Notes

How useful is this speech to an historian studying the 1964 election?

Wilson performed his speech to Birmingham Town Hall which is a public venue. Therefore, he was talking to both members of the labour and conservative party. This is useful as he was speaking to persuade to the Tories to vote for the labour party, then to the labour party to believe in his leadership to carry them to winning the general election. In result, there may be exaggeration of issues like 'dark ages of poverty' and fabrication of Conservative failure to ensure gain voters. Moreover, Wilson had an evocation of optimism with Britain moving away from austerity in Macmillan 'age of affluence' to a slow economy with a low productivity rate which is lacking behind West Germany and France. Wilson's confident tone throughout the speech demonstrates that Wilson and labour aren't weak despite being out of power for 13 years. The date of this speech is January 1964. The purpose therefore is to secure voters to win the election which was in October. Being a speech itself has limitations as it would be massively rehearsed to reflect the best angles of the labour party, not totally reflecting to an historian Wilsons full agenda nor some truth.

The speech itself does outline some of Wilsons agenda and focus which is on a 'new Britain' and new image of socialism. This shows how he wanted to focus on modernising the country forward even more as the 'worlds rushing forward.' He refers to how the labour will target specifically science and technology which they later do try to enforce when they win the election with employing Frank Cousins the minister of technology. Wilson additionally says there is a 'chance to sweep away the grouse moor conception of Tory leadership.' This refers to the Conservative previous leader Alec Douglas Home who took over Harold Macmillan in 1963. Home was chosen as the Prime Minister by the establishment and the Queen. This shows to an historian that Wilson wanted meritocracy as he wanted the 'new image' of Britain to be about socialism and not about wealth.