Harold Wilson's humble holiday home

Looking back to a  possibly more innocent and less fractious time in British politics when prime minister Harold Wilson tried to boost his down to earth image by holidaying in a humble bungalow on the Isles of Scilly.  He genuinely loved the islands and is buried in Old Town churchyard.

I have posted a few essays I originally wrote for the now defunct Scilly Now and Then which drew on documents in the National Archives at Kew: https://scilliesharoldwilson.blogspot.com/2026/02/harold-wilson-builds-his-holiday-home.html 

Scilly mistake

The BBC announced last night that the St.Ives result would be delayed (it still is) because rough weather was stopping the collection of the ballot box from the island of Samson. It has been uninhabited since the 19th century. Wags are saying that they will look for the polling station on their next holiday.

This morning Radio 5 referred to 'nearby islands'. They are some 25 miles off Land's End.

Harold Wilson once held a press conference on Samson when he was prime minister.

A possible surprise in East Devon?

The Conservatives look as if they might be heading for a 40+ overall majority, but there could be a surprise in East Devon where a local informant tells me there is a 60/40 chance of the independent winning.

Interesting article on the constituency in the New Statesman: Rural revolt

The marginal constituency of St. Ives includes the Isles of Scilly. From the island with the smallest population, St. Agnes (which once recorded a 100 per cent turnout im a local election), the ballot box is taken to St Mary’s on @stagnesboating after polling closes at 10 pm. So it will be interesting to see what happens this week with wind and sea forecast as it is and it being dark.

The 1979 election revisited

Yesterday BBC Parliament showed the archived footage of the 1979 general election coverage. Even on a day that was too cold to encourage working in the garden, I am not so sad that I watched it all day, but dipped in and out. It's always odd to see people who then looked very young but are now old or, sadly, no longer with us.

I am going to refer to some of the trivia rather than the very important result about which so much has been written.

An early segment focused on the Isles of Scilly and in particular the island of St. Agnes which is the most westerly polling district in the UK. There were 52 electors and earlier in the decade they had a 100 per cent turnout for an election to the Isles of Scilly Council (nonpartisan but often hotly contested). A young woman and (probably) her mother were shown entering the polling station. Apologies to the current day islanders if I offended them by asking if they could identify the young woman.

There were a few women presenters who seemed to have very cut glass accents by today's standards. We wouldn't refer to older women voters as 'old biddies' today, nor refer to a gay woman who lost her seat as a 'homosexual'. Some things have got better.

I had forgotten that Jim Callaghan was followed round the country by 'troops out' protesters. He had to leave the platform at the declaration at Cardiff after being heckled by Pat Arrowsmith standing for 'Troops Out'. When Callaghan arrived, the young and now famous commentator said, 'The prime minister has had to make an undignified entrance through a back passage.'

There would be far more security today. When Callaghan arrived back at Downing Street after dawn, he was greeted by three gentlemen in evening dress on the pavement opposite.

Robin Day tried to interview Sir Keith Joseph who gave unhelpful one line answers. Even Day eventually had to give up. I remember being in a lift with Sir Keith Joseph at his department. He stared unpleasantly at me the whole way up. I got in a lift with Peter Walker at agriculture, who didn't know me from Adam, but assumed I was one of his young civil servants: 'How are you? How's it all going? Any problems with Europe?'

When David Owen held on narrowly at Devonport, no one foresaw what would happen in the next few years, nor for Shirley Williams when she was interviewed when she lost her seat.

The oddest moment of the night was the declaration in North Devon, a few days before Jeremy Thorpe stood trial at the Old Bailey. Auberon Waugh of the Dog Lovers' Party had been served with an injunction which prevented him from distributing his manifesto 'A Better Deal for Your Dog.'

Given the current success of the Greens, it was interesting to see modest but mildly encouraging votes for the Ecology Party.

Brexit and the Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly were one of the first local authority areas to declare in the EU referendum and voted to Remain. The islands have benefitted from EU membership. They face a number of challenges, not least interruptions to air and boat services by bad weather.

The islands are governed by a unitary authority that is also responsible for water and sewerage. There are significant environmental challenges. The chair of the council has made an excellent statement on the consequences of Brexit: Amanda Martin

As a frequent visitor to the islands and a contributor to Radio Scilly and Scilly Now and Then can I say that they are an excellent holiday destination, particularly if you enjoy good beaches, scenery and walking. The sea food is excellent as well.

The big freeze

Sky News announced last night that the country was 'at a halt'. Given that there has been relatively little snow in the West Midlands and traffic was flowing freely, I was a bit puzzled about this until I realised that Kent and Sussex were at a halt (plus the north-east and most of Scotland but they don't count).

Labour has tried to make political capital out of the weather which is a bit rich given the problems they encountered when they were in office. Of course, all oppositions have the irritating habit of jumping on any bandwagon that comes along. The Conservatives were doing it all the time and the Lib Dems were even more opportunist as events have shown.

Even so, Mr Milibean (as Private Eye have named him) ought to think before he or his shadow ministers speak out, notwithstanding their success on sport partnerships.

There have been the usual chorus of complaints about our inability to cope although it has been a very heavy snow dump in many parts of the country. Even the Isles of Scilly have been hit.

The big problem has not been lack of grit or gritters, but snow ploughs. One could spend more money on snow ploughs but they are an expensive capital asset will stand idle for much of the time (admittedly one can improvise a snow plough as many farmers do). One could have more snow ploughs but the price would be a cut elsewhere in already depleted local authority budgets.

Where there are legitimate grounds for criticism is the lack of inadequate contingency plans and the failure to provide information to stranded travellers, in particular by updating internet sites. Information can be disseminated very quickly by sites and text messages.

Lib Dems shut out at Defra

Defra is just one of three government departments that does not include a Lib Dem minister. Moreover, all the ministers in the department have strong farming links, inclining them towards a productionist agenda.

Lib Dem farm spokesman Andrew George, the MP for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, has criticised the Conservative stranglehold on posts. Differences have emerged on the proposed badger cull and the decision to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board.

Mr George has been trying to work with the Secretary of State, Caroline Spelman, to have some say about how budget cuts are made. However, he has admitted that he was 'not yet in the inner circle of Defra ministers'.

Most disagreements are likely to be over matters of domestic policy such as the two that arisen already, rather than attitudes towards the CAP where both parties share a relatively liberal, market oriented stance. However, the Lib Dems are particularly attuned to the concerns of smaller farmers from whom they receive electoral support.

There was speculation that Defra would be abolished or at least re-named, but this seems to be off the agenda for now.