A tired but happy Raphael Tuck took a few days off from politics at the weekend after romping to victory as Watford’s MP with his biggest ever majority. But the 64-year-old barrister was adamant that his health – he suffers from painful arthritis – would not force him out of politics soon.

“I’ve been physically affected for 16 years by this arthritis but there’s nothing wrong with my mental condition,” he commented.

The only thing that marred Mr Tuck’s victory was the narrow majority Labour achieved nationwide. He explained: “It is very bad because Mr Wilson cannot have another election in the near future.”

Although disappointed at not winning, Mr Tristan Garel-Jones, who was fighting for the Tories for the first time in the town, said that considering the national swing to Labour, the result was not unexpected.

But he was confident of the Tories’ chances in the next election. “The Liberals have peaked off and as far as Watford is concerned any alternative to the Socialists must be Conservative.”

[From the Watford Observer of October 18, 1974]