Michael Foot dies

kennyboy66_2

Got plenty wrong in his life in politics but much preferred politicians like him rather than the current shower.


Plus he wrote a lovely poem about Everton in 1935

"And so I watch with heart and temper cool
God's lesser breed of men at Liverpool"

Degenerate

TBH, I'm amazed he was still alive till now, I would have assumed the old boy pegged it decades ago.

HammerSmashedFace

Thought he was already, christ he looked 90 in 1983 when Labour bombed, so I guess he's had a good innings.

torontoboy45

sorry to hear he's passed on but if someone wrote '96' on a piece of paper and offered it to you would you accept it? (I'd take their hand off).

he was only ever a compromise leader, elected to prevent labour from destroying itself.

btw, there was much poison written about him in the early 80's (that def. wasn't a donkey jacket he wore at the cenotaph but boy didn't the likes of the d.mail love calling it one!).

kennyboy66_2

Reading one of his Obit's I was astonished that he was earning £4k per year in 1940 as editor of The Evening Standard.
I guess this would be worth about £600k per year today.
He had tried to sign up for the war but was rejected because of chronic asthma. Add that to the fact that he had a serious car accident in the 1960's (hence the walking stick), then 96 is not bad going at all.

lemonjelly

kennyboy66 wrote: »

Reading one of his Obit's I was astonished that he was earning £4k per year in 1940 as editor of The Evening Standard.
I guess this would be worth about £600k per year today.
He had tried to sign up for the war but was rejected because of chronic asthma. Add that to the fact that he had a serious car accident in the 1960's (hence the walking stick), then 96 is not bad going at all.

I just wanna say hi kennyboy - missed ya!

Pobby

If i think nothing else about Mr. Foot, I do believe that his heart was in the right place. Certainly a gentleman compared to what we have now.

Sir_Humphrey

I think it is fair to say that Michael Foot was to left of centre politics what Bill Deedes was to the right of centre. The two men appeal to different political tastes, but there is a certain parallel from dashing young activist/journalist to elder figure (perhaps with nothing inbetween). Both personify the heart of their political wings.

Every time one of that political generation passes away it saddens me. There are still young people like Michael Foot in politics, but the modern political machinery keeps them too far from the front line.

nickmason

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

I think it is fair to say that Michael Foot was to left of centre politics what Bill Deedes was to the right of centre. The two men appeal to different political tastes, but there is a certain parallel from dashing young activist/journalist to elder figure (perhaps with nothing inbetween). Both personify the heart of their political wings.

Every time one of that political generation passes away it saddens me. There are still young people like Michael Foot in politics, but the modern political machinery keeps them too far from the front line.

By God. A post of Sir Humphrey's that I agree with.

carolt

Why so surprised?

I frequently agree with both of you.

Nice to see you around, nick.

Generali

I remember him as a presenter on Channel 4's coverage of the 200th Anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille celebrations and being struck by how intelligent and what a great communicator he was. Those qualities never came across during his political career though. I always wondered why such a clever man put his name to such a disastrous document as the 1983 Labour Party Manifesto.

He also, supposedly, inspired one of the great political headlines when he sat as chairman of a disarmament group:

Foot Heads Arms Body