Thread by @docrussjackson

FUN FACT:

Before he became PM, Clement Attlee fended off an attempt by his rival, Herbert Morrison, to seize the premiership before Attlee could see the king & accept the commission to form a government. Herbert Morrison was Peter Mandelson's grandad! 🤯

history.blog.gov.uk/2014/03/11/cle…

During WWII, some MPs believed that Herbert Morrison - who in 1943 controversially decided to order Oswald Mosley's release from prison - should replace Clement Attlee as leader of the Labour Party.

The leader of the plot was his 'mistress' & fellow Labour MP, Ellen Wilkinson.

A fellow Cabinet Minister, Hugh Dalton, wrote in his diary on 28th October, 1942. "Ellen Wilkinson came to dine with me... She is still a most devoted worshipper of Herbert Morrison, & puts me second. What she would like would be Morrison to lead the Party & me to be his deputy."

"She would like us two to go into the War Cabinet, putting out Attlee & Cripps. The difficulty about all such plans is that the right moment never arrives to put them into execution!"

Emanuel Shinwell warned Attlee, when he promoted Ellen Wilkinson to Minister of Education:

"I mentioned to Attlee that a number of plotters had been given jobs. He laughed, perfectly well aware of what had been going on. It is not bad tactics to make one's enemies one's servants."

History eh!