TUC: Leslie Gilbert Illingworth, published in the Daily Mail 14th April 1969. SOURCE: http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/15222 (Accessed 15th Jan 2009).

Yacht being sunk by TUC octopus. Relates to the Industrial Relations Bill initiated in the UK in 1969. The people in it are: Harold Wilson (1916- 1995), Barbara Castle(1910- 2002), Reginald Maudling (1917- 1979), Edward Heath(1916- 2005)¹. Castle and Wilson (Labour party) are in the water with the TUC octopus and, Heath (big nose) and Maudling (glasses) – both Conservative/Tory party – are in the ‘Morning Cloud’ ². The ‘Morning Cloud’ was Edward Heath’s private yacht. As it sails from octopus infested waters into what looks like a storm.

The Labour Party lost the general election in 1970, just over a year after this cartoon was published.

Footnotes:

1. British Cartoon Archive, http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/15222
2. I am not sure who the other two people in the boat are: one might be Anthony Barber: photo –http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?mkey=mw85762