Political Frailty

[msc 18,490]

8 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

Baroness Shirley Williams, Lib Dem stalwart and Gang of 4 member dead aged 90 according to Laura K. Big figure on the left for decades. Also the daughter of Vera Brittain.

 

 

 

Pretty much a huge political figure in general, I'd say. Her autobiography is a good read. 

 

Too early to say The Gang of Four are dying in the wrong order?

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

3 minutes ago, msc said:

Pretty much a huge political figure in general, I'd say. Her autobiography is a good read. 

Too early to say The Gang of Four are dying in the wrong order?

 

I was going to say huge figure in general, but then decided people would argue and I couldn't be arsed.  

 

Just for the record, the Gang of 4 who quit the Labour Party and formed the Social Democratic Party [SDP] (who later merged with the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats) were:

 

Roy Jenkins (1920-2003) - Labour Chancellor 1967-70 and Home Secretary 1965-67 and 1974-76, President of the European Commission 1977-81, Leader of the SDP 1982-83 - died of a heart attack.

Bill Rodgers (1928-) Labour Transport Secretary 1976-79, created Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank in 1992, sitting for the Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Lib Dems in the Lords 1997-2001, suffered a stroke in 2001 but fully recovered.

Shirley Williams (1930-2021) - Labour Education Secretary 1976-79, created Baroness Williams of Crosby in 1993 sitting for the Liberal Democrats

David Owen (1938-) Labour Foreign Secretary 1977-79, Deputy Leader of SDP 1982-83, Leader of SDP 1983-1987, created Baron Owen of Plymouth sitting as a crossbencher

[msc 18,490]

2 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

I was going to say huge figure in general, but then decided people would argue and I couldn't be arsed.  

 

Just for the record, the Gang of 4 who quit the Labour Party and formed the Social Democratic Party [SDP] (who later merged with the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats) were:

 

Roy Jenkins (1920-2003) - Labour Chancellor 1967-70 and Home Secretary 1965-67 and 1974-76, President of the European Commission 1977-81, Leader of the SDP 1982-83 - died of a heart attack.

Bill Rodgers (1928-) Labour Transport Secretary 1976-79, created Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank in 1992, sitting for the Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Lib Dems in the Lords 1997-2001, suffered a stroke in 2001 but fully recovered.

Shirley Williams (1930-2021) - Labour Education Secretary 1976-79, created Baroness Williams of Crosby in 1993 sitting for the Liberal Democrats

David Owen (1938-) Labour Foreign Secretary 1977-79, Deputy Leader of SDP 1982-83, Leader of SDP 1983-1987, created Baron Owen of Plymouth sitting as a crossbencher

 

One of my favourite Spitting Image sketches was David Owen forming The David Owen Party, and then splitting from it.

[Toast 16,162]

On 11/04/2021 at 12:43, DCI Frank Burnside said:

John Major looking very well on TV this morning.  He was 78 last month

 

 

 

 

 

And looking uncannily like his Spitting Image alter ego.

[Exu 250]

BBC's take on williams' demise

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56720985

[arghton 6,777]

I was thinking about the term "Gang of Four" today, and was wondering if it's been used more than two times. Yes, it has.

So, more useless lists!

As most of us know, the original Gang of Four was four Chinese politicians:

Jiang Qing (1914-1991)

Zhang Chunqiao (1917-2005)

Yao Wenyan (1930-2005)

Wang Hongwen (1935-1992)

 

So here's a list of other political gangs of four, only 1900s ones included:

Afghanistan, Khalqist govt ministers:

Mohammad Aslam Watanjar (1946-2000)

Sayed Mohammad Gulabzoy (born 1951)

Sherjan Mazdooryar (?)

Assadullah Sarwari (born 1930)

 

Pakistan:

First one, supporters of Zia-Ul-Haq:

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1924-1988)

Akhtar Rahman  (1924-1988)

Rahimuddin Khan (1926-2022)

Zahid Ali Akbar (born 1933)

 

Second one, supporters of Musharraf:

Ehsan ul-Haq (born 1949)

Aziz Khan (born 1947)

Mahmood Ahman (born 1944)

Shahid Aziz (birth date unknown, probably died in 2018)

 

USA:

Harlem, African-american political coalition:

David Dinkins (1927-2020)

Basil Paterson (1926-2014)

Charles Rangel (born 1930)

Percy Sutton (1920-2009)

 

Seattle, radical minority activists:

Bernie Whitebear (1937-2000)

Bob Santos (1934-2016)

Roberto Maestas (1938-2010)

Larry Gossett (born 1945)

 

Pro-Contra, Nicaraguan contra-founding group:

Bernard W. Aronson (born 1946)

Bruce P. Cameron (possibly 1942-2018)

Robert S. Leiken (1939-2017)

Penn Kemble (1941-2005)

 

I'm pretty sure the SDP Gang of Four will outlive atleast two of these groups.

