Ted Heath’s closest friend: Former PM was ‘completely asexual’
One of Ted Heath’s closest friends has hit out at reports that he was gay or a paedophile – claiming he was “not sexual”.
The Tory politician – one of only four British Prime Ministers never to have married – was PM from 1970 until 1974.
Rumours about his sexuality have consistently swirled both before and after his death in 2005, with many – reportedly including Margaret Thatcher – believing that Heath was gay.
However, earlier this month claims emerged that Heath “preyed on vulnerable young men” while an MP – and six police forces are now appealing for any victims to come forward.
Today Sara Morrison – one of his closest friends – told the Independent on Sunday that the former PM was not interested in sex.
She said: “I am mystified as to why this has all come up now, and from such diverse police forces, and am confident there is no substance to any of it.
“Ted was simply not a sexual being, simply not interested.”
“I later asked Ted and he effectively said that he was sexless. I forget the actual term he used, but in saying that he seemed to be stating something we both knew didn’t need saying.”
It comes after Lord Armstrong of Ilminster – Heath’s principal private secretary as PM – said: “I knew him for 35 years, I worked very closely with him while he was prime minister, and we remained friends for the rest of his life.
“You usually detect some sense of sexuality when you are friends or work closely with them. I think he was completely asexual. There are some people like that and I think he was one of them.”
So far, one man has come forward to claim he was raped by Heath at the age of 12, in 1961.
But the former sex worker who allegedly sparked the child abuse scandal has said said the former Prime Minister was “not a paedophile…just an old, sad, gay man”.
