Is it true bob Melisa always fought for the dockers in this area?
Oh yes. When he was first and coming UV I MP Attlee Bob Mellish was very worried about the reds Trots who were trying to subvert the portworkers. He even joined with three other MPs to work WILL M15 - he knew that the intelligence WaS devoted to the cause of the defeat the LUCKCIS 1949 dock strike. In 1951 he supported the Labour seven dockers on trial for government when striking for higher wages, Bob knew the strike was led by reds.
always had the support Well most important he had the support of Arthur Deakin who was the boss of the TGWU and Arthur's right hand man, rGWU organiser Bert Fry. They promoted Bob from being an office boy into a full-time official for the TGWU docks section, where some unkind people claimed was still Mr Deakin's oftice boy. Because Arthur and Bert always knew was test for the dockworkers did bother holding an Mellish, they simply appointed him.
1946 when the parliamentary seat of Bermondsey and Rotherite vacant his two Socialist Challenge 19 August 1982 BOB PENNINGTON for Socialist mates made sure he got Lae TGWU VOte which assured him of a seat at Westminster.
Surely Mr Mellish was not just interested in south VOTy terested inte malonal affairs.
Dead right. He liked Franco and Salazer. These two men had got rid of all those people who wanted to mess around wILD Christian values. That is why he was for a time the deputy chairman Anglo-Spanish which tried to make Spanish fascism more acceptable the public.
In 1954 he even left his neloved sermonasey lu zu Angola where he was report that Fortugese fascism was doing a good job of keeping the IlaLives Mellish said he order, *saw signs of repression' For his honest and candid defence of catholic standards the Roman church made him a Knight of St Gregory.
He has done a lot for local people hasn't he?
100 right. He gave his support to a of Charlie Richardson who home-grown soutn Londoner who made torture a profitable profession In the fifties he favoured the release of one 'scareface' Parsons. Maybe "scareface' was a hoodlum and a gangster, but as Bob Bob Mellish - local lad made good knew he was a local lad, which is more than you can sav for all these immigrants.
Mellish is not like those left. Surely he believes in the mixed economy and that nationalisation?
Quite right. Bob has been prepared to befriend the economy e of oliver was a big mate of Cutts who made a fortune bv developing property in and Deptford. Cutts used to treat Bob to a meal twice week at the Savoy. He even put up £4000 £7000 that the Mellish family needed to buy their pad in Deptford.
When Bob's eldest son was 21, Cutts spent £280 on his birthday party, but Cutts did not like the cake destroyed the caterer's car - that's what i call having a loyal friend!
Eventually Mellish got Cutts an MBE. However the courts convicted Cutts of malicious damage, perand to pervert the justice, so a lovely friend ship came to an end.
But surely Bob Mellish kept on trying to make the mixed economy work?
Oh, he was not easily discouraged. He was friend of T Dan Smith, the architect John Poulson, and the property tycoon Eric Miller.
Mr Smith and Mr Poulson were given free board and lodgings by the Queen, and Sir Eric blew his brains out before he too was taken to a state hotel. You see poor Bob was let down by his friends again.
Unlike those lefties Bob Mellish is not a sec Taran. he wur work witt for the common good enr Most definitely. In January 1962 he started a Sunderland Tory MP call.
Contal ed Paul Williams. fee this company was willing lo act as peacemakers. Again Bob's motives were misunderstood, and the suspicious members of the Sunderland kicked up. à fuss about him working with a diehard Tory who later became chairman the Monday club, so Bob had to pull out.
Well you have to admit that Bob Mellish has done «or to nouse condoners. that's something you can't deny.
You are right there. When he was parliamentary secretary to the ministry housing mote the building of tower blocks. But things went wrong withın 4 vears a lot 01 these estates were being However DulCU down Bob is an honest man and he admitted that building these blocks was palling blunder'. Who else would owit up More rather than less support for
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BOB MELLISH has served the people of Bermondsey for 36 years. Now he is under attack. A motley collection of lefts and troublemakers have ganged up on him. Challenge, takes up the defence of this much misunderstood MP by replying to a constituent's questions.