Edward Heath

Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath also served for 51 years as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1950 to 2001. Outside politics, Heath was a yachtsman, a musician, and an author. Heath was born in Broadstairs, Kent to a chambermaid and a carpenter. He became a leader within student politics whilst studying PPE at Balliol College, Oxford. During World War II, Heath served as an officer in the Royal Artillery. He worked briefly in the Civil Service, but resigned to stand for Parliament, and was elected for Bexley at the 1950 election. He was promoted to become Chief Whip by Anthony Eden in 1955, and served in the cabinet of Harold Macmillan as Minister of Labour and Lord Privy Seal and that of Alec Douglas-Home as President of the Board of Trade. After the Conservatives were defeated at the 1964 election, Heath was elected to succeed Douglas-Home as party leader in 1965, becoming Leader of the Opposition. Although he led the Conservatives to a landslide defeat to Labour's Harold Wilson at the 1966 election, Heath remained in the leadership, and at the 1970 election led his party to an unexpected victory. During his time as prime minister, Heath oversaw the decimalisation of British coinage in 1971, and a sweeping reform of local government in 1972. He also successfully negotiated British entry into the European Economic Community (EEC). However, his premiership also coincided with heightened violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, in response to which he imposed direct rule and approved internment without trial. Unofficial talks with Provisional Irish Republican Army delegates broke down, as...