James Callaghan

:A different James Callaghan was MP for Heywood & Middleton.

Late career

Callaghan resigned as leader of the Labour Party in September 1980, shortly after the 1980 party conference had voted for a new system of election by electoral college involving the individual members and trade unions. His resignation ensured that his successor would be elected by MPs only. In the second round of a campaign that laid bare the deep internal divisions of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Michael Foot beat Denis Healey to succeed Callaghan as leader.

Related Topics:
Michael Foot - Denis Healey

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In 1983, Callaghan became Father of the House as the longest continuously serving member of the Commons and one of only two survivors of the 1945 general election (Michael Foot was the other but he had been out of the House from 1955 to 1960). In 1987 he was made a Knight of the Garter and stood down at the 1987 general election after forty-two years as a member of the Commons. Shortly afterwards, he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Callaghan of Cardiff.

Related Topics:
1983 - Father of the House - 1945 - Michael Foot - 1955 - 1960 - 1987 general election - House of Lords - Cardiff

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In 1988 Callaghan's wife Audrey, a former Chairman (1969-1982) of Great Ormond Street Hospital, spotted a letter to a newspaper which pointed out that the copyright of Peter Pan, which had been assigned by J. M. Barrie to the hospital, was about to expire. Callaghan moved an amendment to the Copyright Bill then under consideration in the Lords to extend it permanently (which is permissible in the UK), and this was accepted by the government.

Related Topics:
1988 - Audrey - 1969 - 1982 - Great Ormond Street Hospital - Copyright - Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie

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Their daughter Margaret became Baroness Jay of Paddington and was Leader of the House of Lords from 1998 to 2001.

Related Topics:
Baroness Jay of Paddington - 1998 - 2001

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On 14 February 2005, he became the longest-lived British Prime Minister, surpassing Harold Macmillan, and had the longest life of any British prime minister when he died at his farm in Ringmer, East Sussex on 26 March 2005, on the eve of his 93rd birthday and 11 days after his wife, Audrey, Lady Callaghan of Cardiff. At the time of his death Callaghan had lived 92 years 364 days, exceeding by 42 days the life span of Macmillan. He was survived by a son and two daughters.

Related Topics:
14 February - 2005 - Harold Macmillan - Ringmer - East Sussex - 26 March

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