Joe Haines, Harold Wilson's Press Secretary and Controversial Journalist, Dies at 97

Haines, known for his loyalty to Wilson and later Robert Maxwell, left a complex legacy as a political journalist and memoirist.

Joe Haines served as Harold Wilson’s press secretary from 1969 to 1976, becoming the first overtly partisan news manager at 10 Downing Street.
Haines revealed late in life that Wilson had a secret affair with Janet Hewlett-Davies, a claim he kept private until both parties had passed away.
After his tenure with Wilson, Haines joined the Daily Mirror and later became a close aide to Robert Maxwell, despite initially opposing Maxwell’s takeover of the paper.
Haines’s memoirs, including 'The Politics of Power,' were both sensational and divisive, particularly for their portrayal of Wilson's relationship with Marcia Williams (Lady Falkender).
Throughout his career, Haines was both admired for his writing and work ethic and criticized for his abrasive style and controversial alliances.