The art of answering the political heckle from Harold Wilson to Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer was heckled during his leaders speech to the Labour conference in Brighton. That was a little odd because this was not a public meeting but a ticketed affair.
Starmer stumbled on at least one heckle but did manage a riposte which got the largely friendly audience on his side. He is on a political learning curve so he deserves some credit. At the same time he has a way to go before he can match the master of the post-1945 response to political heckling Harold Wilson.
Starmer, Brighton, 2021
Sir Keir Starmer asked “shouting slogans or changing lives conference?” as he was heckled at his first party conference as leader of the Labour Party.
Harold Wilson, Birmingham,1966
Wilson was talking about his public expenditure plans when a heckler cried, “What about Vietnam?” – the burning issue of the day. “The government has no plans to increase public expenditure in Vietnam,” rejoined Wilson. Heckler: “Rubbish!” Wilson: “I’ll come to your special interest in a minute, sir.”
The key to it is both an immediate response, but also a witty one that demeans the heckler.
I’m no great fan of either man, but in a democracy, both heckling and responses to it have a role to play
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