Cyril Bence, Labour MP for Dunbartonshire East, 1951-70, died in Taunton on September 7 aged 89. He was born in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, on November 26, 1902.

WHEN, in the 1960s, Harold Macmillan's Conservative government gave the go-ahead for the building of the QE2, the last of the great transatlantic liners, by providing a Pounds 20 million government subsidy, the shipbuilders of Clydeside rejoiced. And the man to whom they owed the greatest gratitude was Cyril Bence. Government ministers groaned, however. For it was a time of drastic public spending cuts and the Pounds 20 million subsidy for the shipbuilders divided the Conservatives and caused the government to have three narrow majorities.

Ernest Marples and Selwyn Lloyd were blamed by those who saw shipbuilding subsidies as an unwarranted government extravagance. But it later emerged that Cyril Bence was responsible. The Labour MP for Dunbartonshire East had artfully inveigled Harold Macmillan into commiting his government to the costly venture. Bence had played his master card prior to the 1957 election when the Conservatives were drawing up their manifesto and deciding that, in order to discourage the fear of unemployment, mention should be made of helping the shipping industry and the replacement of the Queen liners, so long a source of British pride.

Later, while touring the country, Macmillan developed this theme and in Glasgow, waxing oratorical, he spoke of the great service of the Queens and how the honour and place of Britain on the seas must be forever upheld.

His words were duly noted by Bence who quickly wrote to the prime minister asking if he could...