john07
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 15,799 
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Post by john07 on Jun 19, 2012 2:14:29 GMT
How interesting. How was Harold in 1979? This would have been three years after he resigned as PM, aware then of the first signs of Alzheimer's. I had a nice 'Wilson' experience a few years ago. Having purchased second-hand David Howell's book 'British Social Democracy', I was astonished to find on the title page Harold Wilson's signature. Unwittingly I had purchased his personal copy. Harold was not at his best and I suspect that dementia was beginning to set in . The meeting was prior to the European elections in 1979. But when you get to speak on the same platform as one of your political heros, who is going to complain? I was barely a year out of Manchester University and little more than four years as a Party Member yet I found myself up there on a platform with Jim Callaghan and Harold Wilson. |
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Post by erlend on Jun 19, 2012 18:23:30 GMT
A few of us outside the party have a respect for him. Fairly straight forward. What you saw was what you got.
And went at a time largely of his choice. I don't tend to believe the fictions about secret service etc. They would have wanted the party out not just him.
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Post by middleenglander on Jun 19, 2012 18:45:35 GMT
A few of us outside the party have a respect for him. Fairly straight forward. What you saw was what you got. And went at a time largely of his choice. I don't tend to believe the fictions about secret service etc. They would have wanted the party out not just him. My uncle had at one time in the 1930's been on a Labour shortlist for a parliamentary seat. He thought Wilson was so two faced that Harold actually voted Conservative. The 50 pence coin was initially nicknamed a "Wilson" because it was two faced and had many sides. |
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 15,799
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Post by john07 on Jun 19, 2012 19:13:46 GMT
The 50 pence coin was initially nicknamed a "Wilson" because it was two faced and had many sides. Rather like the One Pound coin being known as a 'Maggie'. This was because it was bold, brassy and pretended to be a sovereign! |
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Post by middleenglander on Jun 20, 2012 10:05:50 GMT
Malvern Hills candidates:
Chris Burrows - Labour
Jenny Kelly - Conservative
Julian Roskams - Green
Sarah Rouse - Independent
Michael Savage - UKIP
and for Chesterfield
Kate Barker - Green
Shelley Dale - Conservative
Keith Lomas - UKIP
Tom Murphy - Labour
Tony Rogers - Lib Dem
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Post by hempie on Jun 20, 2012 11:25:52 GMT
Liverpool candidates here:http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/voting-and-elections/by-elections-2012/
Ward Candidate Surname Candidate full name Commonly used forname (if any) Party description
Allerton & Hunts Cross:
Hall, Christopher - The Conservative Party Candidate
Hulme, Christopher - Liberal Party Candidate and Local Resident
Juarez, Mima Lizzet - Liberal Democrat
O'Byrne, Rachael - Labour Party Candidate (or Laby as it says on website!)
Wild, Lynne - Trade Unionists & Socialists Against Cuts
Williams, Margaret - Green Party
Riverside:
Beckett, Nicola Jane - Liberal Democrats
Cranie, Peter Andrew - Green Party
McDermott, Christopher Lyndon - Trade Unionists and Socialists against Cuts
McGing, Alma Gavine - The Conservative Party Candidate
Wood, Heather Jane - The Labour and Co-Operative Party Candidate
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Post by Robert Waller on Jun 21, 2012 10:08:28 GMT
I only came across Harold Wilson in person once, in a small graduate seminar in Oxford, and he was very clearly suffering from the mid stages of dementia. Very sad, as his reputation in that university was for having a brilliant early caeer there, allegedly gaining stright alpha grades in all his PPE finals except Moral Philisophy, then very rapidly becoming a don. Unfortunately I can't date this meeting very precisely as my attending graduate seminars could have been anywhere between around 1979 to about 1985!
I did meet Mrs Thatcher a couple of times before so unfortunately she has suffered the same problem; but she was quite the reverse then, highly penetrating: a gimlet icy blue stare that seemed to go right through one's eyes into the back of one's skull ...
John Major I knew quite well, delivering opinion poll research that he took in very good humour - 'they think I'm a wimp, don't they?!' with a chuckle; he liked to have meetings in the Cabinet Room and I even got invited to dinner in the flat once (without paying a penny - they were 'robbed', by the way). Delightful man. I have never found anyone who has met him not say that.
David Cameron? He once asked to meet me when trying to find a seat. Asked about Stafford ((1997). I said he thought he'd lose it if he stood.
He did, and he did.
