Marcia Williams
eBook - ePub

Marcia Williams

The Life and Times of Baroness Falkender

  1. 352 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Marcia Williams

The Life and Times of Baroness Falkender

About this book

Over a decade before Margaret Thatcher swept to power, another woman was running Britain from 10 Downing Street: Marcia Williams was the first ever female political adviser to a Prime Minister and was said to have a powerful grip on her boss.

A brilliant tactician, Marcia masterminded Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson's multiple election victories. But misogyny, jealousy, a shocking private life and accusations of money-grubbing and bribery all contributed to her reputation as a public nuisance.

There is no doubt Marcia was outspoken, forthright and, by contemporary standards, deeply unconventional. But her critics failed to understand her unbreakable partnership with Wilson – they were politically wedded to each other and equal contributors to his success.

In this fascinating biography, updated with new insight regarding Wilson's Downing Street affair with Janet Hewlett-Davies, Linda McDougall seeks to rescue Marcia from previously dismissive verdicts, suggesting a more nuanced perspective and restoring this trailblazing pioneer to her rightful place in British political history.

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Yes, you can access Marcia Williams by Linda McDougall in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & Political Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Dedication
  3. Contents
  4. Introduction: An Influential and Divisive Figure
  5. 1: Who Was Marcia?
  6. 2: When Harold Met Marcia
  7. 3: Marcia: The Beginnings
  8. 4: Harold: The Beginnings
  9. 5: Marcia at Queen Mary
  10. 6: The Post-War Labour Party
  11. 7: Marcia and Harold: A Growing Partnership
  12. 8: Marcia and Harold in Downing Street
  13. 9: The Move
  14. 10: Constructing a Reputation
  15. 11: Sex in No. 10
  16. 12: The Case of Michael Halls
  17. 13: Weddings and Disappearing Passports
  18. 14: Purple Hearts and Valium
  19. 15: Fields of Slag and Gold
  20. 16: Marcia and Harold Back in Power
  21. 17: Harold Wilson’s Resignation
  22. 18: The Lavender List
  23. 19: The After Party
  24. 20: Carrying-On in the Twenty-First Century
  25. Conclusion: The Importance of Marcia
  26. Bibliography
  27. Acknowledgements
  28. Index
  29. Plates
  30. Copyright