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| Name:
Heath, ('Ted'), Edward |
| Date
of Birth: 9 July 1916 |
| Roles / Positions:
Politician; Conservative Party; (Westminster) MP; British Prime Minister 1970-74 |
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Brief
Biography:
Edward Heath was educated at Chatham House School, Ramsgate, and at Balliol College, Oxford, from which he later graduated with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. During the Second World War Heath served in the Royal Artillery reaching the rank of the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and was to see action in the campaign in north-west Europe. His service was recognised by means of a MBE (Military Division) as well as mention in numerous dispatches. In 1946 he joined the Civil Service but resigned in 1947 to become a journalist before subsequently moving into merchant banking. As for his political career this began in 1950 with his election to the House of Commons as Conservative MP for the constituency of Bexley (1950-74), and then for Bexley-Sidcup (1974-83), and for Old Bexley and Sidcup (1983-2001). When his party returned to power following the 1951 general election Heath was to hold a number of junior government positions (1955-63). Then in 1963 he was appointed to the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade (1963-64). After the Conservative Party lost the 1964 general election he served for a time as opposition spokesman on Economic Affairs but in 1965 successfully stood for the party leadership (1965-75). In this position he was to lead the Conservatives back into power in 1970 and assumed the role of Prime Minister (1970-74).
His term in office was to be dominated by many pressing domestic and foreign issues. As well Heath's administration had to respond to the unfolding situation in Northern Ireland where recent events had forced the authorities at Westminster to become reluctantly involved in its day to day affairs. As conditions in Northern Ireland continued to deteriorate the search for a coherent response proved difficult and thus tended only to add to the growing sense of uncertainty and instability. For instance the package of reforms introduced to meet the immediate concerns of the civil rights movement continued to be implemented. At the same time however Heath's determination to take a firm line on security matters ran the risk of further alienating the minority community and this was particularly the case over events such as the introduction of 'Internment' (9 August 1971), as well as the aftermath of 'Bloody Sunday' (30 January 1972) and 'Operation Motorman' (31 July 1972).
As for the unionist community in Northern Ireland there was to be growing concern at the way in which his government's policy was to evolve. This centred on three main points. To begin with Heath suggested that the policy of the Conservative Party on the constitutional position was now more fluid. In particular he recognised that if a majority in Northern Ireland decided by democratic means to vote in favour of Irish reunification, then a future British government would have to recognise this new position. Secondly, against the advice of the authorities in Northern Ireland he decided in March 1972 to suspend the Stormont parliament and introduce direct rule from Westminster in a move that led to widespread anger and protests. Finally in December 1973 at the Sunningdale Conference, in negotiations with the Irish government and a number of the Northern Ireland political parties, Heath was at the forefront of the efforts to reach an agreement on the way forward. To the dismay of many unionists this was not to be based on a return to the status quo prior to March 1972. Instead it was to involve a power-sharing executive to administer the north of Ireland, working alongside a Council of Ireland, to formulate relations between Belfast and Dublin.
In the end however Heath did not survive in power long enough to see these proposals implemented in full as he was to lead the Conservative Party to defeat at the general elections of February and October 1974. As a consequence his leadership was challenged in 1975 and in a bitter contest he was to lose his position to Margaret Thatcher. His poor personal relationship with his successor was to ensure that he was never to return to ministerial office, although he was to remain a back bench MP until his retirement from parliament at the general election of June 2001.
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Book
References:
Blake, Robert. (1985), The Conservative Party from Peel to Thatcher. London: Fontana.
Campbell, John, (1993), Edward Heath: A Biography. London: Jonathan Cape.
Elliott, Sydney. and Flackes, W.D. (1999), Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-1999. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.
Heath, Edward. (1998), The Course of My Life: The Autobiography of Edward Heath. London: Coronet.
Hennessey, Thomas. (1997), A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.
Ramsden, John (ed.) (2002), The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century British Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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| [Entry written by B.Lynn - 19 November 2002]
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