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► Harold Wilson

Harold Wilson      <--back-

Harold Wilson served as Prime Minister of the UK for eight years, and leader of the Labour Party for thirteen. Although he was very successful in many ways, Harold Wilson was unfortunate in that he came to power just as Britain was falling apart. He is most often remembered by the public and the press as the man who was  ultimately responsible for the Winter of discontent.

Early Life

Harold Wilson was born in Huddersfield in 1916 to a middle-class political family. His father was a Liberal, and later a Labour politician. Through a mix of grants he was able to attend Oxford University, where he studied Modern History before switching to PPE. Like many other Labour contemporaries he graduated with a first class degree, and went straight into lecturing. He became an Oxford Don at the age of 21. He served as an academic until WWII, when he volunteered for the military. However, the government classed him as a 'specialist', and put him in charge of managing the coal industry instead.

Member of Parliament

Wilson stood for election in the Parliamentary seat of Ormskirk in 1945, winning as part of the landslide victory of that year. He was immediately made a government Minister for public works. He became known as a left-winger in the Labour Party, and resigned along with Nye Bevan after charged were introduced to the NHS to pay for the Korean war.

In opposition he was a clear and witty speaker, and used his role as shadow chancellor well. However, his politics were not clearly defined, as he had in the past supported both the left (Bevan) and the right (Gaitskell) of the party. As a result, he was not well trusted at first, and was defeated in an attempt to take the leadership in 1960 and the deputy leadership in 1962. However, when Gaitskell died suddenly in 1963 he won clearly. At party conference the following year, he made it clear he would be embracing modern technology, rather than clinging to Britain's industrial past. He led Labour to a four-seat majority in '64.

Prime Minister

Wilson's four seat majority was not sufficient to rule, so eighteen months later a second election was held, when Labour won a further ninety-two seats. Wilson's term in office allowed many reforms to be introduced, including the legalisation of homosexuality, divorce reform and the ending of capital punishment. In terms of foreign policy, Wilson declined to join the Vietnam War, even in a token sense. He also finished Attlee's dismantlement of the colonies, removing British forces from their Asian bases. Economically however, the government was wracked with strife. The Unions revolted regularly, and month long strikes were common. Coupled with the devaluation of the pound, and Wilson's failure to successfully tackle Union-restricting legislature, this laid the foundations for the 18 years of Tory rule which was to follow shortly after he stepped down.

In 1970 Wilson fell from power, but was re-elected in '74 after Heath failed to form a coalition. His second term was torn by the troubles in Northern Ireland. Wilson was forced to deploy the army to protect Utilities and stem violence. At Home Wilson introduced comprehensive education, and began to open new Universities in an attempt to build an education economy.

Wilson resigned as the British Prime Minister in March 1976, for reasons of ill health. He remained as an MP until 1983, when Alzheimers finally forced him to retire. He died in 1995, aged 79.

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