A lecture from The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP 'Harold Wilson - Statesman and Visionary';

On Thursday 3 November 2016, Veteran Labour politician The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP delivered the Inaugural Harold Wilson Lecture entitled ‘Harold Wilson – Statesman and Visionary’.

The sell-out audience heard him reflect on Wilson’s impact both as Prime Minister and Chancellor of University of Bradford.

It would have been Wilson’s centenary year and this is the second lecture Alan has given that celebrates his political career. As Labour leader, he won four of the five general elections he contested, and enacted social reforms in education, health, housing, gender equality, price controls, pensions, provisions for disabled people and child poverty. His last speech in parliament in 1981 was about Bradford.

The lecture was attended by son and daughter in law of Harold Wilson, Robin and Joy, and many colleagues and admirers of Wilson including Baroness Ann Taylor, Baroness Haleh Afshah, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress and Sir James Hill.

Alan also spent some time in a Q&A session with students from the Institution and shared his thoughts on Brexit, current affairs and the role of politicians today.