Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath Dies

Sir Edward Heath, the former Conservative prime minister whom Margaret Thatcher defeated for the leadership of the Tory party in 1975, died Sunday at his home in Salisbury. A week ago he had celebrated his eighty-ninth birthday. For obituaries, go here, here, here, and here. They make for interesting reading.

Interestingly, Ted Heath omitted all particulars of his political career from Who's Who. As W. F. Deedes pointed out here: “He must be the only prime minister in history to expunge all record of his political progress from a principal directory.” The obituary in the Guardian states: “Heath claimed to have visited every country in the world except North Korea, Bolivia and Paraguay. In many countries he was treated rather more respectfully than at home, where his candour was redefined as petulance by his critics.” And, as far as I can make out, Heath was likely the only twentieth century prime minister who died a virgin.