By Daniel Esson As most Labour governments tend to be, the Wilson ministry of 1964-70 was far from tranquil. Taking power in 1964 with a wafer-thin majority of just four, the Wilson years were a time of significant change in Britain with the trade unions central to debates. Graeter change could have come, if now-forgotten... Continue Reading →
1966. A General Election. A Labour Landslide. England win the World Cup. Winning a majority of 96 seats, Harold Wilson hails the victory as the ‘greatest in peacetime’. Here are some of the highlights from the BBC election night coverage, which can be viewed in full here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j_Ms4g_wd8 Labour ran its campaign with the slogan... Continue Reading →
The modern era of big, open, political betting began in 1963 when Ron Pollard of Ladbrokes offered odds on the Conservative leadership contest for the ordinary punter. It was a dismal start as the 5/4 favourite Rab Butler was beaten by the 16/1 shot Alec Douglas-Home. In offering the market Pollard tapped into a long,... Continue Reading →
Smethwick. 1964. The original 'Project Fear' campaign, inspired the most evocative election slogan in British political history. It saw an insurgent right-wing exploit local anger towards a 'swarm' of migrants - who were blamed for adding pressure to a severe housing crisis. It pitched an out of touch liberal elite, accused of facilitating a race to the bottom, against a... Continue Reading →
