Harold Wilson had affair while in No 10, advisers reveal

Harold Wilson

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Harold Wilson - Figure 1
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It has been disclosed by two of his advisors that Harold Wilson, who used to be the Prime Minister of the Labour party, had a romantic relationship with one of his assistant press secretaries while he held his position at No 10.

Joe Haines and Lord Bernard Donoughue have held onto the confidential information for almost half a century.

During an interview with the Times newspaper, Mr. Haines, who is 96 years old, discussed Mr. Wilson's connection with Janet Hewlett-Davies for the initial occasion.

During an interview on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Lord Donoughue confirmed his knowledge of the scandalous relationship.

For quite some time, there were continuous speculations that Mr Wilson, who was a married man, engaged in an illicit relationship with his political secretary, Marcia Williams, who was later known as Baroness Falkender. Despite the persistent rumors, he vehemently refuted the allegations.

Nevertheless, there hasn't been any insinuation of a love affair with Ms. Hewlett-Davies until now. She served as Mr. Haines's assistant as press secretary while already being married.

Mr. Wilson served as prime minister for two separate terms. He held the position from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.

According to an article in The Times, Mr Haines learned about Ms Hewlett-Davies' affair by accident when he saw her walking up the stairs to the prime minister's room at Downing Street in 1974, during his second term in office.

When he inquired about her activities, she subsequently disclosed their romantic connection to him.

In a different instance back in 1976, Mr. Haines mentioned that he abandoned his usual accommodations at Chequers, where his room typically had a door that connected to the prime minister's room, in order to make it available for Ms. Hewlett-Davies. To add to this, Mr. Wilson even dropped his slippers underneath her bed.

At the time, Ms Hewlett-Davies was in her thirties which was a difference in age of 22 years compared to Mr Wilson.

Mr. Wilson's policy unit was led by Lord Donoughue, who was made a Labour peer in 1985. According to Mr. Haines, Lord Donoughue was informed about the relationship and he later mentioned it in an indirect manner to the prime minister.

"Eventually, due to his ample free time, he would often accompany me for strolls near Number 10 so we could chat," he shared with Today.

During a walk one day, he expressed his pleasure of my friendship with Janet in a manner that was reminiscent of Wilson. He tended to be indirect in his communication style.

"I expressed my admiration for Janet and described her as a wonderful and amazing individual. Additionally, I utilized the Wilsonian style of speaking, a technique I acquired from him, to convey my happiness about the strong and positive bond you both share."

According to Lord Donoughue, an 89-year-old individual, the Prime Minister expressed to him that he was extremely pleased.

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Harold Wilson and Mary were wed for a duration of 55 years.

As Mr Wilson's time as prime minister drew to a close, many people depicted him as leading a government that was at odds with itself, excessively worried about the safety services, and displaying early indications of dementia.

Yet, according to Lord Donoughue, the event was a pleasant surprise towards the end of the day.

According to him, the two advisors decided to keep the information confidential until this moment because they feared that it might be used to harm them during their lifetimes. Therefore, they waited until both of them had passed away.

Following the death of Ms Hewlett-Davies in October, it was decided that the relationship would be disclosed in order to give a complete picture of Mr Wilson's time as Prime Minister.

Lord Donoughue stated that as a historian, he believed it was crucial to include this information in Wilson's historical records.

During an interview with the BBC, it was revealed that Mr. Wilson had engaged in a short-lived sexual relationship with Baroness Falkender two decades ago. This revelation comes despite the fact that the ex-prime minister had previously sued publications that had reported on their alleged affair.

Harold Wilson: Who Was He?

Harold Wilson is a significant figure in the Labour party and a political inspiration to current leader Sir Keir Starmer, as he is one of the three Labour leaders who won a general election after the Second World War.

He held the position of prime minister twice - firstly between October 1964 to June 1970, and secondly from March 1974 to April 1976. He made the surprising decision to step down when he recognized that his mental abilities were no longer as strong as they previously were.

He was born in Huddersfield, located in West Yorkshire. He ascended to a position of power during the early 1960s, proposing to establish a fresh and innovative Britain centered around technology. A groundbreaking moment occurred in 1965 when he presented The Beatles with MBEs, causing a stir among the elites.

During his reign, the economy decreased, and there were many labor conflicts. Nonetheless, his creation of the Open University in 1969 was his proudest and most timeless contribution.

In the year 1995, he passed away when he was 79, whereas his spouse named Mary, who had been married to him for 55 years, passed away in 2018 at the age of 102.

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