Thursday 8 June 2017

Election Day. A reminder of Party Leaders, 1964 onwards.


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I became politically aware roughly around 1963 when I did some canvassing and leaflet distribution for Sir Harry Legge-Bourke. Many years later I worked with John Biffin.

Since those early days with Sir Harry, these have been the leaders of the two main UK political parties.

Socialists.

George Brown (Seriously alcoholic; died of cirrhosis)
Harold Wilson (ruined the UK's education system, and much else)
James Callaghan (showed me around parliament)
Michael Foot (a leg-end in his own time; mad as a hatter)
Neil Kinnock (the Welsh windbag; dreadful)
Margaret Beckett (highly forgettable)
Tony Blair (did more to destroy the UK's demographic than anyone else;... ever!)
Gordon Brown (promoted the privatisation of the NHS, and sold the family silver)
Harriet Harman (P C feminist, known as Har-person)
Ed Miliband (ineffectual)
Ms Harman again (hopeless)
Jeremy Corbyn (god help us)

Conservatives.

Harold Macmillan (intellectual; combined book-selling with politics)
Alec Douglas-Home (nice man; too mild mannered)
Ted Heath (lied about the advantages of joining the 'common market')
Margaret Thatcher (one of the all-time greats. voted 'the world's greatest politician of the 20th C')
John Major (like A D-H too mild mannered, but a good man)
William Hague (I'm a tad Vague about Hague)
Ian Duncan-Smith (forgettable)
Michael Howard (ditto)
David Cameron (inherited Gordon Brown's economic disasters; did extremely well to recoup)
Theresa May (seems like a tough cookie, but only time will tell)


Now off to the voting booths with you!



37 comments:

  1. I note that The London Times has said today that Teresa May
    "After an appallingly dishonest election campaign, the PM is leading us towards an economic abyss"

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    Replies
    1. If they think May is such a crazy spender, what on earth must they think of Corbyn.

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    2. Written by Jenni Russell, close friend and defender of Ed Miliband, who is Godfather to her child. Wouldn't expect anything else from her.

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    3. That explains it. One usually thinks of The Times as having quite intelligent hacks.

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  2. So proud of your nationality that you live in another country and that says a more about you than you want us to know Mr Blimp.

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    Replies
    1. Yes Heron, I am proud of being English. As you well know, I live where I do by choice as it's suits my desired life style more than the UK. Very simple.

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    2. Another case of pot calling kettle black. Heron is so proud of his country that he lives in Ireland and encourages us to vote Labour from there!

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    3. I din't like to mention that, I thought it might upset the little soul.

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    4. I am not as sensitive as you and there is more to me than you folk will ever know [wink]

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  3. Margaret Beckett went to my convent school. She likes to say she is from a working class family. I note one of her sister's became a nun and one became a doctor. She was the youngest and they were many years older than her and born in the 1930s.

    One thing to be said for Wilson, he did keep us out of Vietnam.

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    Replies
    1. I remember Wilson saying he'd never heard such language, when he informed the President that he wasn't joining them in Vietnam.

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    2. I thought you had gone fishing. Did the tiddlers all swim away when they saw you coming ?

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  4. Enjoyed your take on matters. Possibly the most important UK General Election since 1979.

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    Replies
    1. I try to see the funny side of most things; but as you say, this one is extremely important.

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  5. Probably, prior to Corbyn,the two worst Labour leaders would have to be Foot and Kinnock. However at least the two of them managed to finish university. Foot it must be said was an extremely well educated and intelligent man despite having the dress sense of a donkey.
    Corbyn though even failed to finish a college course, even his A levels were a grade E. Yet we are led to believe that he has the intelligence to lead one of the world's largest economies. We might as well elect Robert Mugabe!

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    Replies
    1. What you meant to have said: is that Corbyn is not afraid of having an open debate unlike the queen of the may.

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  6. I've never heard Corbyn referred to as 'intelligent', even from the most left of protagonists. Foot was probably too clever for his own good, and Kinnock was simply an employee of the unions.

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enjoyed your round up of political leaders. Some names I recognise, some I don't. Love all your 'to the point' comments

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    2. All reasonable accurate, combined with my usual caustic viewpoint.

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  8. I REALLY MUST APOLOGISE ON BEHALF OF CHLOE. I DO DELETE HER MORE OFFENSIVE COMMENTS, BUT I CAN'T STOP HER POSTING THEM. SHE OBVIOUSLY HAS PROBLEMS, SO I DON'T WISH TO BE TOO HARD ON HER. I JUST WISH SHE'D GO AWAY, AND ANNOY SOMEONE ELSE. ANY IDEAS?

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    Replies
    1. I have no problems, I just despise selfish 'Monsieur je sais tout'people , you belong to this category. Why an old man needs to blog up from 6am ? Cause he has an 'surgonflé' Ego and needs to get his ideas around the world. You are the most ridiculous oldie I ever read about.

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    2. There is no need to shout! We can all hear you loud and clear in between your slurps of wine.

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    3. Oh oh you're changIng your mind like your skirt. Well I think the drinkers are in Ireland and Great Britain, we see them drunk shouting and screaming everywere. What a pity.

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    4. I never wear a skirt, a shirt yes but never a skirt, look here if you don't like to see people enjoying themselves then look the other way.

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  9. I voted earlier. I must say I actually feel ill about what is going to happen after the count.

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    Replies
    1. We don't want bad losers. Otherwise we'll just have to accept the voice of the people.

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    2. They all called foul after the Brexit vote, I just want them all to finish bickering and get us the best deal. If its bad, you are going to have a new neighbour. I am eyeing that house you showed on here a little while ago. We were sent one in Bergerac by a friend. Part renovated by a Dutch couple, they ran out of money.

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  10. What did I say , you spend your time posting . May be it's good, so your wife can feel "tranquille".

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    Replies
    1. That's twice you said that. Do you always repeat yourself ?

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    2. Nothing better to do Mr. Heron ? You seem to sit between two chsirs, that's how we call people who do not stick to their first opinion. Manipulator may be.

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    3. Oh, I enjoy having a bit of craic with the folks. Better to display a sense of fun at times, for
      otherwise people might think I was dry old shite :-)

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  11. Omg this election is giving me Dheli belly. Loved your last two posts but also found them unnerving! God help us all and the pound/euro exchange rate!

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  12. My father always said the Labour government of the mid 60s was responsible for his decision to leave the UK.

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  13. It's 5.20 am, and still no firm result.

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