The October 1964 election is the first I can remember. I watched the Friday lunchtime coverage aged 7 on a black and white TV.
After 13 years of Tory Government since 1951 Labour won by the surprisingly small margin of four seats. Harold Wilson went on to win three further elections for Labour in 1966, and 1974, twice. He was arguably to date Labour’s most left-wing PM. His background was as a supporter of Nye Bevan. That said the competition for the title is at best very limited.
Tony Benn standing in Bristol increased his majority by 4,000 to 9,800.
He wrote in his diary ‘we’ve waited thirteen years for this’
It’s worth recalling that the changes that the 1964-70 Labour Governments brought about (despite many downsides) include things that are now a commonplace in British society, the legalisation of homosexuality, the legalisation of abortion (partially) and the end of the death penalty
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