"This week, chatting to a group of 30-somethings," Madeley writes "I described what the Winter of Discontent was actually like if you were there (I was 23). Endless power cuts, freezing evenings spent by guttering candlelight or evil-smelling paraffin lamps; no fire service (the lads were on strike); no funerals (so were the gravediggers); rubbish piling above head height (what we used to call the dustmen were all out too)"
This was all the result of an out of touch, weak Jim Callaghan, Dick attests, who was on 'a jolly' in the West Indies when it all kicked off and came back seemingly oblivous to the situation or how to decisively end it. Hmm. Calling the Guadeloupe Conference, where the world's biggest leaders discussed topical and pressing subjects of the day, 'a jolly' is a pretty odd thing to do if you wish these days to be taken seriously as a political journo, Dick.
""But don't you see - this is what will happen if Corbyn wins," I said. "He's a Marxist! He says he wouldn't even press the button! He doesn't understand the basic principles of detterrence!" Reader, I'm not sure they even knew what Marxism is - and as for "the button"..."
The Professional Dickhead Richard Madeley, it seems, knows all about 'the button'. Because, prior to this, his article pontificates at length about what it was like to grow up and come of age during the Cold War. However, what I personally took from this is that the BBC4's recent, excellent Cold War season had been on TV at Chez Madeleys.
And reader (I mean, seriously?) it's clearly Madeley who doesn't know what Marxism is if he thinks that Jeremy Corbyn is a Marxist.
Perhaps Dick should have done some reading and listening during the Winter of Discontent. He might know then that the industrial action of which he speaks came as a direct result of Callaghan's government reneging on the promise of reforms previously made to the TUC. Now, that doesn't sound like a very Marxist from Callaghan's Labour does it? So, if by his logic Corbyn is a Marxist, why would that happen again on his watch? He also doesn't seem to realise that much of the industrial action was actually against Tory led councils, for example the binmen strike was against Westminster Council, whilst the dead were left unburied in Liverpool, whose county council was controlled by Conservative.
Dear old Dickie also seems rather confused in his memories. Bless. Old age does that I guess. But the fire brigade (or 'the lads' as he condescendingly calls them) were actually on strike for nine weeks at the end of 1977. They actually returned to work in January '78, when the Winter of Discontent commenced.
Perhaps he should have used his valuable long memory and cast further back in time, to the first Winter of Discontent, the one that occurred under Tory Ted Heath's government that led to a three day week and victory for the miners. Actually, maybe I am being unfair because he seems to have done this a little bit, as his reminiscences seem like a fudge of both time periods. Where there even power cuts during Callaghan's Winter of Discontent? There certainly were during Heath's. Perhaps someone with a more reliable memory could give me a definitive answer on that one. No, I'm not looking at you Dick.
Then again, maybe Madeley could have considered a more recent memory, such as Blair's Labour government. He could have told his imaginary 30-something pals all about the tremendous, progressive achievements made in the late 1990s, such as the creation of the Sure Start scheme which gave our children, and our country's future, the very best start in life - something that Corbyn has pledged to bring back after the Tories spitefully closed it down. Or maybe he should just consider the present; a time of breaking-point NHS, of food banks and homelessness and disabled people dying because of inadequate benefits, and of working families unable to make ends meet because the cost of living has soared whilst wages have stagnated for a decade.
In conclusion, the Professional Dickhead Richard Madeley thinks the late 1970s were bad? Clearly the realities of the present day do not reach his ivory tower. Or maybe him and his wife are just too pissed to notice most evenings?