[Deathrace 1,171]

6 hours ago, msc said:

 

One of my favourite Spitting Image sketches was David Owen forming The David Owen Party, and then splitting from it.

It would be surprising if David Owen wasn't the last of the Gang of Four to go. 

[DCI Frank Burnside 3,887]

14 minutes ago, Deathrace said:

It would be surprising if David Owen wasn't the last of the Gang of Four to go. 

Yep. Has 10 years on Rogers and is looking reasonably well in this pic from 2019  

[drol 12,015]

Two assholes of completely different political factions:

 

Caviar gauche icon, uptown radical chic former President of the Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini underwent surgery for esophageal cancer.

 

Art critic, right wing exhalted twat, COVID negationist Vittorio Sgarbi apparently diagnosed with cancer and in need of radiotherapy. Also had various heart issues before.

[drol 12,015]

Turkish PM Yildirim Akbulut, whose surname assumed the meaning of "useless" in Turkish language, dead at 85.

[arghton 6,777]

Abdul Matin Khasru, former Bangladeshi Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs minister 1997-2001 died yesterday.

Second person who has been in that position to die this year.

 

The only alive people who have been the Bangladeshi Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs minister before 2007 and are notable enough to have an English wikipedia are:

 

Kamal Hossein (b. 1937) 1972-1973. First Bangladeshi LJPA minister.

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar (b. 1931) 1996, one of the three alive former presidents of Bangladesh along with Shahabuddin Ahmed (1930-2022) and A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury (b. 1932)

 

 

[drol 12,015]

25 minutes ago, arghton said:

Abdul Matin Khasru, former Bangladeshi Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs minister 1997-2001 died yesterday.

Second person who has been in that position to die this year.

 

The only alive people who have been the Bangladeshi Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs minister before 2007 and are notable enough to have an English wikipedia are:

 

Kamal Hossein (b. 1937) 1972-1973. First Bangladeshi LJPA minister.

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar (b. 1931) 1996, one of the three alive former presidents of Bangladesh along with Shahabuddin Ahmed (b. 1930) and A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury (b. 1932)

 

 

Shahabuddin has been gravely ill for years. He looked like a skeleton in early 2018. On his 91st birthday he was reported to be "receiving treatment in Dhaka". Pakistani president Rafiq Tarar has been sick for at least four years and recently lost his wife. 

[maryportfuncity 10,662]

Form studying here with Eric Pickles' impersonation of Jabba the Hut getting more lifelike as time passes.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56757195

[arghton 6,777]

Incomplete list of European ministers and heads of state/govt alive who served in WW2/WW2 generation (born before 1928):

Green: Served in ww2

Gray: Unknown/auxiliary

Purple: Didn't serve in ww2

 

Belgium

Cécile Goor-Eyben (b. 1923) Minister of the region of Bruxelles-Capitale 1980.

Paula D'Hondt-Van Opdenbosch (1926-2022) Minister of Post, Telephony and Telegraph Services 1981-1988, Minister of Public Works 1988. Article from 2020.

 

San Marino

Marino Vagnetti (1924-?) Captain Regent 1971-1972 and 1989.

There may be more, but information on the former San Marino governments and Captain Regents isn't easily accessible.

 

Luxembourg

Jean Hamilius (b. 1927) Gaston Thorn's cabinet minister of Public Works 1974-1979

 

Netherlands

None alive

 

Germany

Oscar Schneider (b. 1927) Minister of Construction 1982-1989

DDR

Hans Reichelt (b. 1925) Minister of Environmental Protection and Water Management 1972-1990, picture from 2018

Herbert Weiz (1924-2023) Minister of Science and Technology 1974-1989

Werner Schmieder (b. 1926) Minister of Finance 1980-1981

 

Latvia

None alive?

 

Lithuania

Valdas Adamkus (b. 1926) President 1998-2003 and 2004-2009

 

Estonia

None alive?

