Harold Wilson

This article is about the British politician. For the Olympic silver medallist, see Harold A. Wilson.

Resignation

On March 16, 1976, Wilson shocked the nation by announcing his resignation as Prime Minister and his intention to retire from politics altogether. He claimed that this was a step he had always planned to take when he reached the age of sixty and that he was physically and mentally exhausted. As early as the late 1960s, he had been telling intimates that he did not intend to serve more than eight or nine years as Prime Minister. But he was probably also aware that he was suffering from the first stages of early-onset Alzheimer's disease as both his memory and powers of concentration, which up until this point had been excellent, were now starting to fail him drastically.

Related Topics:
March 16 - 1976 - Alzheimer's disease

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Queen Elizabeth II came to dine at 10 Downing Street to mark his resignation, an honour she has bestowed on only one other Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill.

Related Topics:
Queen Elizabeth II - 10 Downing Street - Winston Churchill

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Wilson's resignation honours list included many businessmen and showbusiness stars along with his political supporters, and caused lasting damage to his reputation when it was revealed that the first draft of the list had been written by Marcia Williams on lavender notepaper (it became known as the lavender list). Some of those Wilson honoured were later revealed to have been corrupt, including Lord Kagan, who went to jail for fraud, and Sir Eric Miller, who committed suicide while under investigation.

Related Topics:
Marcia Williams - Lord Kagan - Fraud - Suicide

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Tony Benn, James Callaghan, Anthony Crosland, Michael Foot, Denis Healey and Roy Jenkins stood in the first ballot to replace him. Jenkins was initially tipped as the favourite but came third on the initial ballot. In the final ballot, on the evening of 5 April, Callaghan defeated Foot by 176 parliamentary votes to 137 and became Wilson's successor as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party.

Related Topics:
Tony Benn - James Callaghan - Anthony Crosland - Michael Foot - Denis Healey - Roy Jenkins - 5 April

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As Wilson wished to remain an MP after leaving office, he was not immediately given the peerage customarily offered to retired Prime Ministers, but instead was created a Knight of the Garter. On leaving the House of Commons in 1983 he was created Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, of Kirklees in the County of West Yorkshire.

Related Topics:
Peerage - Knight of the Garter - House of Commons - 1983

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