Wilson was a good guy. Extremely slippery, rather like Blair - but with humility. It must be remembered that he kept us out of Vietnam- under extreme pressure from LB Johnson - something that is not generally known.
Keeping us out of a war? Not much of an achievement IMO! Winning a war used to be a sign of greatness, not sitting on the fence. 😆 Oh wait, but he founded the Open University- they should build a statue to celebrate that! Nearly a decade of premiership and these are the things we remember the man by! 😂
This resonated with me. The only time I saw Harold Wilson live was also during the October 1974 election campaign, in the Central Hall Southampton. As Steve Richards said, in those days you could simply turn up and go in.
Brian Walden did a similar talk which is here on RUclips that recounts an incident which I think gets to the core of why so many of Wilson's colleagues were so critical of him. Walden said Wilson asked him whether Margaret Thatcher actually believed in what she was doing. Walden replied that he thought she did. To which Wilson replied "Well she's mad. But she's very lucky to have that opportunity [to do what she believed in]." Walden believed that Wilson had come to strongly regret all of the contortions he made to keep the Labour Party together, and given his time again, would have been much more of a conviction politician.
Very effective analysis of Wilson, and I particularly liked the ending. But it is simply not true that cabinet ministers like Roy Jenkins and Tony Benn personally disliked him - I have read just about everything there is to read here and the point they all make is that they liked him on a personal level despite their policy disagreements, which is why he was able to keep them all on board.
They liked him retrospectively...at the time and uncharacteristically Benn refers to "Wilson''s piggy eyes" in his diaries...Jenkins thought he didn't stand for...both hailed him later...
Toby Benn disliked Wilson intensely. There are videos here on RUclips of his taped diaries, in which he says he couldn't stand Wilson. They said some fairly vitriolic things about each other. Also worth noting that Denis Healey was not a fan of Wilson either. A bit less clear cut with Jenkins, who described Wilson as a nice man in his autobiography.
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton was getting unpopular but I do not think as much as losing the next election, perhaps a lesser majority. It was on a knife-edge even with a former Lord.
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair pointed this out in a speech, this is unprecedented in British politics really, before there were many see-saws and rarely one-party domination like this. The conservatives despite having no principles, are really good at fighting elections.
@@brianwarden7250 Not really. The Conservative Party is not some right-wing reactionary party but fundamentally liberal. I do think the Tories will lose the next election. As for an election see-saw, your guess is as good as mine.
Question.. If labour had won in june 1970... Would we ever have joined the common market at all?... I Don 't think a parliamentary vote would have been enough?.. A referendum would be necessary.. The people in 1972 - 3...would have voted no.. 70 - 30 %?..
A parliamentary vote would have been more than enough in 1970, particularly as most of the Conservatives would also have supported it. You have to remember, the idea of a referendum only entered the debate much later as a means to keep the splintered Labour Party together in 1975. The public were not clambering for one, and there had never been one previously. Wilson had tried to take the UK in previously, with fairly solid support from the Labour Party. The cracks only really appeared some years later.
I often thought this would it have better for Harold Wilson had he stepped down as leader of the Labour Party in 1970 after they had lost the 1970 do you agree with me would like to know please
Parallel's between Wilson and May, both had strong figures in the party, looming issues with Europe, leadership being constantly tested, considered hopeless by many....
@Targe I don't think anyone considered Harold Wilson to be hopeless from either within or without politics. He was an intellectual giant. And nor was his leadership constantly tested. Unless you know something that no one else does? The only slight parallel might be that both were inhibited to some extent by trying to keep the peace within their party's. Wilson succeeded at this, where May will surely fail.
Wilson was a good guy. Extremely slippery, rather like Blair - but with humility. It must be remembered that he kept us out of Vietnam- under extreme pressure from LB Johnson - something that is not generally known.
P
Yes, that at least deserves some credit. Viet nam would have been terrible. Pity about the pound in your purse speech though.
Best PM post Attlee without shadow of a doubt.
Keeping us out of a war? Not much of an achievement IMO! Winning a war used to be a sign of greatness, not sitting on the fence. 😆 Oh wait, but he founded the Open University- they should build a statue to celebrate that! Nearly a decade of premiership and these are the things we remember the man by! 😂
Once the Labour Party had titans... Now all it 's got are titanics..
Steve Richards is very good. I do enjoy listening to him especially his chat with David Owen, Tony Benn and Roy Hattersley
You can tell Steve Richards is a Wilson fan
A masterly dissection of an underrated Prime Minister.
Overrated if anything.
@@EuropeanQoheleth how? He's hardly talked about
Good, but told me nothing I didn't already knew. Good selection of books around this period too and they are well worth reading.
CLEVER & DEEP ANALYSIS, THANK YOU
Wilson 1916 - 95.. A remarkable politician
Thanks for these, very interesting. Why wasn't there one for Callaghan?
Robert May look for Walden on Callaghan Labour Leaders. Very good Account.
Read his book the prime ministers.
Read his book the prime ministers. He expands on these lectures and tackles pms not in this series of talks
This resonated with me. The only time I saw Harold Wilson live was also during the October 1974 election campaign, in the Central Hall Southampton. As Steve Richards said, in those days you could simply turn up and go in.
I’ve a lot of time for Wilson. People are comparing him with Blair but unlike Blair , Harold Wilson was steeped in Labour values
See his genocide in Biafra.
