There's a quote somewhere in which Mrs Thatcher states that if Callaghan had called an election in the autumn of 1978 she may have lost. Food for thought.

@phillipecook3227

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. I'd forgotten that but honestly I don't know which would've been worse in the end: Callaghan's continued gross incompetence or Thatcher's harsh medicine. Either way would've still lead to millions of unemployed. It's speculation but I think if Callaghan had continued we would've eventually seen troops on the streets to keep order (remember Callaghan's winter if discontent?)

September 7th 1978. This edition would have also had the news that Keith Moon died on that day as well.

One of those moments in history that leads to so many other consequences. You could write a thousand alternate histories about what might have happened (and what would not have happened) if Callaghan had scraped through. Whatever your political persuasion, I think everyone would agree that this was a pivotal moment in British political history.

@Glenn1967ful

3 жыл бұрын

Jim Callaghan and the Labour government must have regretted that decision for the rest of their lives. Had Callaghan called an election with a poll lead and a modest improvement in the economy, most likely he would have won with a small majority. Yet would he have avoided the Winter of Discontent and the 1979 energy crisis that was inevitable and another recession. I think he would have battled on until 1980 and handed over to Denis Healey.

A famous What If? In November 1978 Bill Sirs, leader of the ISTC (steelworkers) union did not vote for the pay policy at the TUC General Council. The General Council vote was tied at 14-14 instead of 15-13 in favour. If Mr. Sirs had voted Yes there would have been no Winter of Discontent, the 1979 General Election would have been in October '79 and Callaghan would have won.

Would that Callaghan had gone for an election then: he left it too late.

Angela Rippon always seemed to have barely concealed disdain when mentioning Jim Callaghan or the Labour Party around this time. She did the same sort of thing during the BBC Decision 79 results programme if you watch it lol

@MarkPMus

2 жыл бұрын

I’m not a fan of Angie’s haircut here. She looks like Mary Whitehouse in a bath cap.

I think it also bears mentioning that the opinion polls were regarded as far less reliable in the 1970s than in comparison to today. The polls were way off in the run up to the 1970 election and before both 1974 elections. In all cases, the governing party's support had been overstated. If you take into account the strong possibility of polling errors, calling an election in 1978 is no longer the easy decision it appears to be in hindsight.

I agree, Callaghan made as big mistake in not calling a general election in 1978. Labour im sure would have come back as the largest party or possibly a minority government. It begs the question should he had made that decision alone

Had he called an election for 5th October..

To be fair we'll never know if the Labour could have been the largest party if Callaghan called an Autumn 78 election. Weren't the polls showing a small conservative lead at this time? But surely if Thatcher had got in her government could not have enacted the reforms she wanted to.

That bloody woman!

@johntomlinson6849

Ай бұрын

That's a bit harsh. I think Angela was a very good newsreader.

imagine knowing you have goals and have engaged in the voluntary sector and you are still branded 'lazy' and 'workshy' The problem in this country is that people are not judged by their character (ie how they treat others, honesty etc) but rather wshat their work status is and if you are unemployed in Cameron's Britain- or Brown's Britain for that matter, it doesn't matter what you do because ignoramuses will still mouth off about you. TRY EXPERIENCING IT YOURSELF!

It's easy to call it a mistake but Callaghan's private polling (and polls had a habit of overstating the government in the 1970s, see Wilson's defeat in '70 and Heath's defeat in Feb '74) showed that the best he could would be narrowly the largest party in a hung parliament (him and Thatcher would have both been around the 300-seat mark) and he wasn't ready for another 5 years of clinging on and cutting deals to keep a majority going in the House of Commons. He decided to go for broke, get through the winter and hope something turned up.

@ianreynolds8552

5 жыл бұрын

Why did jim Callaghan criticize the Labour party s uni- lateral defence policy only days before the 1883 and 1887 General election in public , ( on television). How many votes were lost because of this.

@67Parsifal

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianreynolds8552 probably not that many, as Labour was doomed to lose in 83 whatever happened.

Brian Baines is your announcer here.

@densaner77 yeah the 70s were awesome....strikes, strikes strikes. Lovely

Edith ! Where's my beer ?

I'm pretty sure they weren't at the time of this announcement.

Keep living in yesterday and holding grudges. It keeps you Labour supporters going. 'If only' men.....

Who is the anchorwoman at the end? If I am not mistaken, Benny Hill used to parody her.

Don't think it would have made any difference, he would have still lost. They were into minority government territory by 1977.

Sunny Jim’s biggest mistake.

Oh Jim. Why?

After Labour got back in...

as a socialit you should not really want the growth of money and economic output as that means people getting wealthier to consumer capitalisitc aspirational goods. Who cause the eye watering 1.4 trillion pound debt and the 70 billion pound banker handout.

Hung on grimly because he knew he was going to get kicked out. Every time Labour get in it ends in financial ruin and a burgeoning public sector. Old Labour Tax and Spend, New Labour Tax and Spend. Whats the difference? None!

This is where Thatcher began to pounce on power. It's quite eerie to watch, all these years later. It's also tempting to muse on whether we'd be in our current mess if Callaghan had managed to hang onto power a year later. PS UKIP? It's almost the Eurosceptic wing of the BNP.

you should have called an election jim then that bloody woman might not have been pm

why jimmy. why didn't you call an election. we wouldn't of suffered 11years of a tyrant and then 27 years of thatcher lite pms

Where are we now?