Michael Mackintosh Foot Biography

Birth of Michael Mackintosh Foot

Studies Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Wadham College, Oxford.

Serves as President of the Oxford Union while developing as a political speaker.

Works as a shipping clerk and sees unemployment and poverty on Merseyside.

Graduates from Oxford University where he was President of the Union

Graduates from Oxford University where he was President of the Union

In his election address Foot contended that "the armaments race in Europe must be stopped now". Foot joins the Labour Party and first stands for Parliament at the age of 22 in the 1935 general election, when he contests Monmouth

Joins the Labour Party after moving away from his Liberal family tradition.

Joins the left-wing weekly Tribune when it was set up in early 1937 to support the Unity Campaign, an attempt to secure an anti-fascist United Front between Labour and the parties to its left

Joins the left-wing weekly Tribune when it was set up in early 1937 to support the Unity Campaign, an attempt to secure an anti-fascist United Front between Labour and the parties to its left

Works for Lord Beaverbrook's Evening Standard before becoming its wartime editor.

Volunteers for military service but is rejected because of chronic asthma.

Under the pen-name "Cato" he and two other Beaverbrook journalists (Frank Owen, editor of the Standard, and Peter Howard of the Daily Express) publish Guilty Men, a Left Book Club book attacking the appeasement policy of the Chamberlain Government

Uses the pen-name Cato while co-writing Guilty Men against appeasement.

Publishes a bestselling attack on appeasement under the shared pseudonym Cato.

Defends press freedom after government pressure against the Daily Mirror during wartime.

Beaverbrook appoints Foot editor of the Evening Standard at the age of 28.

Joins the Daily Herald as a columnist, jointly owned by the TUC and Odhams Press, and was effectively an official Labour Party paper

Leaves the Evening Standard and moves toward the Daily Herald and parliamentary politics.

Begins his Commons career after winning Plymouth Devonport for Labour.

Elected Member of Parliament for Plymouth, Devonport

Co-authors Keep Left, a pamphlet associated with Labour's left-wing foreign policy debate.

Rejoins Tribune as editor from 1948 to 1952

Uses Tribune to criticise concentrated press ownership and defend independent socialist journalism.

Rejoins Tribune as editor from 1948 to 1952

Michael Foot marries film-maker, author and feminist historian Jill Craigie

Retains Plymouth Devonport for Labour at the 1950 general election.

Retains Plymouth Devonport for Labour at the 1950 general election.

General election outcome recorded for Michael Mackintosh Foot: Retains Plymouth Devonport for Labour at the 1950 general election.

Government context for this general election: Retains Plymouth Devonport for Labour at the 1950 general election.

Retains Plymouth Devonport for Labour at the 1951 general election.

Ends his first post-war period as editor of Tribune.

Rejoins Tribune as editor from 1955 to 1960

Rejoins Tribune as editor from 1955 to 1960

Loses Plymouth Devonport to Conservative Joan Vickers at the general election.

Condemns the Soviet crushing of the Hungarian Revolution through Tribune.

Uses Tribune to oppose the British government's Suez intervention.

Becomes a founder member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Publishes The Pen and the Sword, a study of Jonathan Swift.

Addresses anti-nuclear marchers before the early Aldermaston protest sets out.

Returns to Parliament as the political heir to Aneurin Bevan in Ebbw Vale.

Foot returns to Parliament in 1960 at a by-election in Ebbw Vale in Monmouthshire, left vacant by Bevan's death

Elected Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale

Rebels over Royal Air Force estimates, leading to withdrawal of the Labour whip.

Deprived of the whip for his criticism of the party leadership

Joins Bertrand Russell's committee questioning the official account of Kennedy's assassination.

Retains Ebbw Vale for Labour during Harold Wilson's strengthened parliamentary majority.

Retains Ebbw Vale for Labour during Harold Wilson's strengthened parliamentary majority.

