James Callaghan

Leonard James "Jim" Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (/ˈkæləˌhæn/; 27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005) was a British Labour politician who served as the 48th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) from 1976 to 1979.^[1]

The Right Honourable The Lord Callaghan of Cardiff KG PC
Callaghan in 1975
48th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 5 April 1976 – 4 May 1979
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	Vacant
Preceded by	Harold Wilson
Succeeded by	Margaret Thatcher
21st Leader of the Opposition
In office 4 May 1979 – 10 November 1980
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Margaret Thatcher
Succeeded by	Michael Foot
11th Leader of the Labour Party
In office 5 April 1976 – 10 November 1980
Deputy	Michael Foot
Preceded by	Harold Wilson
Succeeded by	Michael Foot
Father of the House of Commons
In office 9 June 1983 – 18 May 1987
Preceded by	John Parker
Succeeded by	Bernard Braine
Ministerial offices Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs In office 5 March 1974 – 8 April 1976 Prime Minister Harold Wilson Preceded by Sir Alec Douglas-Home Succeeded by Anthony Crosland Home Secretary In office 30 November 1967 – 19 June 1970 Prime Minister Harold Wilson Preceded by Roy Jenkins Succeeded by Reginald Maudling Chancellor of the Exchequer In office 16 October 1964 – 30 November 1967 Prime Minister Harold Wilson Preceded by Reginald Maudling Succeeded by Roy Jenkins Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty In office 2 March 1950 – 25 October 1951 Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by John Dugdale Succeeded by Sir Allan Noble Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport In office 7 October 1947 – 2 March 1950 Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by George Strauss Succeeded by The Lord Lucas of Chilworth
Shadow Cabinet offices Shadow Foreign Secretary In office 19 April 1972 – 28 February 1974 Leader Harold Wilson Preceded by Denis Healey Succeeded by Geoffrey Rippon Shadow Secretary of State for Employment In office 19 October 1971 – 19 April 1972 Leader Harold Wilson Preceded by Barbara Castle Succeeded by Denis Healey Shadow Home Secretary In office 19 June 1970 – 19 October 1971 Leader Harold Wilson Preceded by Quintin Hogg Succeeded by Shirley Williams Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer In office 2 November 1961 – 16 October 1964 Leader Hugh Gaitskell George Brown (acting) Harold Wilson Preceded by Harold Wilson Succeeded by Reginald Maudling
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 5 November 1987 – 26 March 2005
Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth (Cardiff South, 1945–1950; Cardiff South East, 1950–1983)
In office 26 July 1945 – 18 May 1987
Preceded by	Arthur Evans
Succeeded by	Alun Michael
Personal details
Born	Leonard James Callaghan (1912-03-27)27 March 1912 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Died	26 March 2005(2005-03-26) (aged 92) Ringmer, East Sussex, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Audrey Moulton ​ ​ (m. 1938; died 2005)​
Children	3, including Margaret
Military service
Branch/service	Royal Navy
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles/wars	Second World War

Born in the 1910s, Callaghan was an old-style socialist, lacking any higher education,^[1] and served as Member of Parliament (MP) for a Cardiff constituency.^[1] He is the only person to have held all three leading UK Cabinet positions (Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary), prior to their premiership. He was never expected to reach the premiership, having taken a back seat to the younger and more charismatic Harold Wilson for many years. However, when Wilson unexpectedly announced his retirement in 1976, Callaghan was the most experienced candidate to replace him. His time as prime minister was one of more open government but the electorate was dissatisfied with his relaxed response to high inflation and more industrial unrest, and replaced Labour with a Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher.

Callaghan resigned as Leader of the Labour Party 17 monthslater, but remained an MP for some years before being sent to the House of Lords as Baron Callaghan of Cardiff.^[1]

References

1. James Callaghan at the Notable Names Database

Other websites

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Media related to James Callaghan at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to James Callaghan at Wikiquote
• Works related to James Callaghan at Wikisource