Wilson (British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century)

Harold Wilson was a Labour politician, and prime minister twice -- from 1964-70 and again from 1974-76. Wilson held out the promise of technology and of 'the Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution'. A balance of payments crisis, leading to devaluation in 1967, frustrated the fulfillment of his promises; and Britain's economic difficulties were underlined by nearly four years of the most stringent exchange controls. Meanwhile, the issue of Rhodesia, in which Wilson took a personal initiative in diplomacy with Ian Smith but failed to make any progress, dominated foreign affairs. He lost the 1970 election, but returned to power in February 1974 without an overall majority; a second election in that year gave him a slender majority. He then surprised the nation, early in 1976, by the sudden announcement of his resignation.