244:Peter Floud 201:The author 191:by-election 489:Categories 387:8 February 285:Spycatcher 262:References 218:Spycatcher 180:St Pancras 155:Communists 88:Chelmsford 27:Early life 419:The Times 413:The Times 381:The Times 309:The Times 212:The Times 174:and also 157:while at 114:2008–14. 383:. London 347:30 March 311:. London 282:(1987). 433:Hansard 315:15 June 178:at his 98:at the 471:–1967 159:Oxford 51:, and 39:, the 464:Acton 205:, in 128:Acton 65:Essex 33:Epsom 469:1964 389:2011 349:2017 317:2009 126:for 94:and 147:MI5 47:in 491:: 379:. 333:. 307:. 288:. 278:; 221:. 67:. 23:. 391:. 351:. 319:.

Index

Roderick Floud
Epsom
Francis Floud
British High Commissioner to Canada
Gresham's School
Holt, Norfolk
Wadham College, Oxford
Ministry of Information
Board of Trade
Essex
Labour Party
Kelvedon Hatch
Ongar Rural District
Granada Television
Chelmsford
1955 general election
Hemel Hempstead
1959 general election
Independent Television
Roderick Floud
Gresham College
1964 general election
Acton
Conservatives
Christopher Andrew
Harold Wilson
MI5
security clearance
Communists
Oxford

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