Calculating. Classless, Calm.

Three words which summed up Huddersfield-born Harold Wilson’s stint as Prime Minister.

The summary came from respected University of Huddersfield political expert Prof Brendan Evans, who gave Wilson a 9/10 score for his leadership of the Labour party and a 7/10 score for his success as a Prime Minister.

Prof Evans was speaking on the 50th anniversary of Wilson becoming Prime Minister for the first time, in October 1964.

The Huddersfield Town-supporting Wilson, who grew up in a terrace house in the Colne Valley, succeeded Alec Douglas-Home as resident of the imposing house behind the shiny black door.

Prof Evans said: “He was very much a local man who remain loyal to his Huddersfield roots and was very proud of them.

“Because of that he was sometimes mocked by the London political elite who tried to portray him as ‘vulgar’.

“Some people thought he was very calculating in that in the 1950s he was on the left of the Labour Party but then moved to the centre in order to secure and maintain the leadership in the 1960s.

“He is remembered especially for his famous ‘White Hot Heat of Techology’ speech at the Labour Party conference in 1963 in which he focussed on the importance of engineering and science. As Prime Minister, some would say he did not stick to the points he made in that speech.

“Perhaps his greatest achievement from his own point of view was that he held together a Labour Party that faced major upheaval, although critics would say some of his methods were devious.

“It was a not inconsiderable challenge and he did things that were necessary”.

Now it's your turn - give your marks out of 10 for our post-war Prime Ministers

 

Many other political experts have regarded Wilson as one of the leading Labour politicians of the century.

There are also more public tributes to him.

A portrait of Harold Wilson, painted by the famous Scottish portrait artist Cowan Dobson, hangs today at University College, Oxford.

And, of course, a statue of Wilson was unveiled by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in July 1999, outside Huddersfield railway station in St George’s Square, Huddersfield.

Harold Wilson statue, St. George's Square
Harold Wilson statue, St. George's Square

Costing £70,000, the statue, designed by sculptor Ian Walters, is based on photographs taken in 1964 and depicts Wilson in walking pose at the start of his first term as Prime Minister. His widow, Mary requested that the eight-foot tall monument did not show Wilson holding his famous pipe as she feared it would make the representation a caricature.

Blair unveiled a second bronze statue of Wilson in the latter’s former constituency of Huyton, near Liverpool.

In 2006, a street on a new housing development in Tividale, West Midlands, was named Wilson Drive in honour of Wilson, and earlier this year a block of flats in Huddersfield was renamed Harold Wilson Court.

And the politician featured on a series of stamps depicting ex Prime Ministers.