Callaghan, Jim

January 15th, 2006 by JCB
Posted in Obituaries | No Comments »

Jim Callaghan

I was saddened to find that nobody had bothered to comment on the passing of our past President Jim Callaghan. I supposed that bigger fish than I would oblige. I cannot say that as an Executive Committee member “Jim and I” were an item but it was my first experience of meeting a real politician. Jim Callaghan liked being our President and helped the UKPA in more ways than one and probably the most important use of his influence was to do with the Pilots National Pension Fund. The PNPF was in its infancy and the Inland Revenue was loath to concede that pilots could have any pension scheme except a private self-employed fund. We argued, rightfully, with the Letch Agreement in mind, that although technically self-employed we did not have control of our income in the true self-employed sense.

Stalemate ensued until, I believe, a quiet word with Jim seems to have passed down the line to the Inland Revenue and our claims on income and taxation were finally allowed. Many pilots, both retired and working, are in Jim Callaghan’s debt regarding their pensions.

He was a professional politician in every sense of the word, no doubt told lies with aplomb and never used one word when two would do. He was also a smoothie, at one Annual Conference he greeted each arriving delegate personally, his “Good evening Mr and Mrs Godden” without a prompt will not be forgotten. How did he remember who I was – no badges in those days? The UKPA was fortunate in their choice.

Dan McMillan

I am surprised that you received no input about Lord Callaghan as I thought that others, like Frank Berry, had a fund of information. I thought that you would have received many letters concerning his pilotage involvement because I have many anecdotes. His assistance in preventing the “Shell Agreement” in London where Shell wanted to license their own pilots from Sea to Berth was more than helpful to the London Pilots – Trinity House, as usual, did nothing to help. He was also instrumental in getting the Pilots National Pension Fund into its present form by intervening and dealing with the Income Tax Authorities and also with Trinity House who at the time wanted to retain control.

John Godden