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This programme is the final television broadcast in the Open University course 'Decision Making in Britain'. It looks at the decision to publish the Crossman Diaries through the eyes of the book's ...publisher, Graham Greene. The story of the events which finally led to the publication of this controversial book is one of chance, legal battles and commercial decision-making. Graham Greene recounts how his long friendship with Richard Crossman led to a belief on his part that the book was an important work and should be published. The news that Crossman was ill and his subsequent death imposed special stresses on the process of decision-making causing it to breach normal commercial practice. Then the intervention of the Cabinet Secretary's office and the involvement of The Sunday Times led finally to an important court hearing in which Lord Chief Justice Widgery decided in favour of the book's publication. Besides recounting the story, Graham Greene also considers the impact of the book on the process of government and the implications of the decision-making process with which he was so closely involved. This programme is also accompanied by a radio broadcast in which the Rt. Hon. Mrs. Barbara Castle and Lord Diamond discuss the importance of the decision to publish.
This programme is the final television broadcast in the Open University course 'Decision Making in Britain'. It looks at the decision to publish the Crossman Diaries through the eyes of the book's ...publisher, Graham Greene. The story of the events which finally led to the publication of this controversial book is one of chance, legal battles and commercial decision-making. Graham Greene recounts how his long friendship with Richard Crossman led to a belief on his part that the book was an important work and should be published. The news that Crossman was ill and his subsequent death imposed special stresses on the process of decision-making causing it to breach normal commercial practice. Then the intervention of the Cabinet Secretary's office and the involvement of The Sunday Times led finally to an important court hearing in which Lord Chief Justice Widgery decided in favour of the book's publication. Besides recounting the story, Graham Greene also considers the impact of the book on the process of government and the implications of the decision-making process with which he was so closely involved. This programme is also accompanied by a radio broadcast in which the Rt. Hon. Mrs. Barbara Castle and Lord Diamond discuss the importance of the decision to publish.
| Module code and title: | D203, Decision making in Britain |
|---|---|
| Item code: | D203; 16; 1977 |
| First transmission date: | 29-09-1977 |
| Published: | 1977 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:32 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Roger Penfound |
| Contributors: | Harold Evans; Graham Greene; Chris Pollitt |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Cabinet office; Crossman diaries; Decision making; Open government |
| Footage description: | The programme begins with film of Crossman's book and a quote from the introduction explaining Crossmans intentions when writing the diary. Over stills of Crossman, Chris Pollitt describes his career before becoming a minister and the positions he held in government. He then gives a brief description of the history of the Crossman Diaries. Graham Greene, Managing Director of Jonathan Cape Ltd., and the person responsible for the eventual publication of the Diaries, describes how the publishing contract between Cape and Hamish Hamilton was agreed upon. He describes his determination to see the project through and Crossmans decision to appoint him and Michael Foot as executors once he knew of his likely early death. He reflects that he was unaware of the extent of the problems that he would face with Whitehall in publishing the Diaries. Chris Pollitt describes the procedure by which Cabinet memoirs were vetted by the Cabinet Secretary for breaches of confidentiality. Graham Greene explains that he had the first volume of the diaries printed immediately before submission, in order that Crossman could obtain an idea of the finished product. Upon Crossman's death, Greene submitted the diaries to the Cabinet Office. He explains how the book was seen as unpublishable and his subsequent decision to fight the ban on publication. Graham Greene describes the action taken by the executors once the edited version of the diaries was rejected by the Cabinet Secretary. Harold Evans, Editor of The Sunday Times, describes his decision to serialise the diaries and to defy the Cabinet Office's directives. Chris Pollitt describes how the Attorney General stopped further publication and serialisation with a court injunction. Graham Greene explains that the injunctions did not invoke the Official Secrets Acts, this allowed the executors to argue that they were not breaching a confidence in publishing the diaries and that traditional conventions were not being broken. He describes Lord Widgery's decision to postpone judgement and eventual decision to allow publication. Various reviews of the diaries are read out. Graham Greene discusses the view that Cabinet government has been set back by the publication of the diaries. As yet there are few signs that Cabinet government has disintegrated. Further reviews of the diaries are read out. Finally Graham Greene discusses the elements of chance which ran through the whole sequence of events leading to the successful publication of the diaries. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/72616 |
| Production number: | 00525_2337 |
| Videofinder number: | 3420 |
| Available to public: | no |
