Harold Wilson’s government forced the Aberfan disaster fund to pay £150,000 in 1968 for the removal of dangerous coal tips. Despite the National Coal Board (NCB) being responsible, this money was taken from public donations meant for victims
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Yes, I see where you are coming from Helen, however, Thatcher remains the longest serving PM since Walpole, having served for 11 years compared to Wilson’s 6 years…
I think instigating a public vote after winning by a small margin doesn’t count.
She was right for the time, handbag an all 
No, not for all the 11 years in power. She was momentarily right about a few things … then consistently made things worse.
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Poll Tax?
My mother loved the Poll Tax, she lived alone in a four bedroom house and paid bugger all in rates.
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Winners and Losers (as usual)
I thought the poll tax was a good idea… 
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The old rates system did need overhauled. But the poll tax was badly designed and rushed into place with near random allocation of house values. The result is a system that seems to favour large houses, under-taxes houses in very high value areas and penalises the lower paid. So it is not a good solution and is long overdue an overhaul.
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Apparently, because more people would have been paying the poll tax it would have virtually halved the cost to the home owner and everyone else. It’s not just the home owner who uses the communities amenities - Fire service, police, rubbish removal, street maintenance, libraries etc.
That was the nub of it Foxy, great in principle but almost unenforceable on any body without a mortgage or rent book.
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Just ordered the book second hand in hardback from Amazon, supposedly in very good condition.
Should be an interesting read!
I’d like to read that too.
I have Mrs Wilson’s Diary, it is extremely funny.
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Yes, she lived to be a ripe old age I think, quite a poet too…
They should try it again Spitty, now they know where everyone is 24/7
They could Direct Debit it from everyone’s account.
The book is actually satire, written by the Private Eye guys, but based on fact and uses real names of MPs etc
I’m not sure it’s entirely satirical?
It’s rather a hefty volume so I’m sure I’ll find out… eventually!
There was something very endearing about Harold.
I’ve never forgotten the story about the Queen giving him a tour of Buckingham Palace, he accidentally knocked over a vase with his coat sleeve, breaking it.
“ That vase was 500 years old “ exclaimed the Queen.
“Oh good job it wasn’t a new one”, chuckled Harold.
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No Mrs Wilson’s Diary was satirical, not the book you’re reading.
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I was a child when Wilson was PM and don’t associate his term with anything good. What did he do that was positive?
(I don’t associate Heath with anything good either. )
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