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James Harold Wilson Rievaulx
History of Great Britain

              

1916
Birth
11th Mar Huddersfield Birth of Harold Wilson
1935
Lecturer Economics Wilson
London Appointed lecturer in economics at Oxford University, age 21
1945
Election
Ormskirk First elected to Parliament as MP for Ormskirk
1947
Diplomacy
London Visits Russia to agree an exchange of manafacured goods for grain
Dec Moscow Leads a trade mission & agrees to exchange manafactured goods for Russian grain
1947
President
Appointed President of the Board of Trade, 1st term
1947
Privy Council
London Appointed Member of the Privy Council
1947
Rationing
5th Nov London Celebrates a "bonfire of controls" by making 200,000 permits & licences unecessary
1948
Economy
Exchange controls are removed, a trade surplus changes to a defecit
1948
Exchange Controls
Exchange controls are removed, a trade surplus changes to a defecit
1948
Reform
London Exchange controls are removed, a trade surplus changes to a defecit
London Gets the Monopolies Act passed & is responsible for its implementation
London The Development of Indus try Bill is passed, sponsored by the Board of Trade
London The Distribution of Indus try Bill is passed, sponsored by the Board of Trade
London The Export Guarantees Bill is passed, sponsored by the Board of Trade
London The Monopolies Act is passed, sponsored by the Board of Trade
1949
Rationing
Rations for clothing are abolished
1950
President
Appointed President of the Board of Trade, 2nd term
1951
Resignation
22nd April Resigns from the Cabinet in protest against health service charges to pay defense
1955
Constitution
Heads an NEC working group into why Labour had lost the last 2 elections
Heads a subcommittee on the organization of the Labour Party
Reports that the Labour Partty is too centralized
1955
Election
At the General Election doubles his majority in Huyton to 2,558
Decides not to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party but to support Gaitskell
1955
Shadow Chancellor Exchequer
Appointed Shadow Chancellor after Gaitskell wins the leadership election
1956
Speech
Birmingham Makes a speech condeming Anglo-French intervention, to his relief it is well received
1956
Suez Canal Crisis
Claims Eden lost lives Hungary as Russia invaded during the Suez crisis
Birmingham Makes a speech condeming Anglo-French intervention, to his relief it is well received
1959
Chairman Public Accounts Committee
London Appointed Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee
1959
Constitution
Nov Blackpool Describes reforming Clause IV as "taking Genisis out of the Bible"
Nov Blackpool Gaitskell accepts Wilson's Clause IV reform of the Labour Party for "common ownership"
1959
Election
Huyton At the General Election doubles his majority in Huyton to 5,927
1960
Constitution
Clause IV, supporting "common ownership"
1960
Election
Nov Contests the party leadership, wins 81 votes to Gaitskell's 166
1960
Reform
London Clause IV, "common ownership"
1961
Election
Unsuccessfully contests the deputy leadership of the party, defeated by George Brown
1961
Manifesto Labour Party
Calls for a national economic plan
Calls for capital gains tax, nationalization of building land & public schools
Calls for raising the school leaving age to 16
Prepares the economic section of the Labour maifesto, "Signpost for the Sixties"
1961
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary after the leadership election
1963
Conference of Labour Party
Oct London Speech about the "white heat" of scientific revolution
1st Oct Scarborough Advocates policy of supporting science & technology for the future of Britain
1963
Election
1st ballot for the party leadership, Wilson wins 115, Brown 88 & Callaghan 41 votes
19th Jan Decides to stand for leadership of the Labour Party after the death of Hugh Gaitskell
1963
Lecture Wilson
London Goes on a lecture tour of the United States
1963
Party Leader
London Appointed Party Leader of the Labour Party
1964
Crisis
London Cromer, Governor of the Bank of England, raises $3,000 million to protect sterling
Nov London A sterling crisis
1964
CSO
London Wilson founds the Central Statistical Office
1964
Diplomacy
London Announces an immediate ban on arms shipments to SouthAfrica
A run on the œ causes Wilson to ask Johnson for an IMF loan, Johnson is non-committal
onvinces the USAthat a labour Government would not be anti USA
London Visits Kennedy, differences on nuclear weapons but supports the Nassau agreement
London Visits the USA & addresses the Chamber of Commerce
Moscow Wilson & Walker visit Khrushchev & reach a "friendly understanding" except for Berlin
