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Sir Edward Heath
Jul. 17th, 2005 04:46 pmI see from the British newspapers that the former Prime Minister has died at age 89.
Some American politician once said he would rather people wonder why he was never President than why he was. Mutatis mutandis the less desirable of these fates was that of Heath. As PM in 1970-74 he did get the UK into the Common Market, but under pressure he seemed to freeze up, and when, drowning in industrial disputes, he went to the polls with the slogan, "Who governs Britain?", he received the answer, "Not you, bub."
It was an odd interval in an otherwise admirable career. As Conservative Chief Whip during the Suez Crisis in 1956 he'd been both imaginative and flexible, and made his reputation. He was the first-ever formally-elected head of the Conservative Party and, not coincidentally, the first of working-class rather than aristocratic or captain-of-industry background. His low point was his forced replacement as party leader by Margaret Thatcher, but he survived, like an impermeable rock, to become a revered old man and to silently gloat over his nemesis's troubles in later years. Eventually he became the longest-serving parliamentarian and, as such, presided over the election of a new Speaker a few years ago with pride and aplomb.
Heath was never warm or personable, but though these were handicaps, they didn't completely derail his career as they would have in the US. Could you imagine, in the current age, a President who was a life-long bachelor? Or whose favorite pastime was classical music? I do not know if he ever recorded his reaction to his name appearing in the Beatles song "Taxman".
A few years ago Heath wrote his memoirs. It was a very large book which few read, but I did. I remember it particularly for containing the perfect Sir Alec Douglas-Home story. Home was a talented but high-aristocratic politician, with a distinctly dilettantish air, who had served briefly as PM of a decaying Conservative government in the early 60s. When Heath became PM he appointed Home his Foreign Secretary.
The first major event in international affairs during their term was the death of General de Gaulle. Heath phoned Home to say he was putting together a delegation of VIPs to attend the funeral. "Wilson is going, Eden is going, Macmillan is going, would you like to go?"
Home, no egotist, demurred. "Oh, well, with all those former Prime Ministers, you hardly need your Foreign Secretary."
"But Alec," replied a surprised Heath, "you too are a former Prime Minister."
Home giggled. "Why, so I am. I'd quite forgotten."
Some American politician once said he would rather people wonder why he was never President than why he was. Mutatis mutandis the less desirable of these fates was that of Heath. As PM in 1970-74 he did get the UK into the Common Market, but under pressure he seemed to freeze up, and when, drowning in industrial disputes, he went to the polls with the slogan, "Who governs Britain?", he received the answer, "Not you, bub."
It was an odd interval in an otherwise admirable career. As Conservative Chief Whip during the Suez Crisis in 1956 he'd been both imaginative and flexible, and made his reputation. He was the first-ever formally-elected head of the Conservative Party and, not coincidentally, the first of working-class rather than aristocratic or captain-of-industry background. His low point was his forced replacement as party leader by Margaret Thatcher, but he survived, like an impermeable rock, to become a revered old man and to silently gloat over his nemesis's troubles in later years. Eventually he became the longest-serving parliamentarian and, as such, presided over the election of a new Speaker a few years ago with pride and aplomb.
Heath was never warm or personable, but though these were handicaps, they didn't completely derail his career as they would have in the US. Could you imagine, in the current age, a President who was a life-long bachelor? Or whose favorite pastime was classical music? I do not know if he ever recorded his reaction to his name appearing in the Beatles song "Taxman".
A few years ago Heath wrote his memoirs. It was a very large book which few read, but I did. I remember it particularly for containing the perfect Sir Alec Douglas-Home story. Home was a talented but high-aristocratic politician, with a distinctly dilettantish air, who had served briefly as PM of a decaying Conservative government in the early 60s. When Heath became PM he appointed Home his Foreign Secretary.
The first major event in international affairs during their term was the death of General de Gaulle. Heath phoned Home to say he was putting together a delegation of VIPs to attend the funeral. "Wilson is going, Eden is going, Macmillan is going, would you like to go?"
Home, no egotist, demurred. "Oh, well, with all those former Prime Ministers, you hardly need your Foreign Secretary."
"But Alec," replied a surprised Heath, "you too are a former Prime Minister."
Home giggled. "Why, so I am. I'd quite forgotten."
