Heath, Edward

(1916–2005)

   Born the son of a carpenter, Edward Heath attended a state grammar school before gaining entry to Balliol College, University of Oxford. He entered the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Bexley in 1950 and from an early stage committed himself to the cause of European unity and an active role for Britain in Europe. He rose swiftly to become Chief Whip, the position he held at the time of the Suez crisis. Between 1961 and 1963, he conducted the first, abortive negotiations for Britain to join the European Economic Community (see European Union). In 1964, Prime Minister Douglas-Home rewarded his industry and obvious competence by making him President of the Board of Trade. In 1965, Heath won the party leadership, making him the first leader to come from a humble background in a party that was accustomed to being led by landowners and businessmen. It was hoped that he would land blows on the Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, but as an opposition leader he found it difficult to arouse popular enthusiasm, being noticeably ill-at-ease on television. In 1970, he won a surprise victory, advocating a distinctively rightwing economic programme. He soon found it necessary to reverse some of the ideas he had previously stressed, such as less government support for industry and rejection of any form of incomes policy. These and other ‘U-turns’ upset some rightwingers in the party who did not warm to his new and more consensual approach. The major achievement of Prime Minister Heath was gaining French acceptance for British membership of the European Economic Community from January 1973. Heath lost the general election of February 1974 and another shortly afterwards. He was defeated in a leadership challenge by Margaret Thatcher in 1975. After 1979, he was critical of Thatcherite attitudes and policies and was vocal in support of a more pro-European stance than the Prime Minister favoured. The relationship between them was at best cool, at worst distinctly frosty.

   See also: three-day week