Harold Wilson

James Harold Wilson, generally known as Harold Wilson, was the Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964-1970 and from 1974-1976.

Born in 1916 and first elected to Parliament in 1945 he was appointed a junior minister in the Department of Trade immediately.

He won more General Elections than any other UK politician in the 20th Century. He won in 1964, 1966, and twice in 1974 although the February 1974 election resulted in a minority government. During his time in office he only once had a large majority (96 seats at the 1966 election) and struggled to get contentious legislation passed. Even so his legacy includes the Open University and the first steps towards the United Kingdom's membership of the EEC. He also successfully kept the UK out of the war in Vietnam.

Wilson acquired a reputation as a somewhat devious, scheming figure. He cultivated a particular image of himself in the media, which included ostentatiously smoking a pipe, though in private he is said to have preferred cigars. He came from a working-class background, and retained a northern English working-class accent throughout his life.

He was preceded by Sir Alec Douglas-Home and succeeded by James Callaghan. His periods of premiership were broken by that of Edward Heath.

He died in 1995.