Shirley Williams

I think a lot of people live by their own principles and take no notice of what the 'gossiping classes' whoever they may be, say.

Those principles with stretch across the political spectrum, religious and environmental, spectum and any other spectrum you can name.

I doubt if anyone follows every principle to the bitter end. All of us have sometimes to trim at the edges, but, certainly, if you pledge your allegiance to a political party, it is because you understand its underlying principles, agree with them and broadly agree with the policies they follow to achieve their aims. Where you are placed on the social demographic line, is irrelevant.

I wish I could find a single person who constantly lives, either by what they see as their own principles or, as some seem to expect, those issued to them by the gossiping classes.

What has class, whatever that may be, to do with politics?

Surely political affiliation is based on supporting a party whose underlying philosophy is in tune with your beliefs and that you then live by your principles. I

I’m a wicked right winger - I realise this but, I can’t get wound up about people who move house to get into the catchment area of decent schools
As a you don’t idealist, I sent my oldest child to the school in the deprived inner city area we lived. We were working in hostels for offenders/homeless. I could have stayed in the village where we were buying a tiny house on mortgage but no, we were committed to living on the premises and being involved in the area. We believed our child would benefit, we were wrong. The child would have benefitted from the village school, rather than the chaos of an inner city school with 87 nationalities.
Selfish I know but 40 years later I would have made different devisions

She was a confident political woman in a time when politics was still very much a man’s world.She had the courage of her convictions and acted upon them, as politicians from all political parties may do from time to time, for her and others the SDP was the right move.

Well there we will have to agree to disagree muse

Diane Abbott chose her son’s school,

Obviously, sorry to learn of her death - for her family and friends. Never really understood why so many of these people joined the Labour Party originally - except that they saw that is there path to high political office.

I am one of those people - on the left (only those who hate us would use the term 'extreme left'), Saw her and the others who left our party as a total betrayal.

As a socialist I view people by the politics they persue in their normal lives (not moving in order to get their children into posh schools, etc.), rather than what gender they may be.

By the way, have you read Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, her mother? It's an account of her life in WW1 and about those people she loved and lost to war. I've never been so touched by a book in my whole life.

JenniferEccles

Along with all the praise we mustn’t forget that she was instrumental in abolishing Grammar schools.
Not her finest moment.

For me, it was one of her finest moments.

Oops sorry, my Kindle doesn't show the hierarchy of quotes so that was to whosoever talked about "huge approval".

She had very interesting spouses. I read a lot of her first spouse when at university.

Huge approval Maizie? I thought it was just individuals expressing their own views. She was 90 and she has died; isn't that what normally happens?

MaizieD

varian

Shirley Williams must have been the most classless person of any of our politicians.

She saw people as people - all of equal value. She was interested in everyone and concerned for everyone.

Oh dear.

That didn't stop her being middle class, though.

It's very odd, this huge approval of Shirley Williams; yet others with her sort of background could well be castigated as 'champagne socialists'.

It’s because she left the Labour Party that she’s approved of by some posters I’m guessing - she was allowed to drink champagne after she did that ??

varian

Shirley Williams must have been the most classless person of any of our politicians.

She saw people as people - all of equal value. She was interested in everyone and concerned for everyone.

Oh dear.

That didn't stop her being middle class, though.

It's very odd, this huge approval of Shirley Williams; yet others with her sort of background could well be castigated as 'champagne socialists'.

varian

Shirley Williams must have been the most classless person of any of our politicians.

She saw people as people - all of equal value. She was interested in everyone and concerned for everyone.

genuine

Shirley Williams must have been the most classless person of any of our politicians.

She saw people as people - all of equal value. She was interested in everyone and concerned for everyone.

PippaZ

Sorry Maizie;I must not have have been clear. It sure my opinion on what motivates slurs is exceedingly unimportant in the scheme of things.

Well, no, you weren't very clear. I was just intrigued by the idea of the MSM categorising Shirley Williams as ;working class'; then wondering if I'd interpreted your post correctly.

I'm sure.

Sorry Maizie;I must not have have been clear. It sure my opinion on what motivates slurs is exceedingly unimportant in the scheme of things.

And, of course, the right-wing press threw the usual, very working-class slurs at her for her appearance and timekeeping that they do with anyone to the left who looks as if they might be popular.

That's very odd, Pippa. She was as middle class as they come...

Or are you categorising the slurs as being 'working class'? Inverted snobbery...?

Daisymae

Was saddened to hear of her death. I liked her, she seemed to be a conviction politician and able to articulate her views. I think that the book Testament of Youth is one of the most poignant I have ever read.

I'm afraid her mother wrote that. Vera Brittain.

I have one of Shirley Williams' books on my bookshelf. 'Politics is for People'. Sadly, I think that people still haven't got that message.

Was saddened to hear of her death. I liked her, she seemed to be a conviction politician and able to articulate her views. I think that the book Testament of Youth is one of the most poignant I have ever read.

varian

I don't think she ever regretted leaving the Labour Party which was and still is bounded and restricted by vested interests of the twentieth century.

It is time for the Labour Party to waken up to the fact that we are living in different times and we can never hope to progress unless we reform our undemocratic electoral system and move to a system of proportional representation.

I completely agree.

RIP Shirley

Along with all the praise we mustn’t forget that she was instrumental in abolishing Grammar schools.
Not her finest moment.