Lipton was an active parliamentarian, known for putting topical and difficult questions to the executive.[1] In October 1955, he used parliamentary privilege to question Prime MinisterAnthony Eden about the alleged Third Man, Kim Philby. Philby threatened to sue Lipton if the allegation were made in public. After the Prime Minister cleared Philby of all suspicion in November, Lipton withdrew his comments.[4] Subsequently, Philby was unmasked in 1963 as a Soviet spy. In 1964 Lipton brought up the case of the missing Lionel Crabb, again using parliamentary privilege.[5]
As a man of an entirely different generation, Lipton in his last years was often critical of the form the pop and rock music industries had developed by the 1970s. On 2 June 1975, he attacked the "mass hysteria deliberately created by the promoters of pop concerts" following scenes at Bay City Rollers shows. Later, in response to the Sex Pistols' criticism of the British royal family, he argued that "if pop music is going to be used to destroy our established institutions, then it must be destroyed first".
Despite this controversy, or perhaps because of it, he released a record himself, "Hand In Hand" back with "Friends In Need", on the Butterfly record label, a label related to Barry Class's Trend label. It was not a chart hit.[10][11]
Following the arrival of 492 West Indian migrants in 1948, 242 were temporarily housed in Clapham Common Underground station, a former air-raid shelter. Contrary to the later experiences of West Indian migrants to the United Kingdom, the 'Windrush men' were welcomed and subsequently invited to an event with a small party of local officials in nearby Brixton. Marcus Lipton, and Councillor Jack Simpson, Mayor of Lambeth, greeted the group at the Astoria Cinema with tea and cakes, followed by a free cinema showing. Lipton told the arrivals that they should see Britain as their second home, commenting: "When I heard of your coming here, I was moved. A journey like yours does not take place without good reason."[12] Black civil rights leader and communist activist Billy Strachan was also present at this meeting, and used it to express his anger at the British government's attempts to scapegoat immigrants to hide their inability to solve the post-war housing crisis.[13]
Reportedly, news of Lipton's generosity contributed to the migrants' boosted perception of the area, later influencing their decision to settle there: "In the unknown and perplexing vastness of England, the Jamaicans now felt they could be sure of one place. Brixton was friendly. In Brixton they would make their homes."[14]
A youth centre in Lambeth is named after him.[17] He gave a tour of Parliament to a 13-year-old constituent in the 1950s, John Major, sparking a political ambition that led Major to becoming Conservative Prime Minister.[18]
^Glass, Ruth (1960). Newcomers. London: Centre for Urban Studies. p. 47.
^Horsley, David (2019). Billy Strachan 1921-1988 RAF Officer, Communist, Civil Rights Pioneer, Legal Administrator, Internationalist and Above All Caribbean Man. London: Caribbean Labour Solidarity. p. 20. ISSN2055-7035.
^Glass, Ruth (1960). Newcomers. London: Centre for Urban Studies. pp. 46–47.
^"MP collapses". The Times. 22 February 1978. p. 2.
^"MP dies after collapse at his home". The Times. 23 February 1978. p. 1.