General election outcome recorded for Michael Mackintosh Foot: Retains Ebbw Vale for Labour during Harold Wilson's strengthened parliamentary majority.

Government context for this general election: Retains Ebbw Vale for Labour during Harold Wilson's strengthened parliamentary majority.

Unsuccessfully challenges for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party

Unsuccessfully challenges for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party

Begins a long period on Labour's National Executive Committee.

Links Labour's industrial relations policy with repeal of Conservative trade union legislation.

Responsible for the Health and Safety at Work Act

Strengthens employment rights for trades unions, particularly the closed shop

Helps repeal key parts of the Conservative Industrial Relations Act.

Enters Harold Wilson's cabinet as Secretary of State for Employment.

Takes responsibility for employment policy as Labour seeks voluntary wage restraint.

Appointed Employment Secretary

Begins implementing Labour's industrial relations programme with trade union support.

Presents arguments for workplace safety legislation built around recognised trade unions.

Helps deliver the Health and Safety at Work Act during the Social Contract period.

Uses workplace safety reform to show the social side of Labour's union bargain.

Advances employment protection and trade union rights during the Wilson government.

Defends the voluntary pay policy while maintaining Labour's trade union links.

Foot is one of the mainstays of the "no" campaign in the 1975 referendum on British membership of the European Economic Community

Presents the Employment Protection Bill as part of Labour's industrial relations programme.

Defends pay-control legislation while stressing union consultation.

Delivers employment rights legislation promised through the Social Contract.

Elected Deputy Leader and serves as Leader of the House of Commons, which gave him the unenviable task of trying to maintain the survival of the Callaghan Government as its majority evaporated

Responsible for Labour's policy of devolution in Scotland & Wales

Foot, along with Jennie Lee and others, courted controversy when they supported Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, after she prompted the declaration of a state of emergency

Leads the first ballot after Wilson resigns but loses the final contest to James Callaghan.

Elected Deputy Leader and serves as Leader of the House of Commons, which gave him the unenviable task of trying to maintain the survival of the Callaghan Government as its majority evaporated

Appointed Lord President

Foot contests the party leadership and led in the first ballot, but was ultimately defeated by James Callaghan

Foot, along with Jennie Lee and others, courted controversy when they supported Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, after she prompted the declaration of a state of emergency

Appointed Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

Defeats Shirley Williams by 166 votes to 128 for the Labour Party Deputy Leadership

Helps manage parliamentary business during the pact between Labour and the Liberals.

Supports the Scotland Act as part of Labour's devolution programme.

Serves as Shadow Leader of the House after Labour loses the general election.

Faces the Commons defeat that brings down James Callaghan's Labour government.

Following Labour's 1979 general election defeat by Margaret Thatcher, Foot was elected Labour leader in 1980, beating Denis Healey in the second round of the leadership election

Following Labour's 1979 general election defeat by Margaret Thatcher, Foot was elected Labour leader in 1980, beating Denis Healey in the second round of the leadership election

Becomes Leader of the Opposition after winning the Labour leadership.

Faces the Labour split after leading moderates leave to create the Social Democratic Party.

28 MPs defect to the Social Democratic Party

Condemns the Argentine invasion and supports action to recover the Falkland Islands.

Resigns the Party Leadership after defeat at the general election

Resigns the Party Leadership after defeat at the general election

Michael Foot campaigns against Conservative nuclear policy and opposes Trident during the general election

Gerald Kaufman, once Harold Wilson's press officer and during the 1980s prominent on the Labour right, described the 1983 Labour manifesto as "the longest suicide note in history"

Gerald Kaufman, once Harold Wilson's press officer and during the 1980s prominent on the Labour right, described the 1983 Labour manifesto as "the longest suicide note in history"

Labour is defeated at the 1983 general election, winning 27.6 percent of votes and 209 seats.

Gives up his seat in the Commons

Publishes H G The History of Mr Wells, reflecting his interest in radical literature.

Death of Michael Mackintosh Foot

Death of Michael Foot