Jack Ashley's Journey Into Silence
It began 49 years ago in the Lancashire town of Widnes and took Jack Ashley , by twists and turns, from unskilled labourer at the age of 14 to Britain's youngest town councillor at 21; from crane-driving to Ruskin College, Oxford, and then to Cambridge where he became President of the Union: from the BBC to Westminster; from potential Minister to the verge of resigning his seat because of sudden and permanent deafness.
The story of his fight to become and then to remain an effective Member of Parliament is told by GEORGE SCOTT with the help of Jack Ashley, his wife Pauline (seen above), and other members of his family.
Other contributors include:
LORD MAYBRAY-KING, former Speaker of the House of Commons; RT HON MICHAEL STEWART , mp: DAVID BLEAKLEY , former Minister for Community Relations, Government of N Ireland; SIR ALBERT BENNETT ; LIONEL ELVIN , former Principal of Ruskin College; PROFESSORS STANLEY DENNISON , PETER TOWN-SEND, and FRANK HARRISON ; NORMAN ST JOHN-STEVAS , MP. Producer MICHAEL EMBER