Political Frailty

[Octopus of Odstock 1,855]

Wife of Ex-Illinois Governor George Ryan, Lura Lynn Ryan dies at 76.

 

I thought there was a first ladies thread but I couldnt find it. I think quite a few DDP teams picked her, and I saw this one coming, but left her off because I thought no way she'll get the obit.

 

Same here, but I also thought that about Harmon Killebrew. So I plumped for some Nigerian bloke I can't remember the name of.

[notaguest 16]

former president of Brazil Itamar Franco has died .Sadly no-one in the english speaking world cares so its a spanish obit

 

also the former leader of the alliance party in northern ireland Oliver Napier has died

 

that'll have to do for now

[time 7,948]

former president of Brazil Itamar Franco has died .Sadly no-one in the english speaking world cares so its a spanish obit

 

also the former leader of the alliance party in northern ireland Oliver Napier has died

 

that'll have to do for now

It would appear the BBC have been monitoring your input.

 

If I wore a hat, I'd take it off to you.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,855]

former president of Brazil Itamar Franco has died .Sadly no-one in the english speaking world cares so its a spanish obit

 

Portuguese. Brazillians speak Portuguese, not Spanish.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Otto von Habsburg, the would-be emperor of the once mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, has bowed out at the regal age of 98: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=227816

 

 

Incredible to think, he was born before the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the subsequent events that led to the Empire's destruction. Little did mum or dad know what was in store for them all when they were giving birth to him...

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Otto von Habsburg, the would-be emperor of the once mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, has bowed out at the regal age of 98: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=227816

 

 

Incredible to think, he was born before the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the subsequent events that led to the Empire's destruction. Little did mum or dad know what was in store for them all when they were giving birth to him...

 

Otto lived a good long life, and probably had a far more active and interesting one than he would have done if he'd become Emperor.

 

Though it's unlikely he would have become Emperor had Franz Ferdinand lived. FF had two sons who, at the time of his death were not allowed to inherit the throne (FF's wife wasn't Royal). As soon as old Franz Joseph died, FF would have likely changed the Habsburg Succession Law to allow his eldest son to become Crown Prince.

[Grim Up North 3,565]

Obama Dead!!

[VSBfromH 74]

Hosni Mubarak (b. 1928) said to still be ailing, however right now, given current events, question is will he die in office or will he end up in exile? Speculation that Egypt's long-standing regime may suffer the 'domino' effect spurred on by events in Tunisia, perhaps Mubarak will do his bit to 'move things along', after all is the kind of stress a sick octogenarian can do without.

 

Dr. Hans Blix (b. 1928) Swedish politician famously appointed by the UN to locate Iraqi WMDs and (obviously) failed to do so. Still active on the political scene apparently.

 

Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin (b. 1926)

Col. Gadaffi (b. 1942) doesn't look too well these days...anyone else reckon he and Diego Maradona look like long-lost brothers?

 

Rumours are circulating that Jiang Zemin has died. Being China, I wouldn't expect much clarification either way for some conseiderable time.

 

According to this article, as "Jiang" means river, searches on one of China’s most popular social media sites containing that word (e.g. searching for info on China's largest river, the Yagntze) came back with a message stating “According to the relevant laws, regulations and policies, the results of this search cannot be displayed.”

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Otto von Habsburg must have been important. His death and funeral now has it's own Wikipedia article.

 

Otto was an important person, just not as important as he imagined himself to be.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,288]

Juan Maria Bordaberry, 79, dictator of Uruguay in the 1970s, is in hospital with severe respiratory problems.

 

Juan Maria Bordaberry has died. He'll go on the DDP's list of the missed.

[notaguest 16]

Juan Maria Bordaberry, 79, dictator of Uruguay in the 1970s, is in hospital with severe respiratory problems.

 

Juan Maria Bordaberry has died. He'll go on the DDP's list of the missed.

He must have got over excited celebrating Uruguays victory over Argentina in the Copa America last night

[Windsor 2,142]

Juan Maria Bordaberry, 79, dictator of Uruguay in the 1970s, is in hospital with severe respiratory problems.

 

Juan Maria Bordaberry has died. He'll go on the DDP's list of the missed.

He must have got over excited celebrating Uruguays victory over Argentina in the Copa America last night

 

Or maybe he had serious medical condition.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Otto von Habsburg, the would-be emperor of the once mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, has bowed out at the regal age of 98: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=227816

 

 

Incredible to think, he was born before the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the subsequent events that led to the Empire's destruction. Little did mum or dad know what was in store for them all when they were giving birth to him...

 

Otto lived a good long life, and probably had a far more active and interesting one than he would have done if he'd become Emperor.

 

Though it's unlikely he would have become Emperor had Franz Ferdinand lived. FF had two sons who, at the time of his death were not allowed to inherit the throne (FF's wife wasn't Royal). As soon as old Franz Joseph died, FF would have likely changed the Habsburg Succession Law to allow his eldest son to become Crown Prince.

