Harold Wilson

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Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (March 11, 1916 - May 24, 1995) was one of the more successful Labour Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and a 1960s icon.

The Lord Wilson of Rievaulx
Image:Haroldwilson.jpg
Terms in Office:16 October, 1964 - 19 June, 1970
6 March, 1974 - 5 April, 1976
PM Predecessor:Alec Douglas-Home
Edward Heath
PM Successor:Edward Heath
James Callaghan
Date of Birth:11 March 1916
Place of Birth:Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Political Party:Labour

Contents

Birth and Early Life

Born in Huddersfield in 1916, the same year as his great rival, Edward Heath, Wilson studied at University College, Oxford and is regarded by many as probably one of the more intellectual politicians of the century. Wilson was a lecturer in economics, assisted William Beveridge, and worked as a wartime civil servant before entering Parliament. He became Labour MP for Ormskirk in 1945, and after boundary changes in 1950 represented Huyton, a suburb of Liverpool.

He was appointed to the Government immediately on election, and set a record as the youngest Cabinet member in the century when appointed President of the Board of Trade in 1947. However, he was one of three Ministers (led by Aneurin Bevan) who resigned from the government in 1951 in protest at the introduction of NHS medical charges in order to meet the financial demands imposed on the budget by the Korean War.

Although other supporters of Bevan formed a semi-organised faction in the Labour Party, Wilson swiftly distanced himself from them, and he was soon restored to a leading position in the shadow Cabinet. As Shadow Chancellor in 1956 he attacked "the gnomes of Zurich", a term he coined to describe Swiss bankers, who he said were pushing the pound down with speculation. He was still identified with the Left and unsuccessfully challenged the Leader Hugh Gaitskell in 1960.

Following Gaitskell's sudden death in January 1963, he was elected to lead the party. Wilson coordinated Labour's response to the Profumo Affair, and made a notable speech to the Labour Party conference later in 1963 in which he claimed "the Britain that will be forged in the white heat of (the scientific and technical) revolution will have no place for restrictive practices and outdated measures on either side of industry". This speech did much to set Wilson's reputation as a classless technocrat.

Prime Minister

In 1964, Wilson narrowly won the general election with a majority of 5 and became prime minister. This was not sufficient to last for a full term and after a short period of competent government, in March 1966 he won re-election with a landslide majority of 99.

He was soon a familiar figure, known for his pipe-smoking, his Gannex raincoat, and his habit of taking holidays in the Scilly Isles. As prime minister, his opponents accused him of deviousness, especially over the matter of devaluation of the pound in November 1967. Wilson had rejected devaluation for many years, and in his broadcast had seemed to present it as a triumph.

Overseas, Wilson was troubled by crises in several of Britain's former colonies, especially Rhodesia and South Africa. Wilson gave diplomatic support but resisted pressure for military support to America in the Vietnam War.

In addition to the damage done to its reputation by devaluation, Wilson's government suffered from the perception that its response to industrial relations problems was inadequate and by 1969 the Labour Party was suffering serious mid-term electoral reverses. In June 1970, Wilson responded to an apparent recovery in his government's popularity by calling a general election, but, to the surprise of almost all observers, was swept from power on a tide of anti-Labour feeling. Despite the shock defeat, Wilson survived as leader of the party and returned to Downing Street in 1974, after his successor, Heath, had failed to deal adequately with similar problems to those he had faced.

Image:Harold wilson.jpg

Wilson coined the term Selsdon Man to refer to the anti-interventionist policies of the Conservative leader Edward Heath developed at the Selsdon Park Hotel in early 1970. This phrase is the genesis of the habit of British political commentators of describing political developments by suffixing the word man (eg Essex Man), comparable with the (originally American) practice of identifying scandals by suffixing the word gate. Other memorable phrases attributed to Wilson include the comment he made to attempt to reassure the British public after the 1967 devaluation of the pound: "This does not mean that the pound here in Britain -- in your pocket or purse -- has been devalued less...", usually now quoted as "the pound in your pocket".

Resignation

On March 16, 1976, Wilson shocked the nation by announcing his resignation as prime minister and his intention to retire from politics altogether. He claimed that this was a step he had always planned to take when he reached the age of sixty and that he was physically and mentally exhausted. In reality he was probably aware that he was suffering from the first stages of early-onset Alzheimer's disease as both his memory and powers of concentration, which up until this point had been excellent, were now starting to fail him drastically.

Six candidates stood in the first ballot to replace him Tony Benn, James Callaghan, Anthony Crosland, Michael Foot, Denis Healey and Roy Jenkins. Jenkins was initially tipped as the favourite but only came third on the initial ballot. In the final ballot, on the evening of 5 April, Callaghan defeated Foot by 176-137 parliamentary votes and became Wilson's successor as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. Wilson regarded the foundation of the Open University as his own greatest achievement.

Wilson remained an MP until 1983 when he was created Lord Wilson of Rievaulx.

Death

Not long after Wilson's retirement, his mental deterioration from Alzheimer's disease began to be apparent. He rarely appeared in public after 1985 and died in 1995.

MI5 plot?

The book Spycatcher (an expos� of MI5) alleged that 30 MI5 agents had collaborated in an attempt to undermine Wilson. The author Peter Wright (a former member of MI5) later claimed that his ghostwriter had written 30 when he had meant 3. Most of Wright's claims are not widely believed.

Harold Wilson's Second Government March 1974 - April 1976

Changes

  • June 1975 - Fred Mulley succeeds Reginald Prentice as Secretary for Education and Science. Prentice becomes Secretary for Overseas Development. Tony Benn succeeds Eric Varley as Secretary for Energy. Varley succeeds Benn as Secretary for Industry.
Preceded by:
Hugh Gaitskell 		Leader of the British Labour Party
1963-1976 		Followed by:
James Callaghan
Preceded by:
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 		Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
1964-1970 		Followed by:
Edward Heath
Preceded by:
Edward Heath 		Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
1974-1976 		Followed by:
James Callaghan

See also


References

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