Wilson is no stranger to 10 Downing Street, where he spent six years as Prime Minister during the 1960s. But this time he has the added burden of heading a government he cannot fully control: his party commands only 301 of the 635 seats in the House of Commons. So he must make deals for the other 17 seats necessary to govern. A successful minority government of this sort has not existed in Great Britain for 45 years.
Wilson's most natural ally is Jeremy Thorpe, who heads the small but statistically significant Liberal Party, which won 14 seats. The Labourites and Liberals share some goals, such as stronger price controls, but disagree on some significant issues too—the Common Market, for one, which the Liberals favor and Wilson in particular disapproves of. More immediate to Wilson's survival is a quick solution to Britain's crushing labor problems. Unless striking coal miners can be coaxed back into the pits, Wilson may soon find himself back in Great Missenden preparing for new elections.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
