David Dickson

Living in Co Down, N Ireland. Interested in education, history, politics,sport (esp cricket), agriculture/smallholding - and the tapestry of life in general!

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

Roy Hattersley's death leaves two remaining people from the 317 Labour MPs elected at the party's victory in 1964; 3 living people who were ministers in the 1964-70 Labour government; and 2 living people who served in Jim Callaghan's Cabinet

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

Roy Hattersley was also the current longest-serving Privy Counsellor, a position now held by his Cabinet colleague Bill Rodgers (now 97), who is also now the earliest-serving living former Cabinet Minister

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

Roy Hattersley, Lord Hattersley, Labour MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook 1964-97, a minister from 1967 and in Cabinet as Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection 1976-79, and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1983-92, has died age 93

[Cricketopia @CricketopiaCom]

The beginning & the end of Andy Lloyd's Test career.

Lloyd was on 10 when got hit by Marshall, never played test cricket again. His test career lasted for just 33 minutes.

He is the only test player who has opened an inngs never to have been dismissed.

#OnThisDay in 1984

[CricketOGs @CricketOGs]

The Greatest One-Man Show in World Cup History! 🇦🇺🏏 -

⏩Called into the side for the high-stakes World Cup semi-final against arch-rivals England, "Gus" put on a masterclass that will never be forgotten:

12-6-14-6 🔥
🎯The first-ever 6-wicket haul in ODI history, completely destroying England's batting lineup for just 93 runs.

🏏 28 off 28 balls – Walking in at a catastrophic 39/6, he calmly smashed Australia to victory under immense pressure.

From benchwarmer to ultimate match-winner in the span of a single afternoon. Pure genius. ♥️🐐

@Sanjaygupts1996 Thanx sir for sharing this priceless memory and inspiring this post! 🙏

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

Sir Jeremy Hanley, Conservative MP for Richmond & Barnes 1983-97 and a member of the Cabinet 1994-95 as Chairman of the Conservative Party, has died age 80: https://t.co/hAXfEgqNKX

[When Football Was Better @FootballInT80s]

FA Cup Final 1977 — 21 May

Manchester United vs Liverpool. English football’s biggest rivalry.

Liverpool chasing the treble. United out to stop it.

Half-time: 0–0 at Wembley.

Then five minutes of chaos:

Pearson
Case
Greenhoff

Manchester United 2–1 Liverpool

The Cup goes to United. Treble gone.

A final that never fades.

[The Year is 1975 @TheYearIs1970s]

17th May 1975:

Northern Ireland 0-0 England

Ipswich Town's Colin Viljoen makes his International debut as The Home Internationals return to Windsor Park following a four year absence.

[Cricketopia @CricketopiaCom]

Happy Birthday Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

He was one of India’s greatest match-winners.

Despite a childhood polio attack weakening his right arm, he revived the dying art of leg-spin with his unique pace and wristwork.

He averaged just 19 in India’s Test wins and played key roles in famous overseas victories at The Oval in 1971 and Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1978.

Chandra finished with 242 Test wickets and only 167 runs.

[Robert Peston @Peston]

Today’s elections could be the most consequential of my lifetime, outside of a general election.

Here’s why.

First, if they are as catastrophic for Labour as some polls indicate, they may send Labour MPs into paroxysms of despair, and set in train a challenge to Starmer’s leadership of the party and country.

That would lead to governmental paralysis and turmoil in bond markets - even if in the end Starmer survives.

Buckle up.

Second, if Reform does as well as expected in English local elections and in Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections, at that point many would see them as the real representatives of right-wing Britain.

That would be a challenge to the status and authority of the Conservative Party, for all that Kemi Badenoch is widely seen to be performing effectively as their leader and they remain the official opposition in parliament.

Talk of Reform eventually absorbing the Tory Party, before the next general election, would only intensify.

Third nationalist parties are like to be in charge in the parliaments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the SNP and Plaid are almost certain to form new respective governments in Scotland and Wales, and Sinn Fein is already the senior partner in Northern Ireland’s assembly.

This doesn’t mean that formal break up of the UK is imminent. But if you believe as I do that Newton’s first law applies to politics, it means the integrity of the UK would be much less secure than it was.

