Churchill 1874-1965.

Sir Winston Churchill died 50 years ago today. I remember the day well as it was the only time I saw my father ever cry. I have a photograph of Churchill on my desk coming out of the Middlesex Hospital after he had had an operation. We are all in his debt. However as Jeremy Paxman said of him the other day 'he was an egotist and a charlatan who would be unelectable today'. He was a dictator in a democracy that needed him at that time, but he was kicked out in 1945 when we wanted to go back to being a democracy. He was as he said 'the lion that gave the British their roar'. Nevertheless there are few that would quibble with the poll that we had back in 2002 when his name topped the poll as the greatest Briton. He was sponsored by the late Mo Molam MP. His mighty figure still casts a shadow over our pygmy politicians today. They are often measured against him and come up short. Only Mrs T can stand next to him as a politician who changed the political weather and discourse.