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| Sir Tom McCaffrey obituary | |
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| In 1999, the Guardian journalist Simon Hoggart summed up Tom McCaffrey, who has died aged 94, as “a gentle, thoughtful, courteous and softly spoken Scot”. Those qualities made Tom one of the most effective press secretaries I have witnessed during more than 50 years in Whitehall and Westminster. | In 1999, the Guardian journalist Simon Hoggart summed up Tom McCaffrey, who has died aged 94, as “a gentle, thoughtful, courteous and softly spoken Scot”. Those qualities made Tom one of the most effective press secretaries I have witnessed during more than 50 years in Whitehall and Westminster. |
| We first met in March 1974, when James Callaghan invited me to join him at the Foreign Office as his political adviser. Tom was the new head of the news department. He was a surprise choice, not being a diplomat, but soon won over the doubters with his ability to master a complex brief and distil the essentials for the waiting media. | We first met in March 1974, when James Callaghan invited me to join him at the Foreign Office as his political adviser. Tom was the new head of the news department. He was a surprise choice, not being a diplomat, but soon won over the doubters with his ability to master a complex brief and distil the essentials for the waiting media. |
| His relationship of trust with Callaghan had been formed at the Home Office seven years earlier, when Callaghan became home secretary after the 1967 devaluation of sterling, which ended his tenure as chancellor. The late 1960s were a turbulent time to be home secretary, with immigration, Vietnam war protests and Northern Ireland (then a Home Office responsibility) all front-page news. In his 1973 memoir A House Divided, which covered his time dealing with Northern Ireland, Callaghan wrote of Tom, as Home Office chief information officer, “He was respected by the press because while he could not always give all the information that the press wanted, he never gave them misleading answers or set them off on a false trail … He was quiet and self-effacing; but also had some un-civil service-like qualities, for he knew how to interpret the opinion of the man on the Clapham omnibus.” | His relationship of trust with Callaghan had been formed at the Home Office seven years earlier, when Callaghan became home secretary after the 1967 devaluation of sterling, which ended his tenure as chancellor. The late 1960s were a turbulent time to be home secretary, with immigration, Vietnam war protests and Northern Ireland (then a Home Office responsibility) all front-page news. In his 1973 memoir A House Divided, which covered his time dealing with Northern Ireland, Callaghan wrote of Tom, as Home Office chief information officer, “He was respected by the press because while he could not always give all the information that the press wanted, he never gave them misleading answers or set them off on a false trail … He was quiet and self-effacing; but also had some un-civil service-like qualities, for he knew how to interpret the opinion of the man on the Clapham omnibus.” |
| I worked closely with Tom at the Foreign Office, and then in 10 Downing Street (1976-79) where he was chief press secretary after Callaghan became PM. Tom had to cope with big issues and big personalities, including three American presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, as well as the formidable Henry Kissinger. | I worked closely with Tom at the Foreign Office, and then in 10 Downing Street (1976-79) where he was chief press secretary after Callaghan became PM. Tom had to cope with big issues and big personalities, including three American presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, as well as the formidable Henry Kissinger. |
| All had aggressive media operations, the equivalents of which were still in their infancy in the UK. Yet at no time did I see Tom fazed, or outgunned. In Europe, where we conducted both a successful membership renegotiation and a successful referendum, the often byzantine world made Tom’s briefings the go-to events for journalists. Once, after a particularly difficult European council meeting, Tom had just finished a detailed briefing when two of Fleet Street’s finest arrived late, having dined well. With patience and good humour, he stayed to repeat the briefing for them. | All had aggressive media operations, the equivalents of which were still in their infancy in the UK. Yet at no time did I see Tom fazed, or outgunned. In Europe, where we conducted both a successful membership renegotiation and a successful referendum, the often byzantine world made Tom’s briefings the go-to events for journalists. Once, after a particularly difficult European council meeting, Tom had just finished a detailed briefing when two of Fleet Street’s finest arrived late, having dined well. With patience and good humour, he stayed to repeat the briefing for them. |
| I never heard him swear or lose his temper, but would he have prospered in the world of rolling news, negative briefings and instant tweets? I think he would, for he was no pushover. His political beliefs only surfaced after 1979, when he was knighted and stayed on to serve Callaghan and then Michael Foot in opposition. Then he had a short stint, pre-pensions scandal, with Robert Maxwell’s BPCC (1983-84) and Mirror Group (1984-85). | I never heard him swear or lose his temper, but would he have prospered in the world of rolling news, negative briefings and instant tweets? I think he would, for he was no pushover. His political beliefs only surfaced after 1979, when he was knighted and stayed on to serve Callaghan and then Michael Foot in opposition. Then he had a short stint, pre-pensions scandal, with Robert Maxwell’s BPCC (1983-84) and Mirror Group (1984-85). |
| Tom was born in Glasgow, the son of William, a travelling salesman, and his wife, Bridget (nee McCafferty). He attended St Aloysius college, volunteered for the RAF in 1940 and spent the second world war as a wireless operator, mainly in north Africa. In 1945 he joined the civil service and served in the Scottish Office (1948-61), the Home Office (1966-71 and 1972-74) and at No 10 with Ted Heath (1971-72). | Tom was born in Glasgow, the son of William, a travelling salesman, and his wife, Bridget (nee McCafferty). He attended St Aloysius college, volunteered for the RAF in 1940 and spent the second world war as a wireless operator, mainly in north Africa. In 1945 he joined the civil service and served in the Scottish Office (1948-61), the Home Office (1966-71 and 1972-74) and at No 10 with Ted Heath (1971-72). |
| We disagreed only once. We were flying back from a conference in the West Indies in January 1979 at the height of the Winter of Discontent. Tom strongly advised against Callaghan holding a press conference at the airport, whereas I thought the prime minister would grab the initiative with a strong message to the country. Instead he allowed himself to be stung by criticism into making comments which the Sun was able to turn into its memorable headline: “Crisis, what crisis?” | We disagreed only once. We were flying back from a conference in the West Indies in January 1979 at the height of the Winter of Discontent. Tom strongly advised against Callaghan holding a press conference at the airport, whereas I thought the prime minister would grab the initiative with a strong message to the country. Instead he allowed himself to be stung by criticism into making comments which the Sun was able to turn into its memorable headline: “Crisis, what crisis?” |
| There is an old joke in the media world that the key to success is honesty and integrity – once you can fake those, you’ve got it made. Tom had no need to fake them: they were the key to who he was. | There is an old joke in the media world that the key to success is honesty and integrity – once you can fake those, you’ve got it made. Tom had no need to fake them: they were the key to who he was. |
| In 1949 he married Nancy Douglas. She survives him, along with their four daughters and two sons. | In 1949 he married Nancy Douglas. She survives him, along with their four daughters and two sons. |
| • Thomas Daniel McCaffrey, press secretary, born 20 February 1922; died 8 July 2016 | • Thomas Daniel McCaffrey, press secretary, born 20 February 1922; died 8 July 2016 |