Fourth all the polls indicate the LibDems are treading water in terms of national vote share, and that disillusionment with the government and Tories is disproportionately benefiting Reform and the Greens.

Given that the LibDems, or Liberals as they once were, would in the past have benefited from the ailing popularity of the two big parties, questions will be asked about whether Ed Davey is the most appropriate leader for these chaotic times - for all that his party hoovered up more seats in the last election than for decades.

By contrast and fifth, the Greens have surged thanks in large part to the positive charismatic force of one person, its leader Zack Polanski. Which implies the party has a lot of policy work to do to consolidate its position and be taken seriously as a potential party of government.

Sixth, the big story will be that there are now at least seven parties on the British mainland - Reform, the Greens, the LibDems, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Conservatives - with legitimate claims to have meaningful national, regional or local vote shares.

So today could be the definitive end of Britain’s 250 years of two party politics. And because this degree of fragmentation is so new, it brings enormous uncertainties and dangers.

It means, for example, that - under our first-past-the-post electoral system - a party could win the votes of just one-in-six of us and yet have an absolute majority of MPs.

For the majority to be subject to rule by the representatives of such a small minority would be a duck that does not quack democracy.

It would be a crisis infecting our most important institution, parliament itself. As I say, today’s polls matter.

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

There were 635 MPs returned at the general election on this day in 1979, none of whom are still in the Commons - the most recent election for which this is the case

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

The 1979 general election took place on this day - result:

- Conservatives 339 (43.9%)
- Labour 269 (36.9%)
- Liberals 11 (13.8%)
- UUP 5
- DUP 3
- SNP 2
- Plaid Cymru 2
- Others 4

[Mr Memory @AmIRightSir]

The 1997 general election took place 29 years ago today - result:

- Labour 418 (43.2%)
- Conservatives 165 (30.7%)
- Liberal Democrats 46 (16.8%)
- UUP 10
- SNP 6
- Plaid Cymru 4
- SDLP 3
- DUP 2
- Sinn Fein 2
- Others 3

[Allan D @allandray08]

28 April 1977: In a by-election caused by the death of the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Crosland, the TV presenter, Austin Mitchell, holds Great Grimsby for Labour despite a fall in the Labour majority from just under 7000 to 520: https://t.co/I8TYvbwM1O

[TV Football 1968-92 @1968Tv]

BBC World Cup Grandstand…LIVE
June 1978
Group A
Austria’s Hans Krankl, with one of the goals of the tournament, in their 3-2 victory over West Germany.
Commentator Barry Davies
#WorldCup

[Historic Cricket Pictures @PictureSporting]

Yorkshire offspinner Geoff Cope winds up ... he played three Tests for England, all in Pakistan in 1977-78, but twice had to re-model his action after being suspended in 1972 and again in 1978. And he was denied a Test hat-trick on debut when Mike Brearley recalled a batsman. Middlesex and England batsman Peter Parfitt told him: "You should have been banned for life or you should have played 50 Test matches for England because you were the best spinner." (Patrick Eagar)

[TV Football 1968-92 @1968Tv]

Great Memories!
Who Remembers The BBC World Service/Radio 2 Sport On 2.
Here the late great Peter Jones, commentates on the final dramatic minutes of the 1979 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Manchester United, which brought 3 goals in an amazing finale.
#FACup #Arsenal #MUFC

[Prof. Frank McDonough @FXMC1957]

10 April 2015. Richie Benaud died (aged 84). After retiring from playing cricket for Australia in 1964, he became a leading TV cricket commentator, working for the BBC and Channel 4. In Australia, he commentated for the 9 Network.

[Duncan Hill 🔶🇺🇦 @DuncanDucky]

10 April 1890, the Carnarvon Boroughs by-election sees David Lloyd George returned to Parliament for the first time. For a time it looked like he might lose, but then a bundle of Liberal votes was found to have been counted as Conservative. #OTD #OnThisDay

[Tides of History @labour_history]

34 years ago this morning, the country woke up to another Conservative victory - with John Major winning more votes than any PM in history.

Neil Kinnock conceded defeat but warned the country about what he thought would now happen in the 1990s.