Arthur Butler, former political journalist and the country's pacesetting lobbyist of the 1980s reveals all...in this hard-hitting controversial memoir spanning nearly forty years he seeks to establish that lobbying is an essential tool of the democratic process. Huge publicity campaign is anticipated to coincide with the General Election May 2010.
Author Biography
Arthur Butler's ambition to be a journalist took root at hih school and following army national service and study at the London School of Economics, he joined the Kelmsey group's training scheme for graduates in 1951. After three fruitful trainee years on the 'Middlesborough Evening Gazette', he moved to Kelmsely's London office and soon after joined the Liberal 'News Chronicle'. As a member of its political team, he broadcast regularly for the BBC's World Service and in his spare time contributed to the Gaitskellite weekly 'Forward' edited by Francis Williams. He wrote the lead story for the last issue of the 'Chronicle' before it merged amid uproar with the right-wing 'Daily Mail' in October 1960 and was appointed immediately as political editor of the Labour-supporting Sunday paper 'Reynolds News' owned by the Co-operative movement. Like the 'Chronicle', it was struggling to survive and when in September it was converted, to his dismay, into the tabloid 'Sunday Citizen', he decided to seek work on a leftish daily paper. Failingin this, he joined the political team of Beaverbrook's 'Daily Express' in January 1963. During most of the next six years, he was the mainstay of the team but following Beaverbrook's death was regarded as too leftwing to be appointed political editor. His coverage of political affairs, however, impressed the editor of the Tory-supporting 'Daily Sketch' and so in 1969 he became political editor of yet another struggling paper. Soon joined by David English - another frustrated refugee from the Express - who had been offered the Sketch editor's chair, he spent two more years in Fleet Street before being displaced by another merger. It was the 'Daily Mail' again, gobbling up its sister paper in the Associated News stable. Three national papers had sunk with him on board. At the age of 43, he decided to start a new career in PR and lobbying ...Publications:Books: - 'No Feet to Drag' (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1972) - a report on the disabled by Arthur Butler and Alfred Morris MP.- 'The Parliamentary & Scientific Committee: the First Forty Years' (Croom Helm, 1980) by Arthur Butler and Lt Cdr Christopher Powell rtd.Guidance Paper:- 'Lobbying in the British Parliament'(Public Relations Consultants Association, 1986) by Arthur Butler and Douglas SmithArticles:- 'The History and Practice of Lobby Journalism': pub. Vo. XII, winter 1959 - 60, Parilamentary Affairs, by the Hansard Society.- 'The Conservatives in Power, 1951 - 59'. The Political Quarterly, Vol 30, pub. 1959, Stevens & Sons LtdContributions:- 'The Age of Conflict' by Chambers, Harris & Bayley, pub 1950 by Harcourt, Brance & Co Inc.- 'Alf Morris, People's Parliamentarian' by Doug Kinnade, published 2007 Nat. Information Forum.General:News reports and articles for daily national newspapers and weekly and monthly journals.
