No Silly Billy

Impressionists were big on British TV in the 1970; and none bigger than Mike Yarwood. Famed for his imitations and parody of the leading politicians of the day, probably his most famous was of Dennis Healey who died recently at the ripe old age of 98. His “Silly Billy” catch phrase was adopted by Healey himself. Healey was of course no “Silly Billy”; a giant of British post-war politicians, renowned for his formidable intellect, bruising political nature, breadth of interests and of course his eyebrows (he said he did once shave his eyebrows and his trousers fell down).

I recall him as one of the biggest political characters in Britain of the 1970s and 1980s. As Chancellor in Harold Wilson and then James Callaghan’s Labour Governments, he was plagued by and had to tackle an economy in decline, perhaps the lowlight being a loan from the IMF to Britain in 1976. Expected to win the leadership after the 1979 election (and the resignation of Jim Callaghan) he became deputy leader and in 1981 bravely stood and fought the militant left wing of the Labour party when others defected to the SDP.

I have one personal recollection of Dennis Healy. As an A level student of Government and Politics, my class attended a political conference at Westminster (in 1983). Denis Healey was the keynote speaker. I can’t recall what he said that day, but during the Q and A session at the end, one bright spark piped up, “all this political stuff is all very interesting, but what we really want to know is, is how big is your c*#@”. To which Healey replied, “big enough thank you very much”. RIP Dennis Healey.