Michael Foot
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| Michael Foot | |
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| Name | Michael Foot |
| Caption | Foot in 1983 |
| Office | Leader of the Opposition |
| Term start | 4 November 1980 |
| Term end | 2 October 1983 |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Predecessor | James Callaghan |
| Successor | Neil Kinnock |
| Office1 | Leader of the Labour Party |
| Term start1 | 4 November 1980 |
| Term end1 | 2 October 1983 |
| Deputy1 | Denis Healey |
| Predecessor1 | James Callaghan |
| Successor1 | Neil Kinnock |
| Office2 | Lord President of the Council |
| Term start2 | 8 April 1976 |
| Term end2 | 4 May 1979 |
| Primeminister2 | James Callaghan |
| Predecessor2 | Edward Short |
| Successor2 | Christopher Soames |
| Office3 | Secretary of State for Employment |
| Term start3 | 5 March 1974 |
| Term end3 | 8 April 1976 |
| Primeminister3 | Harold Wilson |
| Predecessor3 | William Whitelaw |
| Successor3 | Albert Booth |
| Birth date | 23 July 1913 |
| Birth place | Plymouth, England |
| Death date | 3 March 2010 |
| Death place | Hampstead, London, England |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouse | Jill Craigie, 1949, 1999 |
| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Politician, journalist, author |
Michael Foot was a prominent British politician, writer, and orator who led the Labour Party from 1980 to 1983. A passionate socialist and intellectual of the party's left-wing, his career spanned decades as a Member of Parliament, cabinet minister, and influential journalist. His leadership, culminating in Labour's heavy defeat in the 1983 general election, remains a defining chapter in modern British political history, though his legacy as a champion of unilateral nuclear disarmament and democratic socialism endures.
Early life and education
Born in Plymouth into a prominent Liberal family, he was the son of Isaac Foot, a Liberal MP. He was educated at Leighton Park School and then Wadham College, Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and became deeply involved in political debate, serving as President of the Oxford Union. His early career was in journalism, where he worked for the New Statesman and the Evening Standard, establishing a reputation as a brilliant polemicist and a fierce critic of appeasement in the years before the Second World War.
Political career
Elected as MP for Plymouth Devonport in 1945, he quickly became a leading figure on the Labour backbenches. He was a founding editor of the left-wing Tribune newspaper and, alongside Aneurin Bevan, was a standard-bearer for the party's Bevanite faction. After losing his seat in 1955, he returned to Parliament in 1960 as MP for Ebbw Vale, succeeding Bevan. He served in Harold Wilson's government as Secretary of State for Employment, where he piloted the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Under James Callaghan, he was Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, tasked with managing the government's legislative programme during the turbulent period of the Winter of Discontent.
Leadership of the Labour Party
Following Callaghan's resignation, Foot was elected Leader of the Labour Party in 1980 after a bitter contest with Denis Healey. His election reflected the party's sharp move leftward, influenced by internal groups like the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy. As Leader of the Opposition, he faced a dominant Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher. His leadership was defined by his advocacy for unilateral nuclear disarmament and opposition to the Falklands War. The 1983 Labour manifesto, later dubbed the "longest suicide note in history," pledged withdrawal from the European Economic Community and sweeping nationalization. The party suffered a catastrophic defeat in the 1983 United Kingdom general election, winning only 209 seats.
Later political life and retirement
After stepping down as leader, he was succeeded by Neil Kinnock and remained a backbench MP for Blaenau Gwent until 1992. In retirement, he continued to write and speak on political issues, publishing acclaimed biographies of Aneurin Bevan and H. G. Wells. He remained a vocal critic of the Iraq War and was a steadfast supporter of CND. His later years were dedicated to historical writing and he was a frequent contributor to the Guardian newspaper.
Political views and legacy
A lifelong democratic socialist and republican, Foot's ideology was rooted in Christian socialism, libertarian socialism, and a deep love for British radical history. He was a formidable orator in the tradition of Lloyd George and a master of parliamentary debate. While his party leadership is often viewed as a failure, his intellectual integrity and unwavering commitment to principles of social justice, pacifism, and anti-fascism are widely respected. His writings, particularly his work on Jonathan Swift and the Regency journalist William Hazlitt, cemented his reputation as a significant man of letters.
Personal life and death
In 1949, he married the filmmaker and writer Jill Craigie; their marriage lasted until her death in 1999. They had no children. A devoted fan of Plymouth Argyle F.C., he was also a renowned bibliophile with an immense personal library. He was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1995. Michael Foot died at his home in Hampstead on 3 March 2010, at the age of 96. His funeral was held at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street.
Category:Leaders of the Labour Party (UK) Category:Leaders of the Opposition (United Kingdom) Category:1913 births Category:2010 deaths