Harold Wilson, who served as Prime Minister during the 1960s and 1970s, sold his personal and political papers to fund his care in his later years, as revealed by
documents from the National Archives. Suffering from Alzheimer's and facing substantial care costs, Lord Wilson initially planned to sell his archive to McMaster University in Canada for £212,500 (approximately £700,000 today).
This proposal alarmed senior officials in Margaret Thatcher’s government. In January 1990, Cabinet Secretary Sir Robin Butler notified another official that Lady Marcia Falkender, Wilson’s former secretary, was arranging the sale. The proceeds were intended to support the financially struggling Wilsons.
Officials in the Cabinet Office were opposed to the sale, pointing out that the papers were subject to the 30-year rule, which kept government documents closed to the public for a period before their release. The Thatcher government had previously resisted the publication of claims that MI5 had plotted against Wilson. Sending the papers to Canada would have circumvented this rule.
McMaster University sought papers from Wilson’s terms as Prime Minister (1964-1970 and 1974-1976). Sir Robin Butler believed their export would cause public concern, while Andrew Turnbull, Mrs. Thatcher’s principal private secretary, objected on ethical grounds, arguing that the papers were part of national history and not Wilson’s to sell.
Efforts to find domestic financial support for the Wilsons included exploring "special funds" available to the current Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Pension Scheme's Hardship Fund. A proposed pension increase of £5,000 per year was welcomed by the Wilsons but was significantly less than the Canadian offer.
Lady Falkender argued that the funds from the sale were essential, comparing the sale to liquidating other personal assets. However, by July 1991, an alternative was found. Anonymous donors enabled the Bodleian Library in Oxford to purchase the papers, ensuring they remained in the UK. The funds were directed to a trust for the Wilsons' benefit.
Before this resolution, Wilson stored his archive in the basement of a National Car Parks building, courtesy of a supportive chairman. Harold Wilson passed away in 1995 at the age of 79. Photo by Allan warren, Wikimedia commons.