September 19 1974
Mr [Harold] Wilson said last night that his October 10 general election was something few people really wanted.
In his television broadcast to spell out why he had decided to end his 193 days of minority government, the prime minister said: “It will be the second election this year, something very few people – politicians or not – would want to see at a time of very grave economic difficulties.
“But the inconclusive February result made another election ‘inevitable’ – and sooner rather than later.”
His lunchtime announcement to end the shortest parliament this century followed weeks of speculation and phoney campaigning.
The actual decision had been made before Mr Wilson spent the weekend of September 7-8 as a guest of Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral.
Ninety minutes before the 12.45 announcement from Downing Street, Mr Wilson telephoned Mr [Ted] Heath – on a campaigning tour in East Anglia – to tell him of the “off”.
The announcement that few wanted but everyone expected of another UK general election in 1974 was made by Harold Wilson to take place on October 10, due to the vulnerability of his minority administration.
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Point of Despair
The arbitrary killings of Judge [Rory] Conaghan and Mr [Martin] McBirney have brought expressions of horror and revulsion from every side.
All men of goodwill have been sickened by these murderous acts, which must leave the community wondering if there is any way out of the morass of such callous disregard for human life; if there is any initiative which has been overlooked; any words of condemnation left unspoken; any move still available by which a climate of peace can be created.
Monday’s killings had a nightmare quality about them; but all killings – and more than 1,000 people’s lives have been monstrously ended – are part of the nightmare in which we have lived for the last five years.
Hopes and prayers may well have gone down into despair in the realisation that two public figures could be murdered in their own homes in such a coldly calculated manner. Nothing can now disguise the dreadful state of affairs which now exists.
