Do you think Harold Wilson was a Communist Spy?

[Robespierre's Jaw]

I have heard many wacky conspiracy theories in my life thus far, and this is one of them. The theory involves Harold Wilson being a Communist Spy. As we know he replaced Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell after his unexpected death in Jaunary 1963. The theory suggests that the Soviet Union assassinated the pro-American Gaitskell so Wilson could become leader of the parliamentary Labour Party.

So do you think British Prime Minister from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976 was a communist spy?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No.

The theory involves Harold Wilson being a Communist Spy.

There is, btw, absolutely no evidence that would make a reasonable person even think about thinking about taking the idea seriously.

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1. There was nothing suspicious about Gaitskell's death. Tragic and sudden, yes, but not suspicious. Least not to anyone sane.
2. At the time of Gaitskell's death, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party was George Brown. Brown would have become Labour leader had he not messed things up during the campaign. Perhaps Brown was a Soviet spy? (sns at the suggestion).
3. One of Wilson's Foreign Secretaries was a man called Michael Stewart. Without putting too fine a point on it, if Wilson was a Soviet spy he would not have let someone with Stewart's views anywhere near the Foreign Office.

[afleitch]

No. The 30 year rule (on the official secrets act) was supposed to offer up tentative clues on the matter and while, of course, not all was revealed there was very little to suggest he had any communist link. What it did reveal was preliminary talks with the US about 'statehood' (after our repeated rebuttals be the EEC) and some interesting insights into In Place of Strife but nothing like that

EDIT: It also admonished Mrs T of the 'milk snatching' tag Of course the stuff about her govt isn't due for another 2 years.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

I knew Harold Wilson wasn't a communist spy for Soviet Russia. Even before I did this thread on it. I just wanted to see what your views on this would be. And blame Wikipedia for where I got most of my knowledge on the subject.

[J. J.]

From what I know about Wilson, no.  I would not classify him as anti-US.

[minionofmidas]

What it did reveal was preliminary talks with the US about 'statehood' (after our repeated rebuttals be the EEC)

Well there's only two possible explanations for that hilarious idea:
1) Wilson was a Soviet spy who wanted to infiltrate the US, Britain being a completely irrelevant backwater.
2) Wilson was a Soviet spy who wanted to move part of free Western Europe into the Soviet-run sphere, of which the US was of course a part.