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Jim Callaghan

The Right Honourable
The Lord Callaghan of Cardiff
KG PC
James Callaghan.JPG
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office
5 April 1976 – 4 May 1979
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by Harold Wilson
Succeeded by Margaret Thatcher
Father of the House
In office
9 June 1983 – 11 June 1987
Preceded by John Parker
Succeeded by Bernard Braine
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
Leader of the Labour Party
In office
5 April 1976 – 10 November 1980
Deputy Michael Foot
Preceded by Harold Wilson
Succeeded by Michael Foot
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office
5 March 1974 – 5 April 1976
Prime Minister Harold Wilson
Preceded by Sir Alec Douglas-Home
Succeeded by Anthony Crosland
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
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
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office
2 November 1961 – 16 October 1964
Leader
Preceded by Harold Wilson
Succeeded by Reginald Maudling
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
Member of Parliament
for Cardiff South and Penarth
Cardiff South (1945–1950)
Cardiff South East (1950–1983)
In office
26 July 1945 – 11 June 1987
Preceded by Arthur Evans
Succeeded by Alun Michael
Personal details
Born Leonard James Callaghan
(1912-03-27)27 March 1912
38 Funtington Road, Copnor, Portsmouth, England, UK
Died 26 March 2005(2005-03-26) (aged 92)
Ringmer, England, UK
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Audrey Moulton (m. 1938; d. 2005)
Children 3, including Margaret Jay
Religion
Signature
Military service
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Rank Lieutenant
Battles/wars Second World War

Leonard James "Jim" Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005) was a British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and the Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is to date the only politician in history to have served in all four of the "Great Offices of State", having been Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1964 to 1967, Home Secretary from 1967 to 1970, and Foreign Secretary from 1974, until his appointment as Prime Minister in 1976. As Prime Minister, he had some successes, but was chiefly remembered for the "Winter of Discontent" in 1978–79. During a very cold winter, his battle with trade unions led to massive strikes that seriously inconvenienced the public, leading to his defeat in the polls by Margaret Thatcher.

As a new MP in 1945 he was on the left wing of the party; he steadily moved right but maintained his reputation as "The Keeper of the Cloth Cap" – that is he was seen as dedicated to maintaining close ties between the Party and the trade unions. Callaghan's period as Chancellor of the Exchequer coincided with a turbulent period for the British economy, during which he had to wrestle with a balance of payments deficit and speculative attacks on the pound sterling (its exchange rate to other currencies was almost fixed by the Bretton Woods system). On 18 November 1967, the government devalued the pound sterling. Callaghan became Home Secretary. He sent the British Army to support the police in Northern Ireland, after a request from the Northern Ireland Government.


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