I’ve been flicking in and out of the landmark event that was the 1979 election, broadcast on BBC Parliament this May Bank Holiday Monday.
The media doesn’t remind us that Shirley Williams, who turned out to be Baroness Williams, was originally a Labour MP, and not just that but a member of the Government cabinet before the 1979 elections. According to Wikipedia, she was going to be a Tory, but then took the job as president of the SDP, we may remember they became the SDLP then the Lib Dems. What are they for again?
I’m never sure about defections, but one on the back of a big election loss is a sign of an MP seeking to be back into Parliament by any means, rather than getting back to the basic politics, and helping the party to be re-elected, making change from within where necessary.
To provide a small effect to neutralise political bias, it was rather nice to see the National Front do quite so badly, losing every deposit. Those were the days…
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