I have been searching for steam engines. You see my grandfather, who died in 1917, before I was born, drove steam engines in the 19th century. On the census pages for 1881 and 1891 he is described as a steam engine driver, a very skilled operation. He certainly left home and was living with his sister in Edinburgh opposite the great engine depot at Meadowbank when 15. His sister had married an engine driver so this made an ideal place to learn. Eventually, after returning home for reasons unknown, he was found in Edinburgh, growing family with him, and probably, but I remain unclear here, probably worked for the NBR, the North British Railway. Incidentally, you see the arrogant English owners abuse of Scotland in that name! He was of course working as a general labourer b y 1901, this was either because of various family problems, his wife ended up in a lunatic asylum and one son died in mysterious circumstances, or he got sacked for the drinking. I wonder if he went home during his teenage years for similar activity? He did return to driving with the new Gas Works at Granton. There he worked the small loco used for moving tender of coal and whatever around the large yards. He left there we think because of drink. By this time his wife had died, he had remarried and by 1911 he had lost two more jobs, his wife, his home and his kids. He lived out his time for 6 years in the workhouse. The family, with my grandmother, moved to Granton by chance, and he met the kids once a week.
Why am I blethering about this?
Well I was searching for possible engines he could, maybe, possibly, have driven, and I wondered what he would have thought about the Prime Ministers of his day? He would have been born under the Premiership of Sir Robert Peel, way back in 1845. While a young man tasting beer in Edinburgh Lord John Russell, famous for opposing the Corn Laws, and encouraging the Reform Act, would have been exchanged for the Earl of Derby, and while puffing back and forward across Scotland and possibly Northern England he would have witnessed, if he cared, the antagonism of Benjamin Disraeli and the great William Gladstone, who was also the MP for Midlothian at the time. By the time he was reorganising his family, the eldest daughter really took over the mothers part very early, and settling in to a labouring job the 3rd Marquis of Salisbury was opposing home Rule in Ireland and supporting claiming as much as possible of Africa for the crown, and this while the Boer War of imperialist expansion continued. Arthur James Balfour declared little of interest at this time, not even commenting in granddad's success at the gas works. Henry Campbell Bannerman, a man who encouraged free school meals for children, Home Rule in Ireland, and led the Liberals to their last victory in the House in 1906, he merely snorted when he realised our patriarch had been dumped from another job. I am sure Henry Herbert Asquith, the last PM grandad would know, often considered drunk while on the front bench, would sympathise, though he never visited the workhouse.
For myself, I was born under the great Clement Attlee, a man who revolutionised the nation in a proper manner, first noticed Harold Macmillan, was old enough to understand Douglas-Home going down, and watching the rise of Harold Wilson, and keeping your eyes on Harold was always a good thing. Ted Heath, who took us into Europe in the hope of avoiding another war, Callaghan who also had served in one, and then Thatcher of whom the less said the better. John Major, decent but just a manager unable to cope with the Brexiteers, Tony Blair, who did many good things, all lost when he entered Iraq, and Gordon Brown, another decent man who came too late and was caught out by rising right wing nasties. Since then we have entered a new world. Attlee would not comprehend the depth of right wing anti-EU hatred. Thatcher herself would fail to understand why we left the EU when that is where the money is! And David Cameron, 'I went to Eton you know,' and Theresa May, (was she ever alive?) leave us with Boris Johnson.
The record for ministerial resignations was six. As I scribble this Cabinet Ministers, junior ministers, PPS, and various others have been resigning, five on one letter! By the time you notice this few will be left. However, unless he fails to find sufficient to form a cabinet Boris can stay, even if he loses a vote of no confidence. The royal house has little influence today publicly, however, as I understand it , the queen can step in and remove a PM and government in certain circumstances. This is not one duty she would enjoy, but maybe in the lying PMs case, she might offer a giggle.
5 pm, the resignation total stands at 32.
I will wait a wee while before posting, we may see more yet!
5:14. resignations stands at 35.
5:28. Count no 36.
Both the newly appointed Chancellor (chancer certainly) and the new Education Secretary have joined the senior MPs delegation in No 10 to tell Boris to go! That's loyalty.
17:53 Still only 36.
All awaiting Boris's response to the delegation.
