born March 27, 1912, Portsmouth, Hampshire, Eng.
British politician.
A trade union official, he entered the House of Commons as a Labour Party member in 1945. He served in Labour governments as chancellor of the Exchequer (1964–67), home secretary (1967–70), and foreign secretary (1974–76) before becoming prime minister (1976–79). A moderate within his party, he tried to stem the vociferous demands of the trade unions. After a series of paralyzing labour strikes in 1978–79 (the so-called "Winter of Discontent"), his government was brought down by a parliamentary vote of no confidence. He was created a life peer in the House of Lords in 1987.