Barbara Anne Castle Biography and Timeline

Birth of Barbara Castle

Birth of Barbara Castle

St Pancras Borough Council

Elected to St Pancras Borough Council

Ministry of Food

Appointed senior administrative officer at the Ministry of Food and an ARP warden during the Blitz

Labour Party Conference

Speaks at the annual Labour Party Conference for the 1st time

Election

Elected Member of Parliament for Blackburn, Lancashire

Minister of Overseas Development

Enters the Cabinet as the first Minister for Overseas Development, in so doing becoming only the fourth woman in British history ever to hold position in a Cabinet

Beeching Cuts

Presides over the closure of approximately 2050 miles of railways as she enacts her part of the Beeching cuts

Breathalyser

Introduces the breathalyser to combat the crisis of drink-driving, and also introduces the 70 MPH speed limit on motorways and presides over the closure of approximately 2050 miles of railways as she enacts her part of the Beeching cuts

Minister of Transport

Appointed Minister of Transport

Seat Belts

Makes Seat belts in cars compulsory

Speed Limit

Introduces the breathalyser to combat the crisis of drink-driving, and also introduces the 70 MPH speed limit on motorways and presides over the closure of approximately 2050 miles of railways as she enacts her part of the Beeching cuts. Introduces the 70 MPH speed limit on motorways

First Secretary

Appointed First Secretary of State by Wilson, bringing her firmly into the heart of Government

Legislation

Introduces the first Government subsidies for socially necessary but unprofitable railways in the Transport Act

Transport Act

Introduces the first Government subsidies for socially necessary but unprofitable railways in the Transport Act

Ford Sewing Machinists Strike

Intervenes in the Ford sewing machinists strike in which the women of the Dagenham Ford Plant demanded to be paid the same as their male counterparts & helps resolve the strike resulting in a pay rise for Fords female workers bringing them to 92% of what the men receive

In Place of Strife

Appointed First Secretary of State by Wilson, bringing her firmly into the heart of Government, the trade unions rebel against her proposals to reduce their powers in her 1969 white paper, In Place of Strife, also involved a major cabinet split, with threatened resignations, and James Callaghan breaking ranks to publicly try to undermine the bill

Secretary of State for Employment

Appointed Secretary of State for Employment

Strike

Intervenes in the Ford sewing machinists strike in which the women of the Dagenham Ford Plant demanded to be paid the same as their male counterparts & helps resolve the strike resulting in a pay rise for Fords female workers bringing them to 92% of what the men receive

Economy of Great Britain

The trade unions rebel against her proposals to reduce their powers in her 1969 white paper, "In Place of Strife". Submits plans to force unions to call a ballot before a strike was held and establishment of an Industrial Board to enforce settlements in industrial disputes, produces Cabinet splis & never realized

In Place of Strife

Plans to force unions to call a ballot before a strike was held and establishment of an Industrial Board to enforce settlements in industrial disputes

In Place of Strife

Submits plans to force unions to call a ballot before a strike was held and establishment of an Industrial Board to enforce settlements in industrial disputes, produces Cabinet splis & never realized.

In Place of Strife

Submits plans to force unions to call a ballot before a strike was held and establishment of an Industrial Board to enforce settlements in industrial disputes, produces Cabinet splits & never realized.

In Place of Strife

The Labour Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister Harold Wilson, was divided over the issue, however, and the opposition, led by Home Secretary James Callaghan, prevails.

In Place of Strife

The trade unions rebel against her proposals to reduce their powers in her 1969 white paper, "In Place of Strife".

In Place of Strife

The white paper never becomes law, although some elements of it could be recognised in the more far-reaching union legislation later enacted by the Government of Margaret Thatcher.

Industrial Board

Submits plans to force unions to call a ballot before a strike was held and establishment of an Industrial Board to enforce settlements in industrial disputes, produces Cabinet splis & never realized

Equal Pay Act

Secures equal pay legislation influenced partly by European treaty obligations on equal pay.

Role range: 1970-1970 – 1968-1970

Legislation

Puts through the Equal Pay Act 1970

Reform of Labour Law

Puts through the Equal Pay Act 1970

Shadow Secretary of Employment

Appointed Shadow Secretary of Employment

Secretary of State for Health

Appointed Minister of Health & Social Security

Role range: 1974-1974 – 1974-1974

Secretary of State for Social Services

Appointed Secretary of State for Social Services

Role range: 1974-1974 – 1974-1974

Referendum

Takes a Eurosceptic stance, during a debate with Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe he asked her whether, if the vote would be yes, she would stay on as a minister, to this she replied "If the vote is yes my country will need me to save it"

Role range: 1974-1974 – 1974-1974

Legislation

Introduces a wide range of innovative welfare reforms, including the introduction of the mobility allowance, the Invalid Care Allowance for single women and others who give up their jobs to care for severely disabled relatives, the introduction of a non-contributory invalidity pension for disabled persons who had not qualified for invalidity pension, reforms in child allowances, and the linking of most social security benefits to earnings rather than prices

Role range: 1974-1974 – 1974-1974

Reform of Royal Succession

Introduces a wide range of innovative welfare reforms, including the introduction of the mobility allowance, the Invalid Care Allowance for single women and others who give up their jobs to care for severely disabled relatives, the introduction of a non-contributory invalidity pension for disabled persons who had not qualified for invalidity pension, reforms in child allowances, and the linking of most social security benefits to earnings rather than prices

Role range: 1974-1974 – 1974-1974

Election

Elected EU Euro Member of Parliament for Greater Manchester North from 1979 - 1984, then elected for another five years following this, representing Greater Manchester West from 1984 - 1989

Election

The Castle Diaries are published after the 1979 General Election, and chronicled her time in office from 1964-1976 and provide an insight into the workings of Cabinet Government. Elected EU Euro Member of Parliament for Greater Manchester North from 1979 - 1984, then elected for another five years following this, representing Greater Manchester West from 1984 - 1989

after the 1979 General Election

The Castle Diaries are published after the 1979 General Election, and chronicled her time in office from 1964-1976 and provide an insight into the workings of Cabinet Government

Election

Awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990, for services to EU European democracy

Election

Awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990, for services to EU European democracy