Editing Hugh Gaitskell (section)

=== 1951–52 ===
In opposition, Gaitskell's house at [[Frognal]] Gardens, [[Hampstead]], became a centre for political intrigue. At first Herbert Morrison still seemed likely to succeed Attlee as leader. This period was characterised by factional infighting between the '[[Bevanism|Bevanite]]' left of the Labour party led by [[Aneurin Bevan]], whose strength lay mainly in the constituency Labour Parties ("CLP"s) and the '[[Gaitskellism|Gaitskellite]]' right who had the upper hand in the Parliamentary Party (Labour MPs – known collectively as the "PLP").<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.289" />

In February 1952 Bevan led a rebellion of 56 other Labour MPs to vote against the Conservatives' defence spending plans (the official Labour position was to abstain). Dalton recorded (11 March) that Gaitskell was, behind the scenes, keen for a showdown with Bevan. At the party meeting Bevan refused to agree to toe the party line, but the issue was defused by a conciliatory motion by the centrist "Keep Calm" group, passed against the wishes of the platform.<ref>Campbell 2010, p218-9</ref> Bevan at this time thought that Gaitskell should be reduced to "a junior clerk" in the next Labour Government. On 1 August 1952, when Gaitskell had succeeded in putting Churchill (Prime Minister at the time) on the ropes in a House of Commons debate, Bevan intervened to attack Gaitskell, an event greeted with Tory relief and according to [[Richard Crossman|Crossman]] "icy silence" on the Labour benches.<ref>Campbell 2010, p219</ref>

Dalton (30 September 1952) thought the [[Morecambe]] Party Conference "the worst ... for bad temper and general hatred, since 1926" whilst [[Michael Foot]] thought it "rowdy, convulsive, vulgar, splenetic". A series of left-wing motions were passed. Bevanites took over the constituency section of Labour's National Executive Committee (the "NEC"): Bevan, [[Barbara Castle]], [[Tom Driberg]], [[Ian Mikardo]] and [[Harold Wilson]] took the top five places with Crossman seventh. Veteran right-wingers such as [[Herbert Morrison]] and [[Hugh Dalton]] were voted off, with [[Jim Griffiths]] in sixth place the only member of the Old Guard to survive; Shinwell, who as Minister of Defence was seen as responsible for the rearmament programme, had been voted off the previous year.<ref name="Campbell 2010, p219-21">Campbell 2010, p219-21</ref>

In a speech at [[Stalybridge]] (5 October 1952) Gaitskell alleged that "about one-sixth" of the constituency delegates "appeared to be Communist or Communist-inspired" and attacked "the stream of grossly misleading propaganda with poisonous innuendos and malicious attacks on Attlee, Morrison and the rest of us" published in ''Tribune''. He claimed that Labour was threatened by "mob rule" got up by "frustrated journalists" (a number of Bevanites, including [[Michael Foot]] and [[Tom Driberg]], were journalists).<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.289" /><ref name="Campbell 2010, p219-21" /> He received strong backing from the [[Transport and General Workers' Union|TGWU]] whose block vote was of immense importance at the Labour Conference and which was able to exert pressure on its sponsored MPs to toe the party line.<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.289" />

Attlee then gave a speech at the newly built [[Royal Festival Hall]] demanding an end to groups within the party. After the PLP voted 188–51 to ban such groups Bevan insisted, over the wishes of Foot and Crossman, that the Bevanite group be disbanded. The Shadow Cabinet elections (elected by Labour MPs when the party was in opposition) were topped by [[Jim Griffiths]] and [[James Chuter Ede|Chuter Ede]]. Gaitskell was in third place with 179 votes. Bevan, who had just challenged Morrison unsuccessfully for the Deputy Leadership, scraped on in twelfth and last place with 108 votes.<ref name="Campbell 2010, p219-21" />