 

 

Apparently, a fascinating "Knocking Ceremony" has been held for Otto: http://fortnightlyreview.co.uk/2011/07/%C2...n-heavens-door/

 

I hadn't heard of this ritual but it is fairly cool.

[VSBfromH 74]

Magnus Malan

 

The South African Defence Minister during the latter part of the Apartheid era has died aged 81.

[notaguest 16]

Magnus Malan

 

The South African Defence Minister during the latter part of the Apartheid era has died aged 81.

The irony of him dying on Mandelas birthday will not b e lost on people in South Africa I';m sure..

[The Unknown Man 560]

James T. Molloy, the last Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives, has died at age 75.

[notaguest 16]

The prime minister of South Vietnam for 2 years during the Vietnam war Nguyen Cao Ky has died

[Magere Hein 1,397]

The prime minister of South Vietnam during the Vietnam war Nguyen Cao Ky has died

I think that should read: a prime minister of South Vietnam during the Vietnam war [...]

 

regards.

Hein

[notaguest 16]

The former president of Costa Rica Mario Echandi Jimenez has died at 96

[The Unknown Man 560]

Former U.S. Presidential advisor John Marburger has died aged 70 of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

[notaguest 16]

One of the last surviving members of Harold Wilsons cabinet Lord Richard Marsh has died at 83

[JR976evil 885]

One of the last surviving members of Harold Wilsons cabinet Lord Richard Marsh has died at 83

 

Er, the link you posted is only available to paying subscribers of The Times!

[notaguest 16]

One of the last surviving members of Harold Wilsons cabinet Lord Richard Marsh has died at 83

 

Er, the link you posted is only available to paying subscribers of The Times!

.Rupert Murdoch will curs e e for tdoing this but heres the article in full...

 

Minister of Transport in the late 1960s who quit the Commons to become chairman of British Rail

 

Richard Marsh was a minister in the Labour Government of Harold Wilson in the 1960s and chairman of British Rail from 1971 to 1976. After a rapid rise to ministerial and Cabinet rank he was, surprisingly, relegated to the back benches at the age of 41. He left the House of Commons in 1971 for the challenging role of chairman of the British Railways Board after which he acquired numerous company directorships, along with appointment to the chairmanship of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

 

Richard William Marsh was born in 1928, the son of a foundry worker. He was educated at Jennings School, Swindon, followed by Woolwich Polytechnic and Ruskin College, Oxford. He was an official with the National Union of Public Employees from 1951 to 1959 and a member of the clerical and administrative Whitley Council for the health service from 1953 to 1959.

 

Dick Marsh made a first, unsuccessful, attempt at a parliamentary career in 1951 when he contested Hertford for Labour. In 1959 he was elected for Greenwich. He made an early impact on the Commons. His success in the draw for Private Members’ Bills resulted in the passing of the Offices Act 1961, which extended to white-collar workers some of the legal safeguards which manual workers had long enjoyed.

 

As a young backbencher Marsh was regarded as a bright spark and he developed a reputation as a good speaker — lively, witty and often waspish. After a couple of parliamentary secretaryships in the mid-1960s he was appointed Minister of Power in 1966, a post in which his flair and ability soon became apparent through his promotion of the Bill renationalising the steel industry.

 

Exploitation of North Sea oil was another important matter for which he had ministerial responsibility and a pit closure programme cast him as one of the least favourite Labour politicians, certainly among the miners’ group of MPs.

 

Two years later Marsh was made Minister of Transport, inheriting from his predecessor, Barbara Castle, another troubled area of policy with a controversial Transport Bill awaiting him. Ports nationalisation, the fitting of tachometers in lorry cabs and the setting-up of the centralised computer system for vehicle licensing at Swansea were some of the controversial matters with which he had to deal, besides the inevitable round of bus and rail strikes.

 

At this time Marsh was being spoken of as a future Labour prime minister and in the light of his unquestioned ability and potential it came as a surprise when, in a ministerial reshuffle in 1969, Wilson relegated him to the back benches. In the customary exchange of letters on such occasions, Marsh wrote to Wilson: “As for my return to the back benches, I enjoyed it in the past and, having got over the initial surprise of my first redundancy, I am looking forward to an active period of life back on the shop floor.” Then, in typical Marsh style, he went off to celebrate his misfortune with a party. He was noted for his humour and irreverence.

 

Since the death of the Labour Party leader Hugh Gaitskell in 1963, he had become increasingly concerned at the party’s slide to the Left. His demotion added to his growing disenchantment and, after a change of government in 1970, to increasing frustration as an opposition backbencher.

