Maggie Broughton

Elise "Maggie" Broughton

Born 25th April 1912 at Handcross, Crawley, Sussex. Her father worked at the post office (telephones) and voted Liberal, her mother was a housewife.

Elsie trained as a Registered Nurse and later a Fever Nurse in various London Hospitals, Elsie came to Hayes in 1936.

In 1944 Elsie Joined the Hayes Labour Party, and became Secretary of Belmore Ward and later Constituency Secretary, She was also election agent for at least one Middlesex County Council Elections.

she recalls having to help compile are own Electoral Register in 1945. "many of us toured the streets on Sundays recruiting new labour party members. on one successful day, we made more than thirty new Party members in Ashford and Berwick Avenues". She also recalled the Party organising lots of street corner meetings"

She recalls that the first immigrants to Hayes where "Polish ex servicemen, many with English wives" and attacks by the local Liberals on the new Asian arrivals

Active in Hayes Trades & Southall Council from 1952

1963 - 1964 and Labour councillor on Maggie Broughton was a Labour Councillor on Hayes Urban District Council from Hillingdon Council 1964-1968 (?)
recalled Labour Party activists such as Wilfred Sutcliffe, E.K. Harding, Bill Mongor, Paddy Burke, Bill Lipscombe, Ivor Anthony, Simon Geldberg

Elsie recalled that "The acquisition of the Allied Estate, establishment of meals on wheels in 1948, allotments" were the major achievements of Labour controlled Hayes UDC. "We seemed to be an unusually successful UDC".

also she recalled Labour party or TGWU secretary ? Secretary Dai Jones Coldharbour Lane , Chair:Walter Chubb (Chalfont Road) and recalled Peter Pink, John Mansfield, George Brooks and Frank Foster as "key" local Hayes Communist party members

Regarding the devisions in Hayes Labour Party she stated that " to be honest. I can't remember what principle, was it Clause 4". (ed Think it was EEC. Elsie, rather sadly, followed Neville Sandelson (local Labour MP) into the Social Democratic Party. Elsie had been key in the Hayes Women's Section in securing support for Sandelson having been formerly his voluntary secretary. Having spoken to her in the late 1980's Elsie still recalled fond memories of the Labour Party and its work. with regard to the split "Neville was accused of going back on an undertaking which, it was contended, he had promisedwithdrawl). Unfortunately Neville could not resists countering insults with more insults"

She considered Walter Ayles MP "Not very approachable", Arthur Skeffington MP "Extremely hard working, never walked anywhere...always ran" and Neville Sandelson "Knowledgeable and friendly".

Involved in the Hayes Women's Co-operative Guild and also its Secretary for a number of years.

Active in the Hayes & Harlington Old Peeoplse Welfare Committee for 40 years, being secretary for most, organising Christmas parcels (3,000), outings and redistribution of ECC butter.

Elsie lived at 37, Warley Road, Hayes, later 47 Gledwood Gardens, hayes

Awarded MBE in 1990

Died, Hilligdon 21st March 1997 aged 84

Hillingdon SDP Confusion

Confusion for SDP
Uxbridge Gazette June 20th 1990 There has been mixed reaction from Hillingdon members to the announcement of the death of David Owen's SDP.

Barrie Griffiths, former chairman of the Hayes constituency party, spoke of the loss of a great leader and admitted many members were now in no-man's land.

"Dr Owen is too good to lose from the political scene," he said. "It is very sad there is not a place for a man like this in British politics."

Mr Griffiths, a founder member who stood for election twice in Botwell ward, Hayes, pointed out the irony that the Labour Party had now taken on policies the SDP was putting forward nine years ago.

"David Owen stayed true to his principles, unlike Labour," said Mr Griffiths, who lives in Hayes. He ruled outvoting for the only surviving centre party, the Liberal Democrats, which many of his SDP former allies joined two years ago.

"The SDP was a breath of fresh air," he said. "Others just jumped on the bandwagon. I am back to where I was before the party was formed in 1981."

Another former SDP founder member, Beryl Bell, who went along with Paddy Ashdown's new party, thought it unlikely Dr Owen would join them. "It was a democratic decision to merge," she said. "Damage has been done by some of the SDP going it alone, and there has been confusion about the names. "At first, I would have liked Dr Owen in the merged party but some now feel very bitter about him." Mrs Bell, of Leven Way, Hayes, a former Labour councillor, praised Dr Owen, Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams and Roy Jenkins for their courage in 1981.

Note
Neville Sandelson Hayes & Harlington MP defected to the SDP

Sue Slipman (ex Communist party student) stood as SDP candidate for Hayes & Harlington and secured very poor vote (she later joined (?) the Conservative Party with Harrow West SDP and SDP LSE student organiser Daniel Finkelstein )

Sue Slipman stated at the 1987 SDP conference that "The SDP should retain the classless opportunities provided by Thatherism" and that "The SDP should civilise the Thatcherite project" and that "The SDP should be a friendly critic of Thatherism"
The SDP never secured an electoral foothold in Hayes and only one Social & Liberal Democrat Councillor in the 1980s-1990's in Tony Little in Harlington

Piara Khabra later MP for Southall and Indian Workers Association was consistently blocked from rejoining the Hayes Labour Party because of his SDP membership (he later joined in Ealing)

Hayes Labour Councillors who defected to the SDP include Bob Lewis, Ron Williams, Maggie Broughton, Beryl Bell, Jim Doel (Group Leader of SDP Councillors),

Bob Lewis was disowned by the SDP after setting up with Jim Doel a Hillingdon SDP "Think Tank" called the Tawney Society on who's behalf in September 1982 he stated
"I am disturbed by the number of immigrants coming into this country from East Africa and India....if they keep on with this steady trickle of immigrants they are going to have warfare in the streets" and Jim Doel said " We have got to accept it as a problem and redefine our attitudes to it" Ron Williams stated they had no authority to make the statement

The Hillingdon Tawney Society claimed ten members