Wednesday, March 11, 2020

The birthday of the author of 'A week is a long time in politics'

Harold Wilson was born on this day in 1916.

He was a British Labour politician, who was UK prime minister from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.

Wilson sent troops to Northern Ireland in 1969.

It is said, as a young boy in school the teacher asked the class to write an essay on their favourite job. The young Wilson asked the teacher what number on Downing Street die the chancellor live. The teacher told him and jokingly said would he not like to be prime minister.

Some minutes later the young Harold went back to the teacher and asked at what number did the prime minister live.

Harold Wilson is famous for having said at a time when the Pound was devalued by 14 per cent, that the Pound in a person's pocket would not be worth less.

And his most famous line of all surely was: "A week is a long time in politics".

The Wilson government abolished capital punishment and liberated laws on censorship, divorce, abortion and homosexuality.

The Open University was established during his time as prime minister.

Wilson joked about leading a cabinet made up mostly of social democrats, comparing himself to a Bolshevik revolutionary presiding over a Tsarist cabinet. 

He was a great performer on television, usually smoking his pipe.

Wilson and his government offered a new style in British politics.

An interesting man. One of my childhood heroes.




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