Election 79: The Tribute

[Harry Hayfield]

BBC Parliament will be showing Election 1979 on Saturday from 0900 BST until 0005 BST on Sunday, to which I say "I'm up for a tweeting session if anyone else is?"

[You kip if you want to...]

Hereford School closed for the day to celebrate Thatcher's win. Jesus Christ, imagine that now...

[You kip if you want to...]

Callaghan: The next government will have the benefit of North Sea oil for the next "10 to 15 years, although I trust that they won't last as long as that".

Hindsight's such an evil thing.

[ChrisDR68]

This is the first general election I have memories of (I was 10 at the time).

What's striking is the talent in the outgoing Labour cabinet:

Jim Callaghan, Denis Healey, Shirley Williams, David Owen, Roy Hattersley, Peter Shore, William Rodgers, Merlyn Rees and John Smith.

It's a pity that Callaghan (who I'm an a big admirer of) mishandled his pay policy so badly at the end of 1978.

I have two memories of this election. At Manchester airport on a school trip Callaghan arrived after getting off his plane during the campaign. We were above him on an open floor and a lad from our group dropped some spittle on top of his head. Not sure if it hit him or if it did whether he noticed lol

The other memory is of watching the election coverage on the Friday being interrupted when the BBC put Play School on so those watching missed Maggie Thatcher's (as it turns out ironical) "where there is discord may we bring harmony" speech.