Harold Wilson Biography and Timeline — Page 2

President of Board of Trade

Appointed President of the Board of Trade, 2nd term

Role range: 1945-1951 – 1947-1951

Registered Designs Act

Registered Designs Act 1950 consolidates law on industrial designs

Role range: 1945-1951 – 1947-1951

Resignation of Harold Wilson

Resigns with Bevan over the health charges dispute.

Role range: 1947-1951

Resignation of Harold Wilson

Resigns from the Cabinet in protest against health service charges to pay defence

Role range: 1945-1951 – 1947-1951

Resignation of Harold Wilson

Wilson becomes a left-winger and joins Aneurin Bevan and John Freeman in resigning from the Government in protest at the introduction of National Health Service (NHS) health service charges to meet the financial demands imposed by the Korean War

Role range: 1945-1951 – 1947-1951

Resignation of Harold Wilson

Wilson becomes a left-winger and joins Aneurin Bevan and John Freeman in resigning from the Government in protest at the introduction of National Health Service (NHS) health service charges to meet the financial demands imposed by the Korean War.

Role range: 1945-1951 – 1947-1951

Keep Left Group

Becomes chairman of the Keep Left group associated with Bevanite politics.

Shadow Cabinet

Bevan's resignation from the Shadow Cabinet helps put Wilson back on the front bench as a spokesman, initially, on finance

Constitution of Labour Party

Reports that the Labour Party is too centralized. Heads an NEC working group into why Labour had lost the last 2 elections

Election

Heads an NEC working group into why Labour had lost the last 2 elections

Constitution of Great Britain

Heads a subcommittee on the organisation of the Labour Party

Election

At the General Election doubles his majority in Huyton to 2,558

Member of Parliament

Decemberides not to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party but to support Gaitskell. At the General Election doubles his majority in Huyton to 2,558

Election

Appointed Shadow Chancellor after Gaitskell wins the leadership election

Shadow Minister

Appointed Shadow Chancellor after Gaitskell wins the leadership election

Labour Links Suez to Weakened Western Unity

Harold Wilson's opposition criticized Britain's intervention for dividing Western opinion while Hungary's uprising was being suppressed.

Role range: 1956-1957

Commons Attack

Attacks the Government over the financial and diplomatic consequences of the Suez adventure

Role range: 1956-1956

Birmingham Speech on Suez

Wilson condemns the Anglo-French intervention during a Labour meeting in Birmingham.

Opposition to Suez

Wilson finds strong support in Birmingham for Labour's opposition to the Suez intervention.

Role range: 1956-1956

Hungary and Suez

Argues that Eden's Suez policy damages Britain's standing as Soviet forces crush the Hungarian uprising

Role range: 1956-1956

Gnomes of Zurich

First uses the term, "Gnomes of Zurich"

Shadow Cabinet

Appointed Shadow Chancellor

Budget

Challenges Conservative economic policy from the Labour front bench as Shadow Chancellor.

Economic Policy

Argues for planned economic expansion and criticises Conservative reliance on market discipline.

Finance

Continues Labour attacks on Conservative financial policy during a period of pressure on sterling.

Constitution of Great Britain

Gaitskell accepts Wilson's Clause IV reform of the Labour Party for "common ownership". Describes reforming Clause IV as "taking Genesis out of the Bible"

Chairman

Appointed Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee

Election

At the General Election doubles his majority in Huyton to 5,927

Member of Parliament

At the General Election doubles his majority in Huyton to 5,927

Election

Campaigns as Labour's senior economic spokesman during the general election.

Leadership Election

His challenge reveals deep Labour divisions after the 1959 general election defeat.

Leadership Election

Receives support from Labour MPs critical of Gaitskell's stance on nuclear disarmament.

Leadership Election

Remains on the Labour front bench after Gaitskell is re-elected leader of the party.

Leadership Election

Stands as the left-wing challenger to Hugh Gaitskell in the Labour leadership ballot.

Leadership Election

Wins 81 votes in the only ballot but fails to remove Hugh Gaitskell as party leader.

Election

Contests the party leadership, wins 81 votes to Gaitskell's 166

Leadership Election

Challenges Hugh Gaitskell for the Labour leadership and wins 81 votes against Gaitskell's 166.

Constitution of Great Britain

Clause IV, supporting "common ownership"

Reform of Labour Party Policy

Clause IV, "common ownership"

Shadow Foreign Secretary

Appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary after changes to Labour's front-bench team.

Role range: 1961-1963