You clearly have a limited knowledge of his experience, largely from his latter years. He was actually a pretty centrist element in Labour, until his experience

You clearly have a limited knowledge of his experience, largely from his latter years. He was actually a pretty centrist element in Labour, until his experience as Postmaster General, Minister of Technology (delivering the Concorde), and other cabinet positions, made it clear to him how fundamentally undemocratic the British system was (and is). He then moved leftwards, and on many causes history proved him right - Iraq and Afghanistan to name a few, but also the need for abolition of the Lords, which continues to be plain to anyone who wants to see.