The Heath vs Wilson Elections (Episode 2 of 4): The 1970 General Election

In part two of their miniseries on the Heath vs Wilson elections, Lee and Richard delve into the second of the contests fought between the pair. In May 1970, incumbent Prime Minister Harold Wilson asked the Queen for a dissolution of Parliament, judging it was his best opportunity to win a third successive election for Labour. Almost everyone expected Wilson to triumph. But when the votes were cast, Edward Heath and the Conservatives came out on top. How did it happen? And why did the polls and political commentators misjudge the views of the British people?In this episode, the following books are discussed:'Downing Street Downfalls: The Misadventures of Britain's Prime Ministers Since Thatcher' by Mark Garnett. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781788218696'Original Sin: President Biden's decline, its cover-up, and his disastrous choice to run again' by Alex Thompson & Jake Tapper. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781529155488Tickets are now available for the 1st Birthday Party of the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast, featuring a live recording. Find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/since-attlee-churchills-1st-birthday-party-tickets-1978627898307***Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.