RIP Denis Healey

[Maurice Picarda]

Pretty good innings, though. Show respect, Bennites of Urban.

 

[Idris2002]

Born 1917.

Anyone else ever read his memoirs?

"In the 1930s, we used to debate 'who will do the dirty work under socialism'. The answer turned out to be 'Denis Healey'." In reference to his period in the 74 - 79 government.

 

[Wilf]

RIP? Spiritual father of Austerity.

 

[laptop]

RIP? Spiritual father of Austerity.

To be fair, the International Monetary Fund was saying "cut or die".

 

[fishfinger]

There should be a funeral just for his eyebrows.

 

[Idris2002]

To be fair, the International Monetary Fund was saying "cut or die".

And hidden hands in the treasury had got the figures (deliberately?) wrong.

He should still have told them to go back and do their sums again though.

I once had a boss who had a family connection to that Wilson/Callaghan government, when I mentioned that the IMF deal was the opening shot of the Neoliberalism Wars, he got in a major huff (which was very unlike him) and said "all that money was paid back in six months".

 

[Sprocket.]

One of the first professional labour politicians.
Good age though.
RIP

 

[Idris2002]

One of the first professional labour politicians.
Good age though.
RIP

Also a CPGBer who split after the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

 

[Sprocket.]

Also a CPGBer who split after the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

He unlike most of this lot today had some principles I would like to believe.
Mrs Sprocket met him on a few occasions and says he was always open to questions and seemed genuinely interested.

 

[treelover]

He was a beach master in the D-Day Normandy Invasion.

 

[Idris2002]

 

[Idris2002]

He was a beach master in the D-Day Normandy Invasion.

Which reminds me. . . I saw him on the telly after the 1986 bombing of Libya, and some thicko from the US embassy claimed that the bombing was equivalent to D-Day. . . and Healey ate him alive. Good times, good times.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Expulsion of the Chagossians would be a low-point for me. High point probably having the guts to campaign in 74 on a programme of explicit wealth redistribution.

 

[stethoscope]

There should be a funeral just for his eyebrows.

Spitting Image puppet was great

 

[ricbake]

RIP - He was splendidly eloquent and intelligent and he loved attacking Thatcher

The Wit and Wisdom of Denis Healey

 

[butchersapron]

Expulsion of the Chagossians would be a low-point for me. High point probably having the guts to campaign in 74 on a programme of explicit wealth redistribution.

Outline that campaign again.

 

[spliff]

I used the phrase ' It's like being savaged by a dead sheep' a couple of weeks ago whilst up in Yorkshire with my wife and son but couldn't remember who said it to whom.
Now I've been reminded. (A great one-liner)
RIP

 

[Idris2002]

A dead sheep? Grossly unfair to the political heavyweight that was Geoffrey Howe:

Spoiler

 

[Idris2002]

 

[Wilf]

In tribute to the fallen Dr Jazzz, can I be the first to mention the Bildeberg Group?

 

[Idris2002]

In tribute to the fallen Dr Jazzz, can I be the first to mention the Bildeberg Group?

You could mention the Bilderberg group, but then we'd have to kill you.

 

[JimW]

BBC caption for that was odd, "kitted out in military apparel" or similar, instead of simply "in uniform". Do they think he was a reenactor?

 

[Voley]

He asked my Gran out once. They used to get the same train to school. She declined.

 

[Idris2002]

BBC caption for that was odd, "kitted out in military apparel" or similar, instead of simply "in uniform". Do they think he was a reenactor?

Probably written by a twelve-year old intern named Tarquin.

 

[Wilf]

BBC caption for that was odd, "kitted out in military apparel" or similar, instead of simply "in uniform". Do they think he was a reenactor?

He was the John Terry of Labourism.

 

[Idris2002]

The bloke in the bottom centre, just behind the lectern looks remarkably like

Spoiler

 

[spliff]

BBC caption for that was odd, "kitted out in military apparel" or similar, instead of simply "in uniform". Do they think he was a reenactor?

He had left the army by then.

 

[Idris2002]

He had left the army by then.

Shortage of demob suits, was it?

 

[JimW]

He had left the army by then.

Still think it's an odd turn of phrase. They repeated the IMF story without mentioning the civil service errors/collusion too.

 

[Idris2002]

They repeated the IMF story without mentioning the civil service errors/collusion too.

Your winnings, sir.