Will you be watching this programme and do you think there was a plot?

I will be watching it and will make up my mind afterwards. A plot for a military coup, backed by the royal family, sounds a little far fetched from the vantage point of 2006, but I will listen to what he said before I make any judgements.

Sid,
As we both know, Wilson was very much a heart-throb for teenage girls in the late sixties and early seventies . A cabal of beastly, envious MI5 types masterminded an attempt to oust him from office because they were jealous of the adulation he received. At the time, Wilson's face was emblazoned upon many a girl's silk scarf, and on her bedroom posters. Comics like 'Princess Tina' and 'Jackie' regularly published pull-out, pop-up posters of pipe-smoking 'hunky' Harold, and featured the 'dishy' Prime Minister's list of favourite things, photographs of him in swimming trunks etc.Other glamorous male celebrities of the day such as Marc Bolan, Donny Osmond, Arthur Negas and Reginald Maudling shamelessly aped Wilson's mannerisms, with Bolan even taking up the pipe and affecting a Yorkshire accent. Many a teenage girl day-dreamed of being 'Mary', the pipe-smoking Prime Minister's doting and devoted wife, who was always there when Harold needed his 'rough Shag'. How the girls swooned when 'dreamboat' Wilson clutched his manly pipe, and spoke so thrillingly about 'the white heat of technology'.

Timo, are you all right dear, you seem a trifle inebriated.

Dorogoy Timo is pyahnitsa? Are you bezoomny?

Phan,
Welly, welly well. Dost thou question thy humble narrator's razoodocks?

I watched it. The IRA did us all a favour when they blew up Phill the greeks uncle, saved us the bother of hanging the traitor

I fail to see how Lord Mountbatten may be regarded as a 'traitor'. Many would regard his alleged plan to step into the role of interim Prime Minister whilst the Armed Forces occupied Buck House, the BBC and Heathrow Airport as one of heroic patriotism. Did you live under Wilson's governance, Spud? Frankly, I wish that there had been a successful military coup. Wilson's weak, equivocal nature did indeed enable communist elements to gain a foothold in many areas of British life, not least the Trades Unions. You are probably all in favour of that sort of thing, championing the murderers of the IRA as you do.

I fail to see how Lord Mountbatten may be regarded as a 'traitor'. Many would regard his alleged plan to step into the role of interim Prime Minister whilst the Armed Forces occupied Buck House, the BBC and Heathrow Airport as one of heroic patriotism. Did you live under Wilson's governance, Spud? Frankly, I wish that there had been a successful military coup. Wilson's weak, equivocal nature did indeed enable communist elements to gain a foothold in many areas of British life, not least the Trades Unions. You are probably all in favour of that sort of thing, championing the murderers of the IRA as you do.

Oh, Timo, I'm surprised at you here.

If Mountbatten was involved with any attempted coup d'etat (as has LONG been talked about), then he WOULD have been a traitor, as would the rest of the plotters.

However weak or ineffectual a government, that does not give the green light for any group to take it upon itself to change that government. In a democracy, as you well know, a government can only legitimately be formed through the ballot box.

StarSparkle

I fail to see how Lord Mountbatten may be regarded as a 'traitor'. Many would regard his alleged plan to step into the role of interim Prime Minister whilst the Armed Forces occupied Buck House, the BBC and Heathrow Airport as one of heroic patriotism. Did you live under Wilson's governance, Spud? Frankly, I wish that there had been a successful military coup. Wilson's weak, equivocal nature did indeed enable communist elements to gain a foothold in many areas of British life, not least the Trades Unions. You are probably all in favour of that sort of thing, championing the murderers of the IRA as you do.



I was in the Army at the time mate would I have followed orders if there had been an attempted coup? I guess I would. I doubt if I would have know jack about what was happening. I've no time for the IRA trust me on that I remember too well the bombing of the coach on it's way to Catterick, eight soldiers and two children murdered Febuary 1974

As for the Union, spot on with that one. I believe in the need for working people to organise you dont! that in my book tells me all I need to know about you.

Starsparkle,
If the accounts are true, the Queen herself backed the coup, and was prepared to broadcast to the nation an entreaty that they should support the Armed Forces. In such circumstances, the military coup would not have been a case of treason. If the suspicions about Wilson's role as a KGB spy are true, then the coup would have been justified in my honest opinion.'Democracy' is one thing, national security quite another. There was nothing remotely 'democratic' about the Soviet system, nor the politics of many of its shrill adherents in 1960s/1970s Britain, some of which used their union power and influence in an attempt to foist communism upon the population.

Starsparkle,
If the accounts are true, the Queen herself backed the coup, and was prepared to broadcast to the nation an entreaty that they should support the Armed Forces. In such circumstances, the military coup would not have been a case of treason. If the suspicions about Wilson's role as a KGB spy are true, then the coup would have been justified in my honest opinion.'Democracy' is one thing, national security quite another. There was nothing remotely 'democratic' about the Soviet system, nor the politics of many of its shrill adherents in 1960s/1970s Britain, some of which used their union power and influence in an attempt to foist communism upon the population.

I had a feeling that this would be the case. Don't you find that the least bit troubling, Timo? When push comes to shove, the legitimate decision of the voting public means jack-s**t to the Establishment?

Who says the royals have no political power any more? Smoke and mirrors. The Armed Forces owe their allegiance to the Queen, NOT the PM or government.

And we call ourselves a Democracy..... yeah, right.

StarSparkle

I recall reading an article written by the late Sir John Junor. He frequently had lunch with Alec Douglas Hume and as the old man was coming to the end of his days decided to ask him this question.

'I have long thought that the Wison government had a Soviet sleeper in it, what do you think?'

The reply was:

'You might think that there was I however know that there was'.

Nothing else just that, Hume died a few weeks later shortly followed by Junor.

Starsparkle,
I respect your views [as you know by now], but surely 'true' democracy is the product of someone's beautiful imagination? Wilson's unsure grip on the wheel [or, perhaps, deliberately unsure grip] enabled various elements hostile to the interests of the 'establishment' to gain a foothold in political and cultural life. Ultimately, these elements were hostile to the interests of the wider population too. We enjoy far greater freedoms under a 'version' of democracy than we ever would under the tyranny of communist rule. I, for that reason, would have backed the military coup allegedly devised by the Royals and a cabal of 'secret service' and military personnel.

We enjoy far greater freedoms under a 'version' of democracy than we ever would under the tyranny of communist rule. I, for that reason, would have backed the military coup allegedly devised by the Royals and a cabal of 'secret service' and military personnel.

I'm very sorry to hear that Timo.

StarSparkle :(

Starsparkle,
I'm sure I can regain your favour on another thread [hope so!].

Starsparkle,
I'm sure I can regain your favour on another thread [hope so!].

I'm sure you can, Timo ;)

I never stay out-of-sorts with you! - even if I disagree strongly with a lot of your political ideals

Sparkle