John Profumo, secretary of state for war, and his wife, the former actress Valerie Hobson, at Sandown Park, 22 March 1963. Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Mr Profumo clears the air - archive, 1963
23 March 1963: Rumours about friendship with Miss Christine Keeler refuted by John Profumo, secretary of state for war
Edward Greenfield
Friday 23 March 2018
In the face of what had been said in the House on Thursday, Mr John Profumo, the secretary of state for war, yesterday took the earliest opportunity of refuting rumours about his friendship with “the missing model,” Miss Christine Keeler. In a personal statement to the House witnessed by the Prime Minister and an unusually full complement of Ministers, he issued a warning: “I shall not hesitate to issue writs for libel and slander if scandalous allegations are made or repeated outside this House.” The strength of Mr Profumo’s statement has certainly cleared the air. His denial of any improper relationship with Miss Keeler could not have been more categorical.
He spoke first of the rumours referred to during Thursday night’s late sitting by Mr George Wigg, Mr Richard Crossman, and Mrs Barbara Castle, connecting an unnamed Minister with Miss Keeler, and alleging that people “in high places” might have been responsible for concealing information about the disappearance of a witness and the perversion of justice. “I understand that my name has been connected with the rumours about the disappearance of Miss Keeler,” he said.
Full account
Mr Profumo went on to give a full account of his acquaintance with Miss Keeler. He and his wife had met her in July, 1961, at a house party at Cliveden which included among the other guests Dr Stephen Ward, “whom we already knew slightly,” and Mr Eugene Ivanov, an attache at the Russian Embassy. His wife and he had a standing invitation to visit Dr Ward, and Mr Profumo explained that between July and September, 1961, he had met Miss Keeler on about half a dozen occasions at Dr Ward’s flat when he called to see him.
John Profumo, the new secretary of state for war, at the War, July 1960. Photograph: Jimmy Sime/
He had last seen Miss Keeler in December, 1961, and had not seen her since. “I have no idea where she is now,” he added. “Any suggestion that I was in any way connected with or responsible for her absence from the trial at the Old Bailey is wholly and completely untrue.” As to Mr Ivanov, who returned to Russia in December, Mr Profumo had seen him on only one other occasion when he and his wife had met him at the Soviet Embassy during an official reception for Major Gagarin. Mr Profumo concluded with a clear assertion
There was no impropriety in my acquaintanceship with Miss Keeler and I have made this statement because of what was said yesterday in the House by three honourable members whose remarks were protected by privilege.
Finally he added his threat to sue anyone repealing slanders outside the House. Mr Wigg, Mr Crossman, and Mrs Castle were all present to hear the statement, and listened without comment.
Mr Profumo’s appearance on the front bench when everyone entered the House immediately dispelled yet another rumour, circulating earlier yesterday, that he had already resigned. Retiring Ministers make their statements from the back benches and here Mr Profumo was between Mr Macleod, Leader of the House and custodian of its rights and privileges, and Sir John Hobson, the House’s principal legal adviser. Almost at once the Prime Minister himself came in and took Sir John’s place as the wronged Minister’s principal supporter. The display of big guns on the front bench was as impressive as any that has been seen on a Friday for a long time. If Mr Profumo was to face an ordeal his colleagues were plainly there with him.
His wife was there too. Up in the Speaker’s Gallery, Miss Valerie Hobson, an even more frequent visitor to Westminster in recent weeks than usual, was giving moral support in a striking outfit of fur hat and a coat described by the fashion experts in the gallery as “ochre.”
That, it seems, is the end of the story, and after the tensions of the last few weeks few, even among Mr Profumo’s bitterest opponents, will be sorry.
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