Editing Clement Freud (section)

== Callaghan and freedom of information ==
In the last year of [[James Callaghan]]'s government there was a proposal to revive the one-year [[Lib-Lab pact]] which had lapsed in July 1978, to include introducing a [[freedom of information]] act, long proposed by the Liberals; however, Callaghan himself was opposed to this kind of legislation. Towards the end of the five-year term there was a [[1979 vote of no confidence against the government of James Callaghan|confidence vote]] in Callaghan's government, and Freud was expected to follow his party and vote with the [[Her Majesty's Opposition|Opposition]]. 

Due to by-election defeats Labour's Callaghan ran a [[minority government]] and sought support of members from opposing parties to support him that day; to that end Freud, in [[Liverpool]] at the time, received a phone call from [[10 Downing Street]] at 3pm asking him to miss his train back to London for the 10pm vote, in exchange for a "looser" version of his proposed freedom of information act being enacted. Freud declined the offer and voted as stated by his party, after the lapse of the Lib-Lab pact, for an immediate general election. Otherwise the government could have continued until October 1979.<ref>{{YouTube|id=U2wGQfqQBMM#t=7m|title=Interview with Freud}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=A YouTube video is not an ideal source|date=June 2016}}