Great analysis and observations. Thanks Steve.
Brian Walden did a similar talk which is here on RUclips that recounts an incident which I think gets to the core of why so many of Wilson's colleagues were so critical of him. Walden said Wilson asked him whether Margaret Thatcher actually believed in what she was doing. Walden replied that he thought she did. To which Wilson replied "Well she's mad. But she's very lucky to have that opportunity [to do what she believed in]." Walden believed that Wilson had come to strongly regret all of the contortions he made to keep the Labour Party together, and given his time again, would have been much more of a conviction politician.
Very effective analysis of Wilson, and I particularly liked the ending. But it is simply not true that cabinet ministers like Roy Jenkins and Tony Benn personally disliked him - I have read just about everything there is to read here and the point they all make is that they liked him on a personal level despite their policy disagreements, which is why he was able to keep them all on board.
They liked him retrospectively...at the time and uncharacteristically Benn refers to "Wilson''s piggy eyes" in his diaries...Jenkins thought he didn't stand for...both hailed him later...
Toby Benn disliked Wilson intensely. There are videos here on RUclips of his taped diaries, in which he says he couldn't stand Wilson. They said some fairly vitriolic things about each other. Also worth noting that Denis Healey was not a fan of Wilson either. A bit less clear cut with Jenkins, who described Wilson as a nice man in his autobiography.
Please excuse the capitals, but I think this is extremely important in the context of history. WILSON KEPT BRITAIN OUT OF VIETNAM.
Actually British soldiers served in Vietnam.
@@MarkHarrison733 Not on any grand or significant scale.
@@andrewhuckle803 The SAS served in Vietnam, and the RAF delivered supplies.
@@MarkHarrison733 I know they did. But on any larger scale the British armed forces were kept out of the fighting in Vietnam.
@@andrewhuckle803 A pity.
Perhaps Steve Richards should make a Reflection of Theresa May?
It would be a blank screen.
@@MrDavey2010 I Believe your thinking of Liz Truss! lol
Thanks Steve that was great.😊i can hardly remember wilson being PM - gave me whole new insight 👍🏻
It was a 98 seat majority in '66, not over 100.
Very good piece - thanks for broadcasting your thoughts
One observation about Wilso is that he never looked like a young man even when he was one.
An old soul? That might account for his destiny.
Please can you tell us, Steve, what the opening music is called and who is the composer? Thanks. Great talks!
Jim Rains thanks
Mac.. Mistakenly resigned in 1963....would Wilson have... Defeated Mac in 1964...i doubt it
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton was getting unpopular but I do not think as much as losing the next election, perhaps a lesser majority. It was on a knife-edge even with a former Lord.
Lib-Lab. MacMillan said in 76 that his resignation was no mistake.
4:39 Rarely has a slogan been so mocked.
Excellent analysis.
Please stop doing bad impersonations of the subjects.
The Labour party 1900 - 2021... In govt 30 yrs in opposition 90 yrs.. Three - quarters of its entire existence...
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair pointed this out in a speech, this is unprecedented in British politics really, before there were many see-saws and rarely one-party domination like this. The conservatives despite having no principles, are really good at fighting elections.
@@johnnotrealname8168 I think this is about to change. The poles are shifting in a generational permanence not seen.
@@brianwarden7250 Not really. The Conservative Party is not some right-wing reactionary party but fundamentally liberal. I do think the Tories will lose the next election. As for an election see-saw, your guess is as good as mine.
@@johnnotrealname8168 First time for everything.
The best leaders often have an impish nature.
Question.. If labour had won in june 1970... Would we ever have joined the common market at all?... I Don 't think a parliamentary vote would have been enough?.. A referendum would be necessary.. The people in 1972 - 3...would have voted no.. 70 - 30 %?..
A parliamentary vote would have been more than enough in 1970, particularly as most of the Conservatives would also have supported it. You have to remember, the idea of a referendum only entered the debate much later as a means to keep the splintered Labour Party together in 1975. The public were not clambering for one, and there had never been one previously. Wilson had tried to take the UK in previously, with fairly solid support from the Labour Party. The cracks only really appeared some years later.
I often thought this would it have better for Harold Wilson had he stepped down as leader of the Labour Party in 1970 after they had lost the 1970 do you agree with me would like to know please
I am genuinely surprised he stayed on, for recent politics it is rare although common for Labour to do it. I reckon it damaged his mind.
I don't see anyone else holding the splits together. I don't know if Jim could have done the referendum so expertly.
One of the greatest Englishmen of all time
Parallel's between Wilson and May, both had strong figures in the party, looming issues with Europe, leadership being constantly tested, considered hopeless by many....
@Targe I don't think anyone considered Harold Wilson to be hopeless from either within or without politics. He was an intellectual giant. And nor was his leadership constantly tested. Unless you know something that no one else does? The only slight parallel might be that both were inhibited to some extent by trying to keep the peace within their party's. Wilson succeeded at this, where May will surely fail.
A silly comparison. Wilson was a far superior PM to May. He was politically nimble, and he has a largely positive record.
Wilson won 4 elections. May won 1.
@@brianwarden7250 Wilson only really won one GE, in 1966.
@@wishawweather5421 Wilson was confirmed to have been a Soviet agent, like Foot.