ALCS celebrates Michael Foot

Among the many tributes to Michael Foot perhaps foremost for writers must be his love of books, and his unswerving support for our Public Lending Right campaign, and the subsequent founding of the ALCS.

Second only to Lord Ted Willis among literary politicians in his involvement with the writers’ struggle for payment for the use of our books in libraries, it was Michael who arranged for the Writers’ Action Group delegation to meet the then Prime Minister, at Number 10 Downing Street, the first time such a reception had taken place, and as Deputy Prime Minister he was able to pilot the Bill through Parliament in spite of the fillibustering tactics of a cross- party group of hostile MPs.

Rarely do our politicians have such a passion for literature or understand the needs of writers if they are to go on writing. But it was above all, I believe, the simple principle of ‘fairness’ in our demand for PLR which appealed to this most principled and caring of politicians.  It was at that Downing Street meeting that the Prime Minister suggested that his own support for our cause would be helped if we could get the backing of the TUC. It led to the most frightening moment of my own public life when I found myself in 1978, courtesy of the Writers Guild of GB, addressing the annual congress in on our motion asking for their support.

Maureen Duffy, Honorary President of ALCS

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