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Jun 21, 2012 10:39:54 GMT
I fel hard done by as the only one of those I've met was John Major, just before the 1997 election. I agree he was very pleasant and ha much more presence and charisma than came across on TV. Still I voted against his party in that election, even though I was an active member of it at the time
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Post by Robert Waller on Jun 21, 2012 12:51:03 GMT
Sorry for the name-dropping, Pete  , but I did at least start out on-what-had-been-included-in-the-topic - and that led me on to reminiscence! Further nostalgic memories for the old days, and the old folks, have arisen ... perhaps the most impressive personality I came across was Harold Macmillan, who must have been pushing ninety when he addressed the old members' dinner at my college. You could see why he was called 'the old magician-illusionist'. Having appeared to be asleep, even moribund, for most of the meal, it was with trepidation that we all awaited when he was called on to speak. Was he in fact still alive? Would he make it through the evening? After what seemed an eternity, he 'woke up', eventually dragged himself to his feet, then started in such a tiny voice that everyone strained to catch what might well be his last words. Having secured attention, he gradually got stronger and stronger, feeding on our relief, and ended to a resounding ovation. I am told he was still going at 3 a.m. in the Master's Lodging after outlasting many fainter hearts. It was all, I was later told, a trick he frequently used. Edward Heath, on similar occasions, was an entirely different kettle of cold fish, using his speech to proclaim the only two achievements in post-war history were entry into 'Europe' and better relations with China, then avoiding speaking to anyone afterwards. I have never been anywhere near Tony Blair, and only contact with Gordon Brown was when I once found myself literally back to back with him at a crowded drinks do in the Atrium. All I could establish from this was that he appeared to be almost exactly the same height and shoulder-width as myself, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a cold shoulder.  |
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Post by middleenglander on Jun 23, 2012 22:18:36 GMT
Looks like the UKIP candidate in Chesterfield, St Helens was the Lib Dem councillor elected in 2007 nwho lost his seat in 2011.
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Post by Harold Wilson on Jun 24, 2012 18:31:17 GMT
That's a fairly strong 2011 result for Labour in Tollesbury, as it's not the sort of area that would strike me as fertile ground for us. Was that with the same candidate as is standing in the by-election? If so, he's probably got a strong enough personal vote to stand a chance of winning. If not, I'd expect us to fade quite significantly. |
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Post by Harold Wilson on Jun 24, 2012 18:35:18 GMT
That's a fairly strong 2011 result for Labour in Tollesbury, as it's not the sort of area that would strike me as fertile ground for us. Was that with the same candidate as is standing in the by-election? If so, he's probably got a strong enough personal vote to stand a chance of winning. If not, I'd expect us to fade quite significantly. |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
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Post by The Bishop on Jun 24, 2012 18:40:19 GMT
Not got the hang of posting here yet, ol' Harold??  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2012 15:46:14 GMT
Looks like the UKIP candidate in Chesterfield, St Helens was the Lib Dem councillor elected in 2007 nwho lost his seat in 2011. Yes, I understand that the new Lib Dem candidate was imposed on the County Division and the ex-councillor has defected to UKIP as a consequence. Nice leaflets being distributed in the ward from both lokking very similar to each other (except one is coloured gold and the others are coloured purple). |
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Post by Harold Wilson on Jun 25, 2012 21:15:49 GMT
Well the Conservatives have brought out Pritti Patel MP in the Tollesbury by-election !! Are they that worried about the Labour party here ! Still it looks like our vote is still on the way up !!
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Post by Harold Wilson on Jun 25, 2012 21:20:35 GMT
" I know what's going on I'm going on "
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Pimpernal
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A left-wing agenda within a right-wing framework...
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Post by Pimpernal on Jun 28, 2012 16:13:31 GMT
Westgate update...
Virtually no-show from LDs except one focus leaflet doing the rounds very slowly.
A lot of support in pockets for Ms Ashbee.
Labour seem to be focussing on getting their established vote out rather than general canvassing.
Tories still delivering their single leaflet so far.
UKIP on second leaflet and have done a pretty good canvass.
Voters are tending towards UKIP but there's a residual fear of splitting the vote from both directions.
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Post by Harold Wilson on Jun 29, 2012 19:22:40 GMT
Tollesbury will WIN with Labour
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2012 19:29:11 GMT
Boothroyd, are you sockpuppeting? I'm not the only Labour Party member to have a soft spot for dear old Harold Wilson, you know! Too true, when I joined the party Harold was PM. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2012 19:30:33 GMT
Not got the hang of posting here yet, ol' Harold?? Slightly warm heat of technology.... |
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, but I did at least start out on-what-had-been-included-in-the-topic - and that led me on to reminiscence!
