Harold Wilson

The Richt Honourable The Laird Wilson o Rievaulx KG OBE PC FRS FSS
Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick
In office 4 Mairch 1974 – 5 Aprile 1976
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Precedit bi	Edward Heath
Succeedit bi	James Callaghan
In office 16 October 1964 – 19 Juin 1970
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Precedit bi	Alec Douglas-Home
Succeedit bi	Edward Heath
Leader o the Opposeetion
In office 19 Juin 1970 – 4 Mairch 1974
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Meenister	Edward Heath
Precedit bi	Edward Heath
Succeedit bi	Edward Heath
In office 14 Februar 1963 – 16 October 1964
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Meenister	Harold Macmillan Alec Douglas-Home
Precedit bi	George Brown
Succeedit bi	Alec Douglas-Home
Leader o the Labour Party
In office 14 Februar 1963 – 5 Aprile 1976
Depute	George Brown Roy Jenkins Edward Short
Precedit bi	George Brown
Succeedit bi	James Callaghan
Shaidae Foreign Secretar
In office 2 November 1961 – 14 Februar 1963
Leader	Hugh Gaitskell George Brown
Precedit bi	Denis Healey
Succeedit bi	Patrick Gordon Walker
Shaidae Chancellor o the Exchequer
In office 14 December 1955 – 2 November 1961
Leader	Hugh Gaitskell
Precedit bi	Hugh Gaitskell
Succeedit bi	James Callaghan
Preses o the Board o Trade
In office 29 September 1947 – 23 Aprile 1951
Prime Meenister	Clement Attlee
Precedit bi	Stafford Cripps
Succeedit bi	Hartley Shawcross
Secretar for Owerseas Trade
In office 10 Julie 1947 – 29 September 1947
Prime Meenister	Clement Attlee
Precedit bi	Hilary Marquand
Succeedit bi	Arthur Bottomley
Pairlamentar Secretar tae the Meenistry o Wirks
In office 5 Julie 1945 – 10 Julie 1947
Prime Meenister	Clement Attlee
Precedit bi	Reginald Manningham-Buller
Succeedit bi	Evan Durbin
Member o Pairlament for Huyton
In office 23 Februar 1950 – 9 Juin 1983
Precedit bi	Constituency Creatit
Succeedit bi	Constituency Abolished
Member o Pairlament for Ormskirk
In office 5 Julie 1945 – 23 Februar 1950
Precedit bi	Stephen King-Hall
Succeedit bi	Ronald Cross
Personal details
Born	James Harold Wilson 11 Mairch 1916(1916-03-11) Huddersfield, Wast Riding o Yorkshire, Ingland
Dee'd	23 Mey 1995(1995-05-23) (aged 79) Lunnon, Unitit Kinrick
Restin place	St. Mary's Auld Kirk, St Mary's, Isles o Scilly, Ingland
Ceetizenship	Breetish
Naitionality	Inglis
Poleetical pairty	Labour
Spoose(s)	Mary Baldwin (m. 1940; his daith 1995)
Bairns	Robin Wilson Giles Wilson
Alma mater	Jesus College, Oxford
Profession	Academic
Religion	Congregationalist

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.

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.

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. 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.