Harold Wilson: the rock 'n' roll prime minister

History Extra podcast

Immediate Media

History

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 3 January 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Harold Wilson is as central to the story of sixties Britain as the Beatles, Profumo and miniskirts. Admirers applauded the social reforms he introduced while in office; his critics accused the prime minister of being Machiavellian. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, former home secretary Alan Johnson – who has just written a biography of Wilson – reveals how he rode the wave of the cult of youth sweeping the nation. (Ad) Alan Johnson is the author of Wilson: Twentieth Century Man/ (Swift Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harold-Wilson-Ministers-Alan-Johnson/dp/1800753322/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Check out our series in which historians nominate who they think was Britain's greatest prime minister here: https://www.historyextra.com/membership/britains-greatest-prime-minister-historyextra-podcast-series/ The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:24.0	Learn more at Disneyplus.com.
0:31.1	Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History Magazine.
0:40.6	Harold Wilson is as central to the story of 60s Britain as the Beatles, perfumo and mini-skirts.
0:48.4	Admirers applauded the social reforms he introduced during his tenure as Prime Minister,
0:53.3	while his critics accused him of being
0:56.3	Machiavellian. Here in conversation with Spencer Mizan, former Labour politician and Home Secretary
1:02.8	Alan Johnson, who recently wrote a biography of Wilson, reveals how he rode the wave of the cult of youth
1:09.4	sweeping the nation.
1:20.3	You joined the Labour Party back in the early 70s when Harold Wilson was, of course, leader of the party.
1:28.0	In fact, he'd already served one stint as Prime Minister and would, of course, go on to enter Downing Street again.
1:31.4	What do you remember of him back then?
1:35.2	And was he a factor in your decision to join the party?
1:36.7	What do I remember?
1:40.0	He was enormously popular.
	...

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