1964
Economy
A run on the œ causes Wilson to ask Johnson for an IMF loan, Johnson is non-committal
1964
EFTA Import Surcharges
London Imposes import tax on everything except food, raw materials & tobacco
London The EFTA objection to import surcharges convinces Wilson Britain needs to join the EC
1964
Election
Launches a campaign in the Spring, convinced there will be a general election in May
April A National Opinion Poll shows Wilson with a commanding lead, 71% "brilliant"
15th Oct The Labour Party win 44.1% of votes cast & 317 MPs
15th Oct The Labour Party win the general election by 4 seats
1964
European Union
London The EFTA objection to import surcharges convinces Wilson Britain needs to join the EC
1964
Nationalization
3rd April London Lays out a programm for Parliament including further nationalization
1964
Prime Minister
16th Oct Appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain, 1st term
1965
Concorde
London Writes to Pompidou saying investment in Concorde is a luxury
1965
DEA
The Department for Economic Affairs is established under George Brown
1965
Death
24th Jan An official announcement from 10 Downing Street at 8:55am by Harold Wilson
1965
Diplomacy
London Writes to Pompidou saying investment in Concord is a luxury
1965
Election
Jan Leyton Labour lose with an 8.7% swing to the Conservatives , produces political instability
1965
Independence
The OAU calls members to break with Britain if Smith's regime is not brought down
30th Oct In a broadcast rules out military intervention if Rhodes ia declares UDI
11th Nov Rhodes ia declares Unilateral Declaration of Independence
1965
Legislation
The Race Relations Act outlaws discrimination & establishes a Race Relations Board
1965
Publication
16th Sep Labour's National Plan is published
1965
Reform
The Race Relations Act establishes a Race Relations Board
The Race Relations Act outlaws racial discrimination
The Redundancy Payments Act provides payments of workers who are made redundant
The Rent Act fixes fair rents for private tenants & provides security of tenure
London With a majority of 1 & by-election pending wins the Territorial & Reserve Forces Bill
8th Nov London Abolition of capital punishment
1965
Sanctions
Falsely predicts Ian Smith's downfall as a result of sanctions
Launches oil sanctions against Rhodes ia for declaring UDI
1965
Vote Confidence
London With a majority of 1 & by-election pending wins the Territorial & Reserve Forces Bill
1966
Budget
19th July London Announces a package of cuts in the House of Commons, in preference to devaluation
19th July London HP controls are tightened, indirect taxes & post office charges raised
19th July London Incomes & prices are frozen for 6 months
19th July London Surtax introduced & public investments cut
1966
Conference of Commonwealth
Sep Lagos The Commonwealth Conference at Lagos attacks Wilson's handling of Rhodes ia's UDI
1966
Crisis
London Says a Daily Express article threatens security as defined by the D-Notice
London The Daily Express is cleared of acting against the national interest
July London Sterling crisis followed by a period of deflation
1966
Deflation
20th July London Produces a deflationary package to stabalise the pound
1966
Diplomacy
London The body of Roger Casement is returned to Ireland
Sep OAU will sever relations with Britain if Smith's regime is not broken by Dec
1966
Disaster
Aberfan Visits Aberfan where a collapsed pit mound killed 116 schoolchildren at their school
Scilly Isles Visits the Isles of Scilly to lead clean up the oil spillage from the Torrey Canyon
1966
Election
Leyton The government majority falls to 4 when Labour loses the Leyton by-election
Jan Hull Labour win a by-election in Hull with a 4.5% swing in favour of the government
28th Feb Announces a general election for the 31st of March in order to win a working majority
11th Mar 1st day of the election campaign, Labour have a 9% lead in the polls
31st Mar Labour win with 363 seats to 253 Tory, 12 Liberal & 2 others, a majority of 97
31st Mar The Labour Party win 48% of votes cast & 364 MPs
1966
European Union
Pompidou says Britain will have to devalue before being considerred for EU membership
19th May London Agrees a working party to examine the Treaty of Rome & Britain's entry in the EU
10th Nov The Labour government announces its intention to make a 2nd application to join the EU
1966
Independence
Gibraltar Holds talks on HMS Tiger with Ian Smith to discuss the future of Rhodes ia
Gibraltar On the Tiger offers Smith deferral of majority rule for a decade & legalizing Rhodes ia
