Number 10 Downing Street

Sir Edward ‘Ted’ Heath was born in Kent to working class parents, in contrast to many previous Conservative leaders and Prime Ministers. He was grammar school educated before going to Balliol College, Oxford, where he was awarded an organ scholarship in his first term. He received a second class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and travelled widely in Europe during his holidays, most notably in Spain and Germany. It was during these travels that he first witnessed the horrors of fascism and dictatorship that were sweeping across Europe.

Heath served in the Second World War, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before briefly entering the Civil Service. Elected to Parliament in 1950, he rose rapidly to become Government Chief Whip to Anthony Eden before backing Macmillan’s attempt to lead the UK into the European Community.

Heath was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 1965, and so began his longstanding rivalry with Harold Wilson, leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister. Heath won the 1970 election, and served his only term as Prime Minister during a time of industrial upheaval and economic decline. Elected on a platform to turn around the nation’s fortunes, he pursued a number of policies that would later become identified with ‘Thatcherism’. Unemployment continued to rise which, combined with the strength of the trade unions, forced a famous ‘U-turn’ on economic policy.

It was from this point that the trade unions sensed they could seize the initiative. Heath’s attempts to weaken their power had failed, and when their pay demands were not met, they went out on strike. Particularly crippling were the miners’ strikes of 1972 and 1974, the second of which led to the Three-Day Week, when electricity was limited to three consecutive days’ use.

Heath also worked to create a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. His Sunningdale Agreement was a precursor to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and while it did not ultimately succeed, it provided some grounds of mutual agreement for later negotiations to build upon.

The most significant act of Heath’s premiership, however, was to achieve as Prime Minister what he could not as a negotiator. In 1972, he led Britain into the European Community. This was seen at the time as the solution to Britain’s economic woes as well as a way to ensure that Britain remained a world power in the face of its loss of empire and falling status in the world. In doing so, Heath established a cross-party consensus that lasted for almost 30 years, and committed the UK’s future to the European Project.

Deposed in 1975 by Margaret Thatcher, Heath continued to serve in the House of Commons until 2001, becoming the Father of the House. Along with Harold Macmillan, he was an outspoken critic of Mrs Thatcher. Outside of politics he maintained lifelong passions for conducting and playing music as well as sailing, notably winning the Admiral’s Cup while Prime Minister.

 Jon Boulton, Mile End Group