MARCIA WILLIAMS: The Life and Times of Baroness Falkender

By sheer force of her personality, Marcia Williams was a pioneering woman who defied the expectations of her era and whose life in the Harold Wilson government is jaw dropping. The book is a brilliant take on power, political intrigue and old-fashioned sexism, and has this changed or does it still linger in the corridors of power? Previously anything we knew about Marcia Williams was told by the men she had offended, but McDougall brings nuance to the story for all interested in how working women's lives have changed since the 1970s, in or out of politics. Marcia is here given the political status she deserves as a clever politician, an ultrasmart strategist, and a political secretary who was at least as astute as the Prime Minister with whom she formed such a formidable partnership. Her biography is gripping with its knowledge of government, its picture of emotional dynamics of Downing Street, and its sensational claim that Marcia might have been drugged by Wilson's own doctor. Marcia Williams was the first ever female political adviser to a Prime Minister and was said to have a powerful grip on her boss. She masterminded Wilson's multiple election victories, but misogyny, jealousy, a shocking private life and accusations of money-grubbing and bribery all contributed to her reputation as a public nuisance. There is no doubt she was outspoken and forthright, and by contemporary standards was deeply unconventional, but critics failed to see that she and Wilson were politically wedded to each other. This fascinating biography has been updated regarding Wilson's Downing Street affair with Janet Hewlett-Davies. 301 page paperback, photos.