That time when I almost went to work at 10 Downing Street …
All this talk of activity in 10 Downing Street reminds me that, following the appointment of Jim Callaghan as Labour Prime Minister in 1976, I was offered a position in his Political Office at No 10.
Since it was a political post, it could not be paid by public funds and sufficient funding from trade unions was not forthcoming. So I remained a Special Adviser (or SpAd) to Merlyn Rees who soon moved from being Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to Home Secretary.
During my four years service with the Wilson/Callaghan Government, I never saw a single case of excessive drinking in Whitehall.