Clement Attlee was the the leader of the British Labour Party 1935-55, served as Winston Churchill’s deputy in the WW2 Coalition and led the Labour government of 1945-51. A lawyer, he volunteered for the British army immediately war broke out in 1914 and saw action in Turkey, Iraq and France.
He was a man of few words and had little time for the media.
Just before the 1951 election he was badgered by a radio interviewer as he was on his way to a meeting
Interviewer: On what will Labour take its stand?
Attlee: Well, that’s what we shall be announcing shortly.
Interviewer: What are your immediate plans Mr Attlee?
Attlee: My immediate plans are to go down to a committee to decide on just that thing as soon as I can get away from here.
Interviewer: Is there anything else you’d like to say about the coming election?Attlee: No.
…and he walked away.
If only modern politicians were as terse – and honest….
Exit question – is Sarah Palin is doing a Clem Attlee on the US media but from a different side of the field?
