John Stilwell for PA, in 2003
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Even by the admission of his authorised biographer something went very wrong in Edward Heath’s life. Not just in his political career, where his replacement as Conservative Party leader by Margaret Thatcher in 1975 set off one of the greatest and deepest political huffs in party history (in a full field, it must be said). Also, sadly, in his personal life where the popular young army Captain developed into one of the sourest and least liked figures in Britain’s national life.
To put it another way, few people were ever heard to say “I do hope Ted Heath is there” when they headed out for an evening. Stories of his rudeness and difficult-ness still abound more than a decade after his death, in 2005.
I only ever saw him up close once – when he gave evidence over several days at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. His appearance was so grudging, his responses to the lawyers who questioned him (often rudely) of such superior rudeness that the lawyers several times sought protection from the presiding judges.
What was the cause of this great souring? None of Heath’s biographers have been able to say. Perhaps it was all caused by professional upset. Perhaps it was all caused by an unfulfilled private life, consisting of a lonely, lifelong bachelor-hood. Perhaps it was something else. We shall most likely never know.
Yet the British police, in an apparent effort to prosecute every celebrity from the 1970s, have been doing their best to provide an answer.
Since that announcement in Salisbury Close we have seen investigations into similar accusations against Field Marshall Lord Bramall shown to be utterly false. Only last month it was reported that the Metropolitan Police have been forced to pay financial compensation to one of Britain’s most distinguished living soldiers. The reputation of Lord Bramall has been cleared, but only after a concerted campaign to prevent this veteran of the Normandy landings, now in his nineties, from dying with the allegations hanging over him. Sadly, his wife did die before the police, who never appeared in any hurry, corrected the error.
A similar situation occurred with the former MP Harvey Proctor, who was at one point publicly alleged to have engaged in acts of child sexual abuse with Edward Heath. One of Proctor’s accusers – a person only known as ‘Nick’ – also made allegations against Heath, who happened to be a political opponent of Proctor’s. That accuser could now himself be facing charges over his fantastical and erroneous claims. But those accused by ‘Nick’ have had to live with the consequences of his allegations. Having lost his job over the controversy, Proctor has been reduced to living in a garden shed. Last month he announced that he would sue the Metropolitan police.
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