James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson o Rievaulx, KG OBE PC FRS FSS (11 Mairch 1916 – 24 Mey 1995) wis a Breetish Labour Pairty politeecian who served as the Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick frae 1964 tae 1970 an 1974 tae 1976.


The Laird Wilson o Rievaulx

Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick
In office
4 Mairch 1974 – 5 Aprile 1976
MonarchElizabeth II
Precedit biEdward Heath
Succeedit biJames Callaghan
In office
16 October 1964 – 19 Juin 1970
MonarchElizabeth II
Precedit biAlec Douglas-Home
Succeedit biEdward Heath
Leader o the Opposeetion
In office
19 Juin 1970 – 4 Mairch 1974
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MeenisterEdward Heath
Precedit biEdward Heath
Succeedit biEdward Heath
In office
14 Februar 1963 – 16 October 1964
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MeenisterHarold Macmillan
Alec Douglas-Home
Precedit biGeorge Brown
Succeedit biAlec Douglas-Home
Leader o the Labour Party
In office
14 Februar 1963 – 5 Aprile 1976
DeputeGeorge Brown
Roy Jenkins
Edward Short
Precedit biGeorge Brown
Succeedit biJames Callaghan
Shaidae Foreign Secretar
In office
2 November 1961 – 14 Februar 1963
LeaderHugh Gaitskell
George Brown
Precedit biDenis Healey
Succeedit biPatrick Gordon Walker
Shaidae Chancellor o the Exchequer
In office
14 December 1955 – 2 November 1961
LeaderHugh Gaitskell
Precedit biHugh Gaitskell
Succeedit biJames Callaghan
Preses o the Board o Trade
In office
29 September 1947 – 23 Aprile 1951
Prime MeenisterClement Attlee
Precedit biStafford Cripps
Succeedit biHartley Shawcross
Secretar for Owerseas Trade
In office
10 Julie 1947 – 29 September 1947
Prime MeenisterClement Attlee
Precedit biHilary Marquand
Succeedit biArthur Bottomley
Pairlamentar Secretar tae the
Meenistry o Wirks
In office
5 Julie 1945 – 10 Julie 1947
Prime MeenisterClement Attlee
Precedit biReginald Manningham-Buller
Succeedit biEvan Durbin
Member o Pairlament
for Huyton
In office
23 Februar 1950 – 9 Juin 1983
Precedit biConstituency Creatit
Succeedit biConstituency Abolished
Member o Pairlament
for Ormskirk
In office
5 Julie 1945 – 23 Februar 1950
Precedit biStephen King-Hall
Succeedit biRonald Cross
Personal details
BornJames Harold Wilson
11 Mairch 1916(1916-03-11)
Huddersfield, Wast Riding o Yorkshire, Ingland
Dee'd23 Mey 1995(1995-05-23) (aged 79)
Lunnon, Unitit Kinrick
Restin placeSt. Mary's Auld Kirk, St Mary's, Isles o Scilly, Ingland
CeetizenshipBreetish
NaitionalityInglis
Poleetical pairtyLabour
Spoose(s)Mary Baldwin (m. 1940; his daith 1995)
BairnsRobin Wilson
Giles Wilson
Alma materJesus College, Oxford
ProfessionAcademic
ReligionCongregationalist
Signatur

Enterin Pairlament in 1945, Wilson wis appyntit a pairlamentar secretar in the Attlee meenistry an rose quickly throu the meenisterial ranks; he becam Secretar for Owerseas Tred in 1947 an wis elevatit tae Cabinet shortly thareefter as Preses o the Buird o Trede. In opposeetion tae the next Conservative govrenment, he served as Shaidae Chancellor (1955–1961) an Shaidae Furrin Secretar (1961–1963). Hugh Gaitskell, then Labour leader, dee'd suddent in 1963 an Wilson wis electit leader. Narraely winnin the 1964 general election, Wilson wan an increased majority in a snap election in 1966.

Wilson's first period as Prime Meenister coincidit wi a period o law unemployment an relative economic prosperity, tho hindert bi signeeficant problems wi Breetain's freemit balance o peyments. In 1969 he sent Breetish truips tae Northren Ireland. Efter losin the 1970 election tae Edward Heath, he spent fower years as Leader o the Opposition afore the Februar 1974 election resultit in a hung pairlament. Efter Heath's talks wi the Leeberals brak doun, Wilson returned tae pouer as leader o a minority govrenment till anither general election in October, resultin in a narrae Labour veectory. A period o economic creesis haed began tae hit maist Wastren kintras, an in 1976 Wilson suddent annoonced his resignation as Prime Meenister. Wilson's approach tae socialism wis moderate compared wi ithers in his pairty at the time, emphasisin programmes aimed at increasin opportunity in society throu relatively indirect means raither nor the mair direct socialist goal o promotin wider public awnership o industrie an wirkers' control o production. He teuk little action tae pursue the Labour Pairty constitution's statit dedication tae naitionalisation as a steppin stane taewart this goal, tho he did nae formally disavou it. Himsel a member o the pairty's saft left, Wilson joked aboot leadin a cabinet made up maistly o social democrats, comparin himsel tae a Bolshevik revolutionary presidin ower a Tsarist cabinet, but thare wis argiebly little tae divide him ideologically frae the social democratic cabinet majority.[1][2]

Oweraw, Wilson is seen tae hae managed a nummer o difficult poleetical issues wi conseederable skill, includin sic potentially diveesive issues for his pairty as the role o public awnership, membership o the European Economic Commonty, an involvement in the Vietnam War, in that he refuised tae allou the uise o Breetish combat truips, while conteenuin tae maintain a costly militar presence east o Suez.[3] His stated ambeetion o substantially impruivin Breetain's lang-term economic performance, applyin technology mair democratically, an reducin inequality wis largely unfulfilled. He seemed tae lose his energy an drive in his seicont premiership an foond it difficult tae mediate disputes concernin European integration an tred union richts.[4]

References eedit

  1. The Labour government, 1974–79: political aims and economic reality by Martin Holmes.
  2. The Labour Party since 1945 by Eric Shaw.
  3. Goodman, Geoffrey (1 Julie 2005). "Harold Wilson | Politics". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 Apryle 2014.
  4. Ben Pimlott, Harold Wilson (1992), pp. 604–5, 648, 656, 670–77, 689.