In the News
Death of Shirley Williams - Co-Founder of the SDP
12th April 2021
Shirley Williams, a former Labour Cabinet Minister and a co-Founder of the Social Democratic Party has dies at the age of 90.
The BBC here provides an obituary of one of the dominant figures in British Politics during the turbulent 1970s and early 1980s. She was one of the few female cabinet ministers during this time and achieved positions such as the Minister for Prices during and after the global oil price shock in 1973-75 and also as Education Secretary.
We've brought together a selection of tweets responding to news of her passing.
Shirley Williams was a brilliant speaker and a brave one..at the heart of many epic political battles she held her ground. For a time H Wilson saw her as a future Labour leader. He was an admirer though she often challenged him.She stood out in the era of big political figures.
— steve richards (@steverichards14) April 12, 2021
Another extraordinary thing about Shirley Williams. As prisons minister, in 1966, she wanted to find out what life was really like for women inside: so she persuaded the authorities to lock her up in Holloway on a pretended prostitution charge. Who would do that now?
— Andrew Marr (@AndrewMarr9) April 12, 2021
Very sad Shirley Williams has died. I was lucky to be taught by her at Harvard and to forge a friendship across the political divide in politics. Kind, eclectic with the sharpest of minds she was a female pioneer and a giant of the political centre ground https://t.co/A3zh9T5HhS
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) April 12, 2021
Very sad Shirley Williams has died. I was lucky to be taught by her at Harvard and to forge a friendship across the political divide in politics. Kind, eclectic with the sharpest of minds she was a female pioneer and a giant of the political centre ground https://t.co/A3zh9T5HhS
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) April 12, 2021
Shirley Williams has died aged 90. In 2014, Vince Cable wrote in the New Statesman that "there is probably no one alive who has done more than her to define and shape British social democracy". https://t.co/DnzVMJMA6m pic.twitter.com/OfHtWfS4S1
— New Statesman (@NewStatesman) April 12, 2021
‘Liberal lion’ Shirley Williams dies aged 90 https://t.co/ZzkuB53rDQ
— Financial Times (@FT) April 12, 2021
Geoff Riley
Geoff Riley FRSA has been teaching Economics for over thirty years. He has over twenty years experience as Head of Economics at leading schools. He writes extensively and is a contributor and presenter on CPD conferences in the UK and overseas.