The Lavender List
Encyclopedia
The Lavender List is a docudrama
broadcast on BBC Four
in March 2006 about the events that led to the drafting of the "Lavender List", the satirical name for Harold Wilson
's 1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours
.
at the time. One businessman on the list, Lord Kagan
, was convicted of fraud in 1980; Sir Eric Miller, committed suicide while under investigation for fraud in 1977. Another beneficiary was the buccaneering financier James Goldsmith
. Other names on the list such as actor John Mills
were, however, uncontroversial. Despite the notoriety of the name, both of Wilson's academic biographers, Professor Ben Pimlott
and Philip Ziegler
, stress there was never any question at the time or subsequently of financial impropriety in the drawing up of the list.
The origin of the name was the claim made by Joe Haines that the head of Wilson's political office, Marcia Williams
, had written the original draft on lavender-coloured notepaper. No documentary evidence has been proferred to support this claim and Wilson and Williams denied it.
, stalwart of the satirical magazine Private Eye
. Wheen claimed that it was based on the political diaries of two members of Wilson's kitchen cabinet
, press secretary Joe Haines and director of policy Bernard Donoughue. It starred Kenneth Cranham
as Wilson and Gina McKee
as Williams.
The production received a good review from Victor Lewis-Smith
of the London
Evening Standard
, another regular contributor to Private Eye. Most reviews were critical and it even received criticism from some of the protagonist
s with regard to its handling of events. Haines noted what he considered 54 inaccuracies in the production.
The BBC is to pay Lady Falkender £75,000 in damages over this drama documentary for claiming that she conducted an adulterous affair with Harold Wilson and exercised undue influence over the compilation of his resignation honours list.
In an out-of-court settlement, the corporation also agreed to pay an estimated £200,000 in costs and promised never to re-broadcast The Lavender List, shown on the digital television
channel BBC Four
. The latter condition will cost the corporation significant amounts as the critically acclaimed drama would have been repeated regularly on the channel.
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
broadcast on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
in March 2006 about the events that led to the drafting of the "Lavender List", the satirical name for Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
's 1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours
1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours
The 1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours were announced on 27 May 1976 to mark the resignation of Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The list of honours became known satirically as the "Lavender List".-Controversy:...
.
The List
The list caused controversy as a small number of recipients were wealthy businessmen whose principles were considered antipathetic to those held by the Labour partyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
at the time. One businessman on the list, Lord Kagan
Joseph Kagan, Baron Kagan
Joseph Kagan, Baron Kagan was a British industrialist and the founder of Kagan Textiles, of Elland, which made raincoats from the waterproof Gannex fabric he had invented. Gannex raincoats were most famously worn by Harold Wilson...
, was convicted of fraud in 1980; Sir Eric Miller, committed suicide while under investigation for fraud in 1977. Another beneficiary was the buccaneering financier James Goldsmith
James Goldsmith
Sir James Michael "Jimmy" Goldsmith was an Anglo-French billionaire financier and tycoon. Towards the end of his life, he became a magazine publisher and a politician. In 1994, he was elected to represent France as a Member of the European Parliament and he subsequently founded the short-lived...
. Other names on the list such as actor John Mills
John Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
were, however, uncontroversial. Despite the notoriety of the name, both of Wilson's academic biographers, Professor Ben Pimlott
Ben Pimlott
Benjamin John Pimlott, known as Ben Pimlott , was a British historian of the post-war period in Britain...
and Philip Ziegler
Philip Ziegler
-Background:Born in Ringwood, Ziegler was educated at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, and went with the school when it merged with Summer Fields School, Oxford. He was afterwards at Eton College and New College, Oxford...
, stress there was never any question at the time or subsequently of financial impropriety in the drawing up of the list.
The origin of the name was the claim made by Joe Haines that the head of Wilson's political office, Marcia Williams
Marcia Falkender, Baroness Falkender
Marcia Matilda Falkender, Baroness Falkender CBE , formerly Marcia Williams , is a British Labour politician, being first the private secretary for, and then the political secretary and head of political office to, Harold Wilson.-Background and early career:Born Marcia Field, Falkender was educated...
, had written the original draft on lavender-coloured notepaper. No documentary evidence has been proferred to support this claim and Wilson and Williams denied it.
Docudrama
The docudrama was written by journalist Francis WheenFrancis Wheen
Francis James Baird Wheen is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster.-Early life and education:Wheen was born into an army family and educated at two independent schools: Copthorne Preparatory School near Crawley, West Sussex and Harrow School in north west London.-Life and career:Running...
, stalwart of the satirical magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. Wheen claimed that it was based on the political diaries of two members of Wilson's kitchen cabinet
Kitchen Cabinet
The Kitchen Cabinet was a term used by political opponents of President of the United States Andrew Jackson to describe the collection of unofficial advisers he consulted in parallel to the United States Cabinet following his purge of the cabinet at the end of the Eaton affair and his break with...
, press secretary Joe Haines and director of policy Bernard Donoughue. It starred Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham is a film, television and stage actor. He starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon. He also appeared in Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1, Rome, Oliver! and many other films. He is probably best known to horror genre fans as the deranged Dr...
as Wilson and Gina McKee
Gina McKee
Georgina "Gina" McKee is an English actor known for her television roles in Our Friends in the North , The Lost Prince and The Forsyte Saga ; and her portrayal of Bella in the film Notting Hill ....
as Williams.
The production received a good review from Victor Lewis-Smith
Victor Lewis-Smith
Victor Lewis-Smith is a British satirist, producer, critic and prankster. He is known for his sarcasm and biting criticism.-Radio and recordings:...
of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, another regular contributor to Private Eye. Most reviews were critical and it even received criticism from some of the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s with regard to its handling of events. Haines noted what he considered 54 inaccuracies in the production.
The BBC is to pay Lady Falkender £75,000 in damages over this drama documentary for claiming that she conducted an adulterous affair with Harold Wilson and exercised undue influence over the compilation of his resignation honours list.
In an out-of-court settlement, the corporation also agreed to pay an estimated £200,000 in costs and promised never to re-broadcast The Lavender List, shown on the digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
channel BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
. The latter condition will cost the corporation significant amounts as the critically acclaimed drama would have been repeated regularly on the channel.
Primary cast
- Kenneth CranhamKenneth CranhamKenneth Cranham is a film, television and stage actor. He starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon. He also appeared in Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1, Rome, Oliver! and many other films. He is probably best known to horror genre fans as the deranged Dr...
- Harold Wilson - Gina McKeeGina McKeeGeorgina "Gina" McKee is an English actor known for her television roles in Our Friends in the North , The Lost Prince and The Forsyte Saga ; and her portrayal of Bella in the film Notting Hill ....
- Marcia Williams - Celia ImrieCelia ImrieCelia Diana Savile Imrie is an English actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom...
- Mary Wilson - Neil Dudgeon - Joe Haines
- Dominic Rowan - Bernard Donoughue