Wilson of Rievaulx, Harold Wilson

Wilson of Rievaulx, Harold Wilson
▪ 1996

      BARON, British politician (b. March 11, 1916, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England—d. May 24, 1995, London, England), as the pragmatic leader of the British Labour Party for 13 years (1963-76), held together the disparate wings of the party, modified Labour's socialist rhetoric to win the trust of the voters in four general elections, and served as prime minister for eight years (1964-70 and 1974-76). Wilson studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Jesus College, Oxford. He taught economics at New College before accepting a fellowship to University College, where he was research assistant (1938-39) to Sir William (later Lord) Beveridge. Wilson's work with Beveridge on social welfare reforms had great influence on future Labour Party domestic policies, as did the study on the mining industry that he produced during his World War II stint as director of economics and statistics at the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Elected to Parliament in 1945, he served in the Ministry of Works (1945-47) and was president of the Board of Trade (1947-51). Wilson allied himself with left-wing challenges to the party leader, Hugh Gaitskell, in 1951 and 1960. When Gaitskell died in 1963, Wilson was elected Labour leader. Under his guidance, Labour won the 1964 election after 13 years in opposition. A natural conciliator, Wilson sought to prevent the unilateral declaration of independence by the Rhodesian white minority government and to improve Anglo-American relations by endorsing U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. At home, however, he oversaw an unpopular devaluation of the pound and struggled to manage proposed trade union reforms. Labour lost the 1970 and March 1974 general elections to the Conservative Party, but when the Tories were unable to form a workable coalition government in 1974, Wilson was recalled to office. He called another general election in October of that year and won a slight majority. One of his administration's major accomplishments came in 1975 when he defied leftist opposition and put the question of British membership in the European Economic Community to the voters in a successful referendum. Ongoing intraparty strains, combined with additional trade union reforms and increasing budget difficulties, induced Wilson to resign from office unexpectedly on March 16, 1976. He did not stand for reelection to Parliament in 1983; shortly afterward he was made a life peer.

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Universalium. 2010.

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