 

He left Parliament in 1971 when, during Edward Heath’s premiership, he was appointed chairman of British Rail. There, faced with rationalising the system, he said: “My responsibility is to run a business, not a social service.” He managed to sell the board’s future strategy to the unions although they had reservations about the number of job losses in the modernisation programme.

 

Chairmanship of a major nationalised industry presented Marsh with a challenge he relished but, having changed sides, he came to believe that politicians should resist involvement in the day-to-day running of nationalised concerns. He found continuing interference a frustrating experience In l975, by which time Labour was back in power, he led the chairmen of other nationalised industries in talks with the Government to attempt to work out a new relationship with Whitehall which would reduce state intervention in their affairs. After five years as chairman he retired from the rail board, announcing that he did not wish to serve another term. Marsh was knighted in 1976, the year in which he succeeded Lord Goodman as chairman of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association (NPA). This appointment marked a departure from previous practice: he was the first chairman to come from outside the newspaper industry — even Goodman had had some newspaper experience as chairman of the Observer Trust. A previous chairman had earlier said that only a masochist could find involvement with the NPA in any way consoling. Marsh brought to it a suave efficiency, although by the time he took over it had already become a much less effective organisation than it once was.

 

From 1977 to 1982 Marsh was also chairman of the British Iron and Steel Consumers’ Council, an independent organisation that had been set up at the time of nationalisation to protect the interests of steel-using industries. Thus Marsh renewed an association with the steel industry started in his ministerial days.

 

In 1978 he announced that he would vote Conservative and became a supporter of Margaret Thatcher, who became Prime Minister in 1979. Marsh was made a life peer, Baron Marsh of Mannington in Wiltshire, in 1981 and sat on the crossbenches.

 

He was an amusing and friendly man — tall, athletic and youthful in appearance. He employed a technique for greeting people he had met before but couldn’t remember by asking: “So how’s the old trouble?” They always had something to say, although he was once confused when an old Cockney starting telling him about his wife.

 

Marsh had always mixed naturally with the wealthy and successful and found himself a congenial niche in the world of business. He amassed a clutch of directorships of companies whose interests varied from medical enterprises and technical components to the manufacture of jeans and casual wear. He acted as UK adviser to the Fujitec lift and escalator company and to Nissan, the car manufacturer, and was involved in that company’s plans to build plants in Britain. He was also one of the original investors in TV-am, the commercial breakfast television company, and in its early, troubled days in 1983 he became deputy chairman and then for a year was chairman when the original incumbent, Peter Jay, was ousted.

 

He published a volume of autobiography, Off the Rails, in 1978.

 

He was married three times. His first marriage, to Evelyn Andrews (“Andy”) — by whom he had two sons — was dissolved in 1973 after 23 years. His second wife, Caroline, died in 1975 after a car crash in Spain in which the wife of David Jacobs, the broadcaster, was also killed. Marsh and Jacobs both survived the accident. In 1979 he married Felicity, the daughter of Lord McFadzean of Kelvinside.

 

Lord Marsh, Labour MP for Greenwich 1959-71, and chairman of British Rail 1971-76, was born on March 14, 1928. He died on July 29, 2011, aged 83

[themaninblack 2,112]

One of the last surviving members of Harold Wilsons cabinet Lord Richard Marsh has died at 83

 

Er, the link you posted is only available to paying subscribers of The Times!

I'm trying to find a link to a free site

 

 

Try this...

[JR976evil 885]

One of the last surviving members of Harold Wilsons cabinet Lord Richard Marsh has died at 83

 

Er, the link you posted is only available to paying subscribers of The Times!

.Rupert Murdoch will curs e e for tdoing this but heres the article in full...

 

Minister of Transport in the late 1960s who quit the Commons to become chairman of British Rail

 

Richard Marsh was a minister in the Labour Government of Harold Wilson in the 1960s and chairman of British Rail from 1971 to 1976. After a rapid rise to ministerial and Cabinet rank he was, surprisingly, relegated to the back benches at the age of 41. He left the House of Commons in 1971 for the challenging role of chairman of the British Railways Board after which he acquired numerous company directorships, along with appointment to the chairmanship of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

 

Richard William Marsh was born in 1928, the son of a foundry worker. He was educated at Jennings School, Swindon, followed by Woolwich Polytechnic and Ruskin College, Oxford. He was an official with the National Union of Public Employees from 1951 to 1959 and a member of the clerical and administrative Whitley Council for the health service from 1953 to 1959.

 

Dick Marsh made a first, unsuccessful, attempt at a parliamentary career in 1951 when he contested Hertford for Labour. In 1959 he was elected for Greenwich. He made an early impact on the Commons. His success in the draw for Private Members’ Bills resulted in the passing of the Offices Act 1961, which extended to white-collar workers some of the legal safeguards which manual workers had long enjoyed.

