Friends and colleagues rally to the defence of former PM
AS Wiltshire Police revealed its findings following the two-year Operation Conifer investigation, including a string of child sex abuse allegations, friends, supporters and former colleagues of the late prime minister rallied to his defence, with some offering statements which directly challenged the police findings.
Mark Dowland, member of Heath’s yacht crew
“I was a full-time member of Sir Edward Heath’s yacht crew, racing and sailing Morning Cloud between 1971 and 1980. I would have been on board the boat about 95 per cent of the time that she was raced and certainly 100 per cent of the time when Sir Edward was aboard. It would have been virtually impossible for Sir Edward to just turn up to take Morning Cloud for a sail without prior arrangement of the marina or yard staff.”
Olivia Seligman, sister of Lincoln Seligman, godson of Heath
“I knew Sir Edward Heath very well, and am one of the few people who frequently spent time with him, throughout my childhood and into adulthood. My mother and I talked frequently about what made Sir Edward tick. An extremely astute and experienced woman, she never once suggested to me that he had any sexual interests at all. My three brothers and I considered him to be part of our family as we were growing up in the 1950s and 1960s.” Penny Gummer, Heath’s secretary 1971-1977
“I travelled with Mr Heath often, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. At no time was he ever anything but kind, polite and considerate.
“Obviously while in No 10 he was never alone in the house, with people on duty both inside and out. To imagine that unknown people could enter the building without the knowledge of many people is naive in the extreme – or malicious.”
Peter Batey, Heath’s political private secretary, 1982-1986
“I knew Ted Heath for more than 25 years from the day I first met him when I was a 20-year-old student in 1978 through the period I worked for him (1982-6) until his death in 2005.
“I never knew him to have any sexual relationship of any kind or to show any sexual interest in or attention to anybody. His energies were focused on his passions of politics, music and the arts and ocean racing.
“Also, I do not see how he could have committed the type of alleged acts of which he has been accused without the police protection officers or his staff, including me, knowing.”
Lord Charles Aldington, family friend “Edward Heath was one of my parents’ closest friends, going back to the early Sixties when my father was a senior member of the Conservative Party.
“My own memory goes back to the early 1960s. Ted was a frequent guest at our home in Kent from my schooldays.
“Children have something of an animal sense for people’s instincts. Not only did he never show any sexual interest in myself or my younger sisters, but there was also never any feeling of discomfort or interests out of the ordinary.”
Lady Susan of Mar, worked for Heath from 1984 to 1989
“Not once did my colleagues, his driver or security officers express any concerns regarding Sir Edward’s behaviour nor did I hear any gossip about him, which one frequently did about other MPS.”