CHRIS PATTEN - HOMEWARD BOUND
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"Keep going down the nationale until
you come to a sign marked Lascabanes. Mind how you go though because the sign
is rather faint. Its next to a gray electrical transformer and a pile of
gravel. Turn left there and we are little further down on the right."
Chris Patten’s instructions as to how to find
his converted farmhouse deep in the department of the Aveyron were concise
enough, but short of stumbling upon the gray electrical transformer yourself
and surveying the surrounding countryside, it is difficult to describe how very
remote and isolated his chosen part of France is. The contrast with the hustle
and bustle of Hong Kong could hardly have been more dramatic. All part and
parcel of the Patten plan?
"I have always loved France", he
explains, "having spent many family holidays in this particular area over
the years. I find la France profonde wonderfully calming. We bought this
house nearly four years ago. I arrived overnight from Hong Kong and was
jet-lagged the first night. I woke up pretty early and came downstairs, made
myself some coffee and sat out in the courtyard on the bottom of the steps.
Suddenly there was an explosion of noise overhead. I looked up and it was a
flight of doves. Now, after Hong Kong, the noise of jack-hammers, the buzz of
air conditioning systems, the traffic, the wall of sound - to be disturbed by
dove-wings struck me as a pleasant contrast! France is a large country and I
love the sense of space."
"Is that something you needed post Hong
Kong?"
"I think I needed it while I was in Hong
Kong. I used to find myself in meetings doodling away. When I would look at
what I had been doing I discovered that I had been making outlines of the house
here - and it was always a great comfort to have this place to come to."
The perfect setting of peace and
tranquillity, one would imagine, for the writing of his book East and West,
due to be published by Macmillan this September. Well, not exactly, because the
calm of the Tarn was disrupted, momentarily at least, when his original
publishers Harper Collins decided to unceremoniously drop Patten’s opus from
their list. With a number of questions being asked about Mr. Murdoch’s precise
motives.
"Some people say that he doesn’t
interfere with his papers and publishers and broadcasting media", Patten
comments. "Others say that of course he does - its only normal for a
businessman to take hands-on approach. Being a charitable fellow I would like
everybody to believe whatever Mr. Murdoch would like us to think."
No wonder there is wry smile on Christopher
Patten’s face: for not only did he reach a financial settlement with Harper
Collins with which he is ‘delighted’, the title has since been purchased by
Macmillan who are themselves delighted with the publicity which, in normal
circumstances, would have cost millions of pounds, the best-seller list surely
beckoning as a result, in common with the Dimbleby book on the same subject.
But the Patten book is not, the Last Governor is anxious to point out,
conventional memoirs or autobiography. "I hope that it will surprise
people", he says tantalizingly.
Okay - so here’s the predictable question -
what was it actually like to be governor of this last outpost of Empire?
"Well, it was not like being a British
cabinet minister. Whilst you have the same weight of work and responsibility
there is no collegial aspect to the job. Which meant that although my friends
in London were extremely supportive I was undoubtedly more exposed. I also had
extremely heavy political responsibilities - not only in dealing with China but
also being Mayor of Hong Kong. I also found myself for the first time - and
probably the last - with people who cleaned my shoes and who cooked and
laundered. They did that wonderfully well, but it was all a bit of a surprise.
And I guess, if I am honest, I was also surprised by the amount of attention
and celebrity which we attracted - far greater than anything I had
anticipated."
"Yes, but how did it actually feel
to be the Governor? Was it exciting, stressful, challenging...?"
"Yes, it was all of those things. It was
a hugely interesting job like none other. And I delighted that I did it. I will
probably never do anything as interesting as that again. Unless I am incredibly
lucky that is. But 5 years was enough. Which is no disrespect to the people of
Hong Kong, or to the people I worked with. But 5 years was quite a stint. And
having a sell-by date made life even more curious."
I have opened up my new edition of the
Concise Oxford Dictionary - page 1132, to be precise. Success is defined as
‘favourable outcome, accomplishment of what was aimed at..’. According to that
definition would Mr. Patten be prepared to characterize his Governorship as a
success?
"Well that’s a matter for others to
decide", Patten retorts, reverting to his professional politician’s
patter. "That really is a question for the historians."
"Come on, Mr. Patten. According to that
definition was your term of office a success? Yes or no?" I am no Robin
Day, but I thought I would have a go nevertheless.
