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Which politicans can be seen in the House of Commons?


The stock footage used shows Harold Wilson and Edward Heath going in to together, although it is not clear which is P.M. and which Leader of the Opposition. Also to be glimpsed are Barbara Castle (Labour), the corrupt Reginald Maudling (Tory) and Sir Alec Douglas-Home, or Lord Home perhaps in this incarnation.

The Queen looks very young. She was 49 in 1975, the date of Hennessey. There is a great shot of a youthful Prince Charles looking bored by the proceedings.

The Conservatives ruled from 1970 to February 1974, when there were two elections in 1974, both of which were very narrowly won by Labour. Heath had introduced the Three-day Week and his electoral slogan was: Who governs Britain? The British public answered "Not you, matey" but the message was somewhat garbled and unclear.

Repeated viewings would help to determine exactly when this stock film dates from. The latest it can be is 1974, but as this was a year of great political turmoil
I suspect it dates from earlier, and even, perhaps from the 1960s.

The Queen's Speech is so anodyne that it affords few clues.


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The Queen's Speech is from July 1970 - two weeks after Ted Heath had been elected PM.
The Govt sits on the right side (looking from the speaker's Chair). Think this is always the case.
I also spotted:
Margaret Thatcher
Denis Healey
Jim Callaghan
Geoffrey Howe

Plus Princesses Margaret and Anne.

No idea who all the dolled-up ladies are/were.

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