Frank Field

[egb_hibs]

RIP

Not a student of the Labour Party as are some sp my impression is admittedly pretty superficial. But I always liked Frank and he seemed to me to have a decent and gravitas painfully absent from today's parties.

 

[HaarlemShuffler]

I Remember You was a great song at parties...

Sorry, don't know the guy, backing oot... RIP Frank.

 

[Greenmachine]

Frank Field was a rarity in politics. in that he was a decent guy who just wanted to help in the fight against poverty.
He was a thinker as well, always willing to come up with new ideas on how the lot of ordinary working people could be improved.

RIP Frank.

 

[Smurf]

The left loathed him.

 

[egb_hibs]

The left loathed him.

I first noticed him during the Blair years where he seemed at odds with Tony’s city slickers. Mind you he didn’t seem very ‘1968’ so I suppose I can understand why the left - todays kind anyway - might not like him.

 

[EH17 Jimmy]

I think he had a better grasp of citizens concerns than most of new labour.

Politicos like him are few and far between though.

And labour cannot seem to get outside of the London bubble.

The Tories will get a well deserved kicking in the next election but I don't think it will be labour that causes that.

I think it will be Reform that kicks the Tories into touch.

 

[egb_hibs]

I think he had a better grasp of citizens concerns than most of new labour.

Politicos like him are few and far between though.

And labour cannot seem to get outside of the London bubble.

The Tories will get a well deserved kicking in the next election but I don't think it will be labour that causes that.

I think it will be Reform that kicks the Tories into touch.

I partially agree. I think the tories will kick themselves into touch but the form it will take is disgusted people turning to both Reform and Labour. There’ll probably be a class based tinge to that with their recently acquired working class vote going to Reform and their traditional city boys and other well to do sorts going Labour.

 

[EH17 Jimmy]

Yep I do think those in working class towns will go to Reform.

They have nothing to lose.

And they will deliver a well deserved slap to the completely out of touch Tory/labour politicos.

 

[Bangkokhibby]

I think he had a better grasp of citizens concerns than most of new labour.

Politicos like him are few and far between though.

And labour cannot seem to get outside of the London bubble.

The Tories will get a well deserved kicking in the next election but I don't think it will be labour that causes that.

I think it will be Reform that kicks the Tories into touch.

Think you could be right about Reform. I had a sizeable bet on 'no overall majority' but cashed it in when I realised how much grass roots support they have. They'll do more damage to the tories I feel and hand the overall majority to Labour.

 

[greencol]

He was a Tory as a young man, but I dont think he was driven by political ideals.
He simply wanted to help people.
Thin on the ground these days.

 

[Smurf]

Frank Field was a personal friend of Margaret Thatcher. They were very close. She respected him and he respected her. She had him in Number 10 a few hours before she resigned as PM in November 1990 seeking his advice.