Richard Howard Stafford Crossman Biography

Richard Howard Stafford Crossman is born into the family of Charles Stafford and Helen Crossman.

Receives his early education at Twyford School before progressing to Winchester College.

Wins a scholarship to Winchester College and develops a reputation for intellectual ability.

Becomes a senior scholar during his education at Winchester College.

Captains the Winchester College football team during his final school years.

Serves as Prefect of Hall while completing his studies at Winchester College.

Enters New College, Oxford, to study classical subjects and philosophy.

Develops his interest in Plato, political philosophy and the problems of democratic government.

Graduates from Oxford with first-class honours.

Travels in Germany and observes the political tensions weakening the Weimar Republic.

Is elected a fellow of New College and begins an academic career at Oxford.

Studies political developments in Germany as extremist movements gain influence.

Develops a strong opposition to National Socialism after witnessing political change in Germany.

Is elected to Oxford City Council as a Labour representative.

Becomes a leading figure among Labour councillors on Oxford City Council.

Begins delivering BBC talks on German politics, philosophy and international affairs.

Chairs the Oxford Labour Party while combining local politics with writing and teaching.

Contributes political commentary to the New Statesman before the Second World War.

Campaigns for Labour candidates and speaks to voters during Oxford municipal elections.

Publishes Plato Today, relating classical political thought to modern threats against democracy.

Publishes Government and the Governed, examining political ideas and their practical application.

Condemns fascism, communism and other totalitarian systems as threats to democratic government.

Begins wartime work producing political propaganda directed toward Germany and occupied Europe.

Helps produce anti-Nazi broadcasts for listeners in Germany.

Appointed to lead the German section of the Political Warfare Executive.

Develops radio material intended to weaken confidence in the Nazi regime.

Studies German civilian and military morale to improve Allied psychological warfare.

Contributes to Allied planning for political information and re-education in defeated Germany.

Becomes an assistant chief in the psychological warfare organisation serving Allied headquarters.

Continues reading, writing and correspondence during a serious three-month illness.

Is appointed to the Anglo-American Committee investigating European Jewry and Palestine.

Co-writes material for a British documentary recording evidence from liberated concentration camps.

Enters Germany with Allied psychological warfare staff during the final months of the war.

Receives the OBE for his wartime service in psychological warfare.

Visits Dachau shortly after Allied forces liberate the concentration camp.

Wins the newly created Coventry East constituency at the Labour general election victory.

Wins the newly created Coventry East constituency at the Labour general election victory.

General election outcome recorded for Richard Howard Stafford Crossman: Wins the newly created Coventry East constituency at the Labour general election victory.

Government context for this general election: Wins the newly created Coventry East constituency at the Labour general election victory.

Begins contributing to Commons debates, including discussion of British policy toward Greece.

Supports the committee recommendation permitting 100,000 Jewish displaced persons to enter Palestine.

Examines the condition of Jewish displaced persons in Europe for the Anglo-American inquiry.

Visits Palestine and hears competing arguments about immigration, settlement and political government.

Criticises the government's refusal to implement key recommendations of the Anglo-American committee.

Co-authors Keep Left with Michael Foot and Ian Mikardo.

Publishes Palestine Mission, describing his work on the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry.

Supports the establishment and survival of Israel while challenging aspects of British policy.

Edits The God That Failed, a collection by writers disillusioned with communism.

Retains Coventry East at the 1950 general election.

Retains Coventry East despite Labour losing the general election.

Wins election to Labour's National Executive Committee as a constituency representative.

Begins keeping a detailed political diary during his years in opposition.

Becomes a prominent advocate of the Labour left associated with Aneurin Bevan.

Participates in Labour arguments over German rearmament and European security.

Takes part in Labour debates over nuclear weapons, defence policy and disarmament.

Retains Coventry East at the 1955 general election.

Opposes the Conservative government's military intervention during the Suez Crisis.

Publishes The Charm of Politics and Other Essays in Political Criticism.

Publishes a revised second edition of Plato Today.

Retains Coventry East at the 1959 general election.

Publishes A Nation Reborn about Israel, Zionism and British policy.

Becomes chairman of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee for the 1960-1961 political year.

Continues arguing within Labour over nuclear strategy and unilateral disarmament.

Addresses the Labour Party conference while serving as National Executive Committee chairman.

Discusses politics and public life in regular radio and television appearances.

Becomes Labour's shadow spokesman for education after Harold Wilson assumes the leadership.

Begins dictating a detailed ministerial diary onto tape, often at his Oxfordshire home.

Sets out to increase national housebuilding and strengthen local authority construction programmes.

Retains Coventry East as Labour returns to government.

Appointed Minister of Housing and Local Government in Harold Wilson's first government.

Encourages councils to expand building programmes and provide more homes for rent.

Works with lenders on proposals to reduce mortgage costs for lower-income borrowers.

Develops measures intended to improve access to mortgages for households with modest incomes.

Promotes a national housing programme intended to expand construction and increase the supply of affordable homes.

Retains Coventry East when Labour increases its parliamentary majority.

Appointed Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons.

Becomes Lord President of the Council alongside his leadership of the Commons.

Manages a crowded legislative programme and frequently imposes timetables on government bills.

Pursues reforms intended to improve parliamentary procedure and the organisation of Commons business.

Explains the merger creating the Department of Health and Social Security to the House of Commons.

Becomes the first Secretary of State for Social Services and takes charge of the new department.

Develops proposals for earnings-related pensions and wider social security reform.

Opposes penal provisions in the government's proposed trade-union legislation during a divisive Cabinet meeting.

Leaves Labour's front bench after six continuous years as a Cabinet minister.

Becomes editor of the New Statesman after leaving ministerial office.

Retains Coventry East as Labour loses the general election.

Publishes The Myths of Cabinet Government, challenging conventional accounts of collective government.

Is dismissed as editor of the New Statesman after less than two years.

Makes his final recorded Commons contribution during a debate on direct grant schools.

Leaves the House of Commons after deciding not to contest the February general election.

Dies from liver cancer at the age of sixty-six.

The first volume of his Cabinet diaries is published posthumously.