Peter the On taking office, Varley expressed his pleasure that: 'I can do a job connected with the coal trade, which is what I wanted. Coalite is a very valuable part of North Derbyshire life.
Coalite owns Malvinas and made a handsome profit during Thatcher's adventure, charging $1.50 a night for every soldier billeted on company premises. It is claimed that of the firm made another tidy penny from NUM- lucrative deals with the forces.
As his new job shows, Varley was out for himself from the start. Talking left to win the Labour Party nomination, he moved sharply right when he MP, in crossed the portals of Westminster.
members around at the time remember his selection speech as one which 'would do Militant proud'.
But having a careerist as MP took its toll on the local party. Margaret Vallins, a member of Chesterfield party for over 15 years, recalls: 'I can never remember activity like this Chesterfield constituents more of Tony in this year than they've seen of Mr Varley in the 20 years he was here.
'There's more activity, more public hiccullies. mOre since Tony took over. Supporting the miners' strike, and now launching the Community Defence Campaign, Labour Party has become linked in with What's happening in the town.
'Before it was a typical Labour Party organisation. We weren't the go-ahead type of constituency that now defending rank and file people.
Margaret's husband wally seviclaly, aricco.
Labour Party meeting, wasn't very impressed. There were only about 10 members and nothing political was ever discussed. We eventually built the ward up, with newsletters and such things. This is now happening throughOULI the constituency. Every becoming more and more active.
'The political awareness that's come from all that has happened in the last year is unbelievable. can cver lumt back.
Tony Benn summed up that change. The by-election, he said, 'released from