Sir Alec Douglas-Home interview after he lost the election

A BBC interview with Alec Douglas-Home just minutes after he had resigned as Prime Minister. He also talks about Nikita Khrushchev being deposed and the People's Republic of China exploding their first atomic bomb, all of which had happened within the last 24 hours!

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News & Politics

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• Prime
• Minister
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• Britain
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• 1964
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[msynman]

Is his surname pronounced 'Home' or 'Hume'?

[Medeasbiggestfan]

It's 'Hume' for some reason.

[ToffeeNosedGit]

I wish people nowadays could speak properly like these men.

[TheEastFifeLoon]

What a wonderfully polite and dignified interview this is. Today's interviewers probably couldn't even spell the word Manners. Apart from once or twice, the interviewer in this clip does not barge in, insult Sir Douglas Home or abrasively talk over him. The former PM also behaves in this decent way. This is a fascinating snapshot of an age long gone.

[shahideurope]

@Medeasbiggestfan he's Scottish, that's why.

[Myndir]

Oh, and back in 1964 British Steel was taken seriously, before their workers were unnecessarily re-nationalised as a sacrificial hunk of red meat to extremists in the Labour party by Wilson.

[Myndir]

@BassDudeBear The Conservatives and Unionists were 1% behind Labour in the final result and Labour were only up by about 0.3% from 1959. Had the election been in June (before the overheating of the economy became apparent) and/or had Profumo kept his hands to himself, Home could have easily been PM after 1964.

Home: the last PM to preside over a strong pound, a non-nationalistic Britain and a Britain with ultra-low unemployment. This interview marks the end of an era.

[BassDudeBear]

@MrRobertJameson exactly my point friend :). McMillan's resignation meant the Cons were going into the election year leaderless, and not to mention A-DH's poor leadership, he couldn't relate to the common man and he was a compromise leader from the party. But. like you quite rightly said, with Butler in charge, they probably would have won.

[MrRobertJameson]

@BassDudeBear Harold Wilson himself said the Conservatives would have won with Rad Butler as leader.

[puddlesgypsy2]

Amazing to hear his statement on immigration when you consider this was 1964!

I quote "immigration is a problem and a very real problem in a number of districts... and it brings about most serious social and economic problems."

If he could only see the country today he wouldn't recognize it.

[300amazingfatboy300]

A man of great integrity, honesty, and political pow-wow. Makes a nice change from the All-Bluff-And-No-Balls nursery school we have for a parliament today.

Sir Alec, as a diehard Labour supporter, you have my respect.

[Atmosphereo]

Who are the two journalists interviewing him? I'd like to join the group who wishes people spoke like this these days. Instead it's Estuary that's gaining pace with each passing day. Such a shame.

[BassDudeBear]

"I thought we could have won."

Bull.Shit.

[Fleshious]

Good old days.