18Jul/05Off
Sir Edward Heath, RIP
Sad to hear about Ted Heath's death. He was so well-established a part of the political landscape that even after retiring there was somehow a sense that he would just always be there.
I always found it easier to respect him than any of his Conservative Party Leader successors (especially the first, obviously). That's probably because he was the last one to emulate the values of good old MacMillanite patriarchal toryism, which while being patriarchal was always at least honest about it, so you always knew where you stood with him.
July 18th, 2005 - 19:44
I was glad to see that the BBC played my all-time favourite Heath moment in one of the news bulletins after word of his death came through.
The journalist asked Heath if it was true he’d rung up a friend upon hearing of Mrs Thatcher’s concession in the Tory leadership contest and said, “Rejoice! Rejoice!” (An echo of one of Mrs Thatcher’s better-known lines from the Falklands conflict.)
“Oh no,” replied Heath, smiling impishly. “I said it three times: Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!”
The Longest Sulk in British Politics was at an end…
September 13th, 2005 - 17:34
I didn’t always agree with Mr. Heath (as I always think of him) but he was a man of many talents. It’s a pity that those who have now been falling over themselves to say nice things about him could not have managed also in his lifetime to attribute to him some humanity. I think some sort of memorial award should be founded to benefit young musicians, or some such cause.