"Well, we left Hong Kong rich in
financial terms, rich in the fabric of civil society. We left it with a sense
of self-confidence about its ability to protect its freedoms and I think that
we can legitimately say that we departed with honour. So all in all, if you are
pushing me, I think that it was a pretty good story."
An emotional story too. With more than the
odd damp handkerchief as the final few weeks of the drama were played out. And
the most emotional moment of all? When a group of Patten’s friends ushered him
off towards a packed church in the New Territories where, in the presence of a
full choir, orchestra favourite priests from Hong Kong the Heyden Nelson (?)
mass was played, with not a dry eye in the holy house.
What about the grub then? "Oh,
terrific", Patten retorts, happy to be moving on.
"Hong Kong is one of the very places in
the world for eating. I was very keen on a great knuckle of pork which our chef
used to prepare for us - not brilliant for the cholesterol, mind you. And all
of the family loved Peking duck, Singapore noodles and simply steamed fish with
ginger. We can’t do much Chinese cooking out here in France, unfortunately,
because you must have a big enough flame on the stove for a wok. But I make up
for it by having a nice Chinese meal when in London - something which I really
look forward to."
"You’re not at all squeamish then? I
take it that anything goes?"
"Well not exactly. I am not very keen on
fishes’ stomach lining and I never tried cockerel’s testicles. Or dog for that
matter."
Dog? Well that’s hardly surprising, for since
beating a dignified retreat from Hong Kong on the Royal Yacht Brittania, in the
company of Prince Charles and Prime Minister Blair, Patten has become the focal
point for the debate about the reform of Britain’s antiquated quarantine laws.
He will just about forgive you if you refer to this as his pet subject - and no
interview would be complete without mention of the two best known Yorkshire
terriers (?) in the world, Whiskey and Soda. A review is currently being undertaken
by the government with a report expected this autumn.
"Frankly the sooner the government get
on with this and bury what is a ludicrous policy, the better. We don’t want to
put our dogs into quarantine, which means that our movements are pretty restricted.
Fortunately there is a very nice couple who live close by who help out with
Whiskey and Soda when we are away. It is a totally unscientific policy, causes
people untold misery, heart ache and expense, is totally unnecessary and is an
example of the worst sort of uninformed xenophobia."
Perhaps I have been unwittingly seduced by
his hospitality and charm, but Patten in full flow is fairly formidable figure,
and it is difficult to believe that we have seen the last of the last Governor.
In fact all the signs seem to be pointing towards a return to public life. As
from next year the majority of the Pattens’ time is going to be spent in
England, not France. He also recently accepted an invitation to become a
non-executive director of the Independent newspaper ‘because I believe that
there’s a niche at the top end of the market for a quality newspaper in the
U.K.’ And from his every utterance it only too clear that he remains intensely
interested in public affairs and in the development of the European Union in
particular.
"Could you not see yourself back in the
House?"
"Maybe."
"At the moment you are very involved
with your book. And the four BBC TV programmes based around it. I can see that.
But might you not get a little fretful if, say, this time next year, you are
still undecided as to what to do?"
"Yes, I think that’s a fair way of
putting it. At the moment I am rather enjoying life as it is - a kind of rite
de passage post Hong Kong. But I genuinely don’t know what will happen
next. No one is pressurizing me in any way. Nor am I pushing things myself. My
approach is to wait and see."
If Patten is not saying what he might be up
to in the future, would he at least be prepared to commit himself in relation
to the past? How would he like people to remember him a century or two hence?
"I think that the drafting of epitaphs
is a rather danger process as is anticipating the verdict of history",
Pattern replies.
Oh, zut, he is not saying once again.
"Actually, I was always rather attracted
to Dorothy Parker’s inscription on her gravestone ‘Excuse my Dust’", he
says with that serious half-smile. "But if you are twisting my arm again
then I what I would hope is that if ‘public servant’ was inscribed on my
gravestone, then people would think that that had been an honourable thing to
be."
But members of the Conservative Party please
note. Mr. Patten’s public service has still to run its course.
The main Web site of freelance writer Jeremy
Josephs is at www.jeremyjosephs.com Please check there if you might be interested in
engaging him as a writer.
Many of his articles are available online.
Please check the sitemap
for a complete list.