A friend of mine wrote a book about his life and forgot to make any mention of his wife. I have not fallen into that error and Gilly appears on page after page, not in order to buy peace at home but because she has played a central part in the story. Without her I would have got nowhere. So thank you, Gilly, from the bottom of my heart.
I am also enormously grateful to my children for putting up with all the inconveniences which come from having a politician for a father and for making me so proud of them.
I hope all those others who appear in the story feel I have done them justice. I think I have been very lucky to know them and I have received many kindnesses from them.
I give my heartfelt thanks to Jane Wilson, my secretary, without whom none of this would have been possible. In writing the book I have not had any diaries to rely on. Much of the content is based on memory. So if I have got the odd date wrong I hope I may be forgiven.