UKC

Died peacefully at the age of 98. A real giant of post war politics and government. How the Labour party needs someone of his quality now.

In reply to Postmanpat:


Indeed. He was highbrow.

In reply to Postmanpat:

+1

I don't know of its just seeing politicians with the eyes of a world weary adult, but our leaders now seem to be diminished compared to those of previous eras. And Healy was one of the giants

In reply to Postmanpat:

We could maybe try to spell his name(s) right.

Still, RIP. A life well lived. I saw an interview with him somewhere recently where he was asked how he was and said words to the effect of 'well, of course I am missing my wife very much indeed' and then moved straight on to discuss his painting and so on. A very old-fashioned approach, and the better for it.

jcm

In reply to Dave the Rave:


Eyebrow, surely?

In reply to digby:


I think that was Dave the Rave's point

In reply to Ridge:


There's no point knocking

In reply to Postmanpat:

A politician who you could trust in most instances, and who was logical, and straight-forward.
(You can never trust any politician absolutely)

In reply to veteye:


Famously , he lied ( and later admitted lying) about Oil reserves( understated) , so true you cannot trust ANY politician.

In reply to Postmanpat:

Accidental dislike

In reply to sbc23:


I might use that for the title of my memoirs if you don't mind.

In reply to Postmanpat:


They have someone of his quality now.

In reply to krikoman:

I doubt any current politician of any party matches the lot from the post war generation. You only have to read his obituary and see that he was the beach master at the Anzio landings to understand this.

In reply to Ridge:


Dohhh!

In reply to krikoman:


Frank Field?

Surely not the third rate polytechnic lecturer and "activist" (or lecturer at a third rate polytechnic, now pretended to be a university) who even then was one of those described by Dennis Healey as "out of his tiny Chinese mind" (later amended to "a very silly billy"), who has learnt nothing in 32 years of well deserved obscurity on the back benches?

In reply to Simon4:

I bet he can spell Denis Healey though!

In reply to neilh:


Isn't that a little difficult to prove, unless you start another war?

Who can tell what someone will be like under those conditions until you're in them?

Indeed it's often the people who nobody would expect to deal with those situations that can come through it.

In reply to Postmanpat:


This chimes with something that I've been thinking for a while. There are no real politicians, of any shade, in the UK who might be described as real statesmen (or women). There's nobody who really makes you sit up and pay attention, and there's no-one to whom the rest of the world looks to for wise words and sound leadership. There's certainly no-one who's going to be described as a giant of early 21st century politics.

In reply to Simon4:


Yes, that's exactly who I was thinking of. FFS!

In reply to tony:
There's certainly no-one who's going to be described as a giant of early 21st century politics.

Edit
Yes there is:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4114020.stm
Shrewsbury and Atcham's Daniel Kawczynski stands at six feet eight and a half inches (204.5cm) which he says makes him officially a giant.

In reply to Jim C:
We've still got ten years to go for early 21st century politics?

Possibly,

In reply to Jim C:






The MP for Staines is 6 foot 4, earning him the local nickname "The Staines Massive".