Salisbury Rhodes ia rejects terms offerred on board the HMS Tiger by Harold Wilson
Sep OAU countries will break off relations if Smith's regime is not broken by Dec
Sep Wilson agrees to recognise Ian Smith & negotiate with him
6th Dec Talks to resolve the Rhodes ia UDI break down
1966
Manifesto Labour Party
Jan Begins work on, "Time for Decision"
1966
Prices & Incomes
20th July London Launches a 6 month freeze on prices & wages
1966
Prime Minister
Appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain, 2nd term
1966
Reform
15th June London The Abortion Bill is passes it's 2nd Reading
4th July London Companies & Unions must give advance waning of any wage or price increases
4th July London The Prices & Incomes Bill is published
5th July London The Sexual Offences Bill, legalizing homosexuality, passes its second reading
1966
Reshuffle Cabinet
July Brown is moved to the Foreign Office & Stewart takes over at the DEA
1966
Rule of Falklands
14th Jan Falklands Britain agrees to UN resolution to find a "peaceful solution to the problem"
1966
Speech
21st April London The Queen's Speech includes the nationalization of steel
1966
State of Emergency
23rd May London A state of emergency is declared in response to the seamen's strike
1966
Strike
The strike causes a run on the pound
13th May Summons the seamen's leaders to Downing St to avert a strike but the strike continues
29th June The strike comes to an end when payscales are agreed
31st Oct Strikes against redundancies close all British Motor Corporation factories
1966
Suez Canal
18th July Suez Canal It is announced that British forces will withdraw from Suez by the mid 70's
1967
Budget
Suez The government publishes a White Paper to make defence cuts east of Suez
1967
Commission
London Appoints a Parliamentary Committee of 10 to give the government a more direction
1967
Conference of London
28th Mar London 1st day of the Anglo-Maltese conference to discuss British withdrawal
1967
Demonstrations
10th Feb A curfew is imposed in Aden after nationalist riots
1967
Devaluation
16th Nov The pound sterling is devalued by 14.5%
18th Nov The pound is devalued from $2.80 to $2.40
1967
Diplomacy
London Britain cancels the F111A order from the USA
6th Feb London Kosygin visits Wilson in Britain to discuss the Vietnam War
1967
Economy
18th Nov The pound is devalued from $2.80 to $2.40
1967
Independence
28th Mar London 1st day of the Anglo-Maltese conference to discuss British withdrawal
1967
Legislation
25th Oct London The Abortion Bill is passed by Parliament
1967
Referendum
10th Sep Gibraltar The people of Gibraltar vote to remain British
1967
Reform
25th Oct London The Abortion Bill is passed by Parliament
1967
Reshuffle Cabinet
Wilson takes over the DEA & Shore appointed Secretary of State
1967
Rule of Gibraltar
10th Sep Gibraltar The people of Gibraltar vote to remain British
1968
Crisis
6th Dec London Rumours of coalition government & abdication of the Queen cause stock market panic
1968
Demonstrations
27th Oct London Anti-Vietnam War demonstrations are held in London
1968
Economy
5th Sep The TUC rejects Statutory Incomes Policy & approves voluntary wage restraint
1968
Independence
Falklands The Falkland Islands Committee in Parliament stressing "wishes of the Islanders"
9th Oct Gibraltar Holds talks with Ian Smith about Rhodes ia on board HMS Fearless at Gibraltar
17th Nov Salisbury The Anglo-Rhodesian talks in Salisbury end in deadlock
1968
Invasion of Falklands
Falklands Agrees a "Memorandum of Understanding" to transfer sovereignty
1968
Panic Stock Market
6th Dec London Rumours of coalition government & abdication cause stock market panic
1968
Rule of Falklands
Falklands Agrees a "Memorandum of Understanding" to transfer sovereignty
1968
Statutory Incomes
5th Sep The TUC rejects Statutory Incomes Policy & approves voluntary wage restraint
1969
Concorde
2nd Mar The first prototype of the Concorde makes it's maiden flight
1969
Declaration of Downing Street
Ulster Northern Ireland will not leave the UK without the consent of it's Parliament
1969
Demonstrations
14th Aug Belfast Rioting besets Belfast for three days, 8 Catholics are killed and two hundred thirty-six people wounded, the British sent in the army in an effort to keep order in Northern Ireland
14th Aug Londonerry Sends in the Army after a peaceful civil rights demonstration which is broken
1969
Diplomacy
Gibraltar Spain closes the border with Gibraltar after the latter is given self-government
1969
European Union
French minister Maurice Schumann declares that France would agree to Britain's membership if questions of agricultural finance were settled first
1969
Rule of Ulster