David Peace - Red or Dead

Stand here, the people said. Stand here, Bill …

You’ll get a better view from here, Bill …

And Bill thanked the people. One by one. Every one. Bill thanked them all. One by one. Every one. Bill patted their backs, Bill shook their hands. One by one. Each and every one. And then Bill raised his hands above his head. And Bill turned around. Bill looked up into the Kop. The Spion Kop. And Bill applauded the Kop. The Spion Kop. And Bill thanked the Kop. The Spion Kop. And now the Kop sang. Now the Spion Kop roared, Shankly is a Kopite, Shankly is a Kopite, SHANKLY IS A KOPITE!

Bill Shankly could not believe his ears. Bill Shankly could not believe his eyes. Bill Shankly switched off the radio. Bill Shankly put down the newspaper. Bill Shankly refused to believe it. Bill Shankly would not believe it. Bill Shankly would not believe it until he had heard it from the man himself. And Bill Shankly switched on the television –

Prime Minister, asked the interviewer, what sort of prime minister do you think you will be remembered as?

Harold Wilson took the pipe from out of his mouth. He looked down, he looked up. And then Harold Wilson said, Not for me to say. But I hope I’ll be remembered as one who, in the face of the biggest challenges — above all, economic problems — the country has faced in its history, kept the party together, kept the country together, kept the country united, secured a common effort from the people and an acceptance of the sacrifices that had to be made. I wish I could have been prime minister in happier times and easier times.

And looking back, can you pick out any one achievement which you are most proud of?

Harold Wilson looked down again. And Harold Wilson said, Well, there are some. Away from the kind of question I have been answering. For example, to have created the Open University, which was my own devising and which I saw through. And I think this will be remembered when many of the other arguments of today have been forgotten. But I think perhaps, in the last year, turning a divided country — and an eminent journalist, who has never been very friendly to me, last week said the governability of Britain was in doubt when we took over two years ago — turning a country facing that danger into a country that was united and determined, I think that is what I would like to be remembered for.

In your statement you made an interesting remark about the fact that you are determined not to succumb to the danger of being faced with a decision you have faced before, in case you mishandled it the second time round? I’m not quite sure what you meant …

Harold Wilson touched his neck. He touched his chin, he touched his cheek. Harold Wilson touched his tie. He smiled and he said, No, no. It was a problem I was aware of when I was a civil servant, very many years ago. You looked at a problem. You’ve looked at a solution people have put forward, you’ve turned it down. There is a danger that five years later, when circumstances may have changed, you say, Oh, we looked at that before. Or, I’ve been through this crisis before. And that you don’t approach it with the freshness you should. I think that’s a danger that can come after too many years. I hope I haven’t done it. But I want to make sure that I don’t. And that there will be a fresh approach to all the problems.

But that is one of the big things which has decided you to bow out at this moment?

Harold Wilson looked down again. And Harold Wilson said, No, I think the big things really are, first, that I have been here a long time. It’s been a long run, a happy run. Almost the longest this century. I’ve got a wonderful team, I’ve got people almost of my own age group. Why should I sort of hog the thing? And cling on and prevent them from having the chance of succeeding and bringing their distinctive approach? That is one of the arguments; the other argument, I think we are now at a turning point. Things are beginning to pick up again. Very slowly, but beginning. Even unemployment is beginning to get more under control, I believe. But I would like new people to handle this. And of course, we are at a turning point on the biggest thing of all: the attack on inflation. When we’ve got acceptance, against all the odds as many people thought last year, by agreement, of what has to be done to fight inflation. The counter-inflation policy. The next stage, after the budget, will be to decide what we do for the next year. Now I think that is the moment to go. To leave others to do the negotiations. I would hate to wreck those negotiations, or even put them at risk, by an interruption for the need to have an election of a new leader. And when all the trade-union conferences are going on and so on. And there is a little lull before the budget, before any new negotiations can take place. So I think this is the time to do it. I’ve had a great deal of anxiety in working out what was the right time. But yes, I think that’s right.

But that does mean your successor is going to have one of the most difficult jobs there could be, as almost his first task. And that is, obtaining agreement between differing opinions in the Labour movement and the trade-union movement about what that next stage of the counter-inflation policy should be …

Harold Wilson ran his finger along the top of his lip. He put the pipe in his mouth again. He lit the pipe. Then Harold Wilson took the pipe from his mouth again. And Harold Wilson said, I hope the way I handled it is going to help him. Because we start from a national consensus. As well as a consensus with the trade-union movement. Within Parliament, in the main. Certainly on our side. He starts from that. And he starts with the goodwill of the country.

Can I ask you, said the interviewer, if you feel you have a political weakness, what that is?

Harold Wilson looked down again. And Harold Wilson said, Well, I think it is always said I’m very forgiving. The man who kicks me in the teeth one week, I won’t say I’m exactly promoting him — that usually takes a month — but I am forgiving. Because I know we are all human beings with our frailties. And sometimes I’m accused of another weakness: loyalty to my colleagues. That’s not a weakness. I have always backed them. Even when, sometimes, they have put me in a spot. And I have tried to see them through. But loyalty by the prime minister to his colleagues is essential.

Can I ask one thing, about the burden on a prime minister, said the interviewer. Do you think our system puts too heavy a burden on each prime minister?

Well, it varies really. Depends on how the prime minister plays it. I like to know all that is going on. When I was prime minister in the sixties, hardly a single one of them had been in the Cabinet. I had to go in and do everything. It’s like, you know, football? Taking the set piece occasionally. The goalkeeper. Taking the penalties and the corners. Now, of course, I have a very talented and experienced Cabinet. Even so, I like to know all that is going on. It’s a heavy job. But a very enjoyable job. You don’t get bored, you know? And if I don’t get bored, I don’t get tired. Others may do it differently. I’ve known prime ministers, not long ago, who were sitting in the garden at Number Ten here, reading novels in the afternoon. Well, I don’t get a chance to read them even on a Saturday or a Sunday.

You’ve said today, said the interviewer, you are as fit as a flea. How fit is that?

Harold Wilson put the pipe in his mouth again. He lit the pipe again. He took the pipe from his mouth again. And he said, Well, all fleas are fit. And I feel fitter now than when I was forty. Certainly carrying less weight. But I think I was quoting the views of my doctor, who gives me regular check-ups. And he says I’m fairly sound.