Politics in 1970's

Edward Heath

In 1965, Heath became Conservative Party leader - the first in modern times who was not from an upper-class background. He was presented as young and classless, he was respected but not particularly liked by the public. 

As a prime minister, his policies seemed muddled. He felt obliged to restrain public expenditure through deflationary policies, and to tackle increasing labour unrest by trying to reduce the power of trade unions. When faced with the muscle of the militant miners' union, however, Heath backed down, executing a 'u-turn' for which the Conservative Party's right wing never forgave him. Mass strikes continued, in parallel with ongoing violence in Northern Ireland. The 1974 General Election was inconclusive and Heath resigned as prime minister, to be replaced by Harold Wilson and a minority Labour government. The following year Thatcher replaced Heath as Conservative leader.



James Callaghan

Callaghan was British Labour prime minister from 1976 to 1979, years dominated by economic recession and industrial militancy which contributed to the election of the Conservatives and Labour's exclusion from office for the next 18 years.

James Callaghan made a decisive intervention against Barbara Castle's plans for a wages policy in 1969, a move that reinforced his credentials as a staunch ally of the trade unions, but also contributed to the unravelling of Labour's economic strategy in the 1970s.After serving as foreign secretary in 1974-1976, Callaghan succeeded Wilson as prime minister in 1976. He responded to Britain's deepening economic recession by adopting deflationary policies and cuts in public expenditure, which anticipated the monetarism of Margaret Thatcher after 1979.


Winter of Discontent

The phrase Winter of Discontent refers to the British winter of 1978-1979, when widespread strikes marked the largest stoppage of labour since the 1926 General Strike as the working classes and the Trade Unions rebelled against the Labour Party government of James Callaghan, the Prime Minister 1976-79.