 

As a young backbencher Marsh was regarded as a bright spark and he developed a reputation as a good speaker — lively, witty and often waspish. After a couple of parliamentary secretaryships in the mid-1960s he was appointed Minister of Power in 1966, a post in which his flair and ability soon became apparent through his promotion of the Bill renationalising the steel industry.

 

Exploitation of North Sea oil was another important matter for which he had ministerial responsibility and a pit closure programme cast him as one of the least favourite Labour politicians, certainly among the miners’ group of MPs.

 

Two years later Marsh was made Minister of Transport, inheriting from his predecessor, Barbara Castle, another troubled area of policy with a controversial Transport Bill awaiting him. Ports nationalisation, the fitting of tachometers in lorry cabs and the setting-up of the centralised computer system for vehicle licensing at Swansea were some of the controversial matters with which he had to deal, besides the inevitable round of bus and rail strikes.

 

At this time Marsh was being spoken of as a future Labour prime minister and in the light of his unquestioned ability and potential it came as a surprise when, in a ministerial reshuffle in 1969, Wilson relegated him to the back benches. In the customary exchange of letters on such occasions, Marsh wrote to Wilson: “As for my return to the back benches, I enjoyed it in the past and, having got over the initial surprise of my first redundancy, I am looking forward to an active period of life back on the shop floor.” Then, in typical Marsh style, he went off to celebrate his misfortune with a party. He was noted for his humour and irreverence.

 

Since the death of the Labour Party leader Hugh Gaitskell in 1963, he had become increasingly concerned at the party’s slide to the Left. His demotion added to his growing disenchantment and, after a change of government in 1970, to increasing frustration as an opposition backbencher.

 

He left Parliament in 1971 when, during Edward Heath’s premiership, he was appointed chairman of British Rail. There, faced with rationalising the system, he said: “My responsibility is to run a business, not a social service.” He managed to sell the board’s future strategy to the unions although they had reservations about the number of job losses in the modernisation programme.

 

Chairmanship of a major nationalised industry presented Marsh with a challenge he relished but, having changed sides, he came to believe that politicians should resist involvement in the day-to-day running of nationalised concerns. He found continuing interference a frustrating experience In l975, by which time Labour was back in power, he led the chairmen of other nationalised industries in talks with the Government to attempt to work out a new relationship with Whitehall which would reduce state intervention in their affairs. After five years as chairman he retired from the rail board, announcing that he did not wish to serve another term. Marsh was knighted in 1976, the year in which he succeeded Lord Goodman as chairman of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association (NPA). This appointment marked a departure from previous practice: he was the first chairman to come from outside the newspaper industry — even Goodman had had some newspaper experience as chairman of the Observer Trust. A previous chairman had earlier said that only a masochist could find involvement with the NPA in any way consoling. Marsh brought to it a suave efficiency, although by the time he took over it had already become a much less effective organisation than it once was.

 

From 1977 to 1982 Marsh was also chairman of the British Iron and Steel Consumers’ Council, an independent organisation that had been set up at the time of nationalisation to protect the interests of steel-using industries. Thus Marsh renewed an association with the steel industry started in his ministerial days.

 

In 1978 he announced that he would vote Conservative and became a supporter of Margaret Thatcher, who became Prime Minister in 1979. Marsh was made a life peer, Baron Marsh of Mannington in Wiltshire, in 1981 and sat on the crossbenches.

 

He was an amusing and friendly man — tall, athletic and youthful in appearance. He employed a technique for greeting people he had met before but couldn’t remember by asking: “So how’s the old trouble?” They always had something to say, although he was once confused when an old Cockney starting telling him about his wife.

 

Marsh had always mixed naturally with the wealthy and successful and found himself a congenial niche in the world of business. He amassed a clutch of directorships of companies whose interests varied from medical enterprises and technical components to the manufacture of jeans and casual wear. He acted as UK adviser to the Fujitec lift and escalator company and to Nissan, the car manufacturer, and was involved in that company’s plans to build plants in Britain. He was also one of the original investors in TV-am, the commercial breakfast television company, and in its early, troubled days in 1983 he became deputy chairman and then for a year was chairman when the original incumbent, Peter Jay, was ousted.

 

He published a volume of autobiography, Off the Rails, in 1978.

 

He was married three times. His first marriage, to Evelyn Andrews (“Andy”) — by whom he had two sons — was dissolved in 1973 after 23 years. His second wife, Caroline, died in 1975 after a car crash in Spain in which the wife of David Jacobs, the broadcaster, was also killed. Marsh and Jacobs both survived the accident. In 1979 he married Felicity, the daughter of Lord McFadzean of Kelvinside.

 

Lord Marsh, Labour MP for Greenwich 1959-71, and chairman of British Rail 1971-76, was born on March 14, 1928. He died on July 29, 2011, aged 83

 

Think he's got slightly bigger issues to worry about right now. He certainly won't offer you a job as a proofreader