 

Iceland

Ingvar Gíslason (1926-2022) Thoroddsen's cabinet Minister of Education, Science and Culture 1980-1983. December 2018 article

 

Denmark

J.K. Hansen (1926-2023) Jørgensen's fifth cabinet Minister of Transport (formerly Minister of Public Works) 1981-1982.

Thorkild Simonsen (1926-2022) Rasmussen's third and fourth cabinet Interior Minister 1997-2000. Video from 2016.

 

Norway

None after the death of Per Kleppe on 10th of March 2021(?)

 

Finland

Ele Alenius (1925-2022) Paasio's first cabinet Minister of Finance 1966-1970. Suffered a stroke in 2018 but still in great condition: article from December 2020

Carl Olof Tallgren (b. 1927) Karjalainen's second cabinet Minister of Finance 1970-1971.

Heimo Linna (1925-2022) Sorsa's first cabinet (1973-1975) and Miettunen's second cabinet (1975-1976) Minister of Agriculture. Article from 2020

Taisto Tähkämaa (b. 1924) Sorsa's second cabinet (1977-1979) Minister of Defence, Minister of Agriculture during Koivisto's second and Sorsa's third cabinet (1979-1983). Article about his ww2 experiences from December 2019

Sinikka Luja-Penttilä (1924-2022) Minister of Social Affairs and Health 1979-1982 during Koivisto's second cabinet. Article about her from 2004

 

Sweden

Bertil Zachrisson (1926-2023) Palme's second Minister for Education 1973-1976. Unknown if he served in ww2, picture from 2016

Elvy Olsson (1923-2022) Fälldin's first Minister for Housing 1976-1978. Didn't serve in ww2. Here she is in late 2020, looks quite frail.

 

Liechenstein and Andorra-related information isn't available anywhere.

Continuing this later.

[markb4 902]

Ex VP Mike Pence had surgery to put in a pacemaker:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/15/politics/mike-pence-pacemaker/index.html

 

 

[MoneySavingExpt 43]

9 hours ago, maryportfuncity said:

Form studying here with Eric Pickles' impersonation of Jabba the Hut getting more lifelike as time passes.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56757195

Do you think George Lucas might sue?

[maryportfuncity 10,662]

9 hours ago, MoneySavingExpt said:

Do you think George Lucas might sue?

 

 

Either that or Kentucky Fried will get his home address and open up next door!

[gcreptile 10,987]

Trump's former VP Mike Pence has had pacemaker surgery for his sluggish heartbeat:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/us/politics/mike-pence-pacemaker-surgery.html

[arghton 6,777]

On 20/10/2020 at 13:02, arghton said:

Aarno Strömmer (b. 1927) was a minister in the Liinamaa cabinet

 

https://www.hs.fi/muistot/art-2000007921428.html

Died last month

[Ulitzer95 12,690]

Really scraping the barrel here but he’d likely get a local obit if anyone wanted to play him in a deadpool...

 

Michael Barnbrook, former senior Met Police officer and BNP politician announces he’s in hospital with Loeffler’s endocarditis, a very rare form of heart disease.

 

50% of sufferers are dead within 2 years.

 

 

[Thatcher 2,419]

Frank Judd, former MP for Portsmouth North (previously West) 1966-1979, has died aged 86. He served as a Minister in Callaghan’s Government. 
 

Obituaries: BBC.

[MoneySavingExpt 43]

19 minutes ago, Thatcher said:

Frank Judd, former MP for Portsmouth North (previously West) 1966-1979, has died aged 86. He served as a Minister in Callaghan’s Government. 

Landslide?

[msc 18,490]

iirc either Willz or Ulitzer pointed out he had been announced as ill some point in the last two years.

[YoungWillz 21,081]

29 minutes ago, msc said:

iirc either Willz or Ulitzer pointed out he had been announced as ill some point in the last two years.

The Old Crem reported his taking ill in the Lords.

 

I have been promised an obit for Bob Howarth - but famous fuckers are dying every day now. I'd put money on him not obiting until June, if at all.

[Ulitzer95 12,690]

1 hour ago, Thatcher said:

Frank Judd, former MP for Portsmouth North (previously West) 1966-1979, has died aged 86. He served as a Minister in Callaghan’s Government. 

That's SEVEN UK MPs (1 current, 6 former) this month and we're just under 2/3 of the way through.