Labour government, 1964–1970

For the first ministry (1910–1911) of Western Australia Premier Frank Wilson, see First Wilson Ministry (Western Australia).

First Wilson Ministry
81st Cabinet of the United Kingdom
1964 − 1970
File:Harold Wilson Number 10 official.jpg
Date formed	16 October 1964
Date dissolved	19 June 1970
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Elizabeth II
Head of government	Harold Wilson
Member party	Labour Party
Status in legislature	Majority
Opposition party	Conservative Party
Opposition leader	Sir Alec Douglas-Home (until 28 July 1965) Edward Heath (from 28 July 1965)
History
Elections	1964 general election 1966 general election
Outgoing election	1970 general election
Predecessor	Douglas-Home Ministry
Successor	Heath Ministry

Harold Wilson became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 16 October 1964, and formed the First Wilson Ministry.

Formation

The Labour Party had won the 1964 general election by a majority of 4 seats. The Profumo affair had seriously damaged the previous Conservative government, meaning Alec Douglas-Home's Premiership lasted only 363 days. Wilson's tiny majority led to impotency during this Parliament, and in 1966 another election was called, leading to a majority of 96 and the continuation of the Wilson government.

Domestic issues

Social issues

A number of liberalising social reforms were passed through parliament during Wilson's first period in government. These included the abolition of capital punishment, decriminalisation of sex between men in private, liberalisation of abortion law and the abolition of theatre censorship. The Divorce Reform Act 1969 was passed by Parliament (and came into effect in 1971). Such reforms were mostly via private member's bills on 'free votes' in line with established convention, but the large Labour majority after 1966 was undoubtedly more open to such changes than previous parliaments had been.

Wilson personally, coming culturally from a provincial non-conformist background, showed no particular enthusiasm for much of this agenda (which some linked to the "permissive society"), but the reforming climate was especially encouraged by Roy Jenkins during his period at the Home Office. The franchise was also extended with the reduction of the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen in 1969.

Wilson's 1966–70 term witnessed growing public concern over the level of immigration to the United Kingdom. The issue was dramatised at the political level by the famous "Rivers of Blood speech" by the Conservative politician Enoch Powell, warning against the dangers of immigration, which led to Powell's dismissal from the Shadow Cabinet. Wilson's government adopted a two-track approach. While condemning racial discrimination (and adopting legislation to make it a legal offence), Wilson's Home Secretary James Callaghan introduced significant new restrictions on the right of immigration to the United Kingdom.

Education

Education held special significance for a socialist of Wilson's generation, in view of its role in both opening up opportunities for children from working-class backgrounds and enabling Britain to seize the potential benefits of scientific advances. Under the first Wilson government, for the first time in British history, more money was allocated to education than to defence. Wilson continued the rapid creation of new universities, in line with the recommendations of the Robbins Report, a bipartisan policy already in train when Labour took power. The economic difficulties of the period deprived the tertiary system of the resources it needed. Nevertheless, university expansion remained a core policy. One notable effect was the first entry of women into university education in significant numbers. More broadly, higher education overall was significantly expanded, with a distinct bias towards the non-university sector. During Wilson’s time in office from 1964-1970, some 30 polytechnics were set up to provide vocationally-oriented courses that were not fully provided by universities. In addition, student participation rates were increased from 5% to 10%. Within a year of taking office, the government awarded teachers a 13% pay increase, and also tripled spending on a large publicity campaign to persuade married teachers to return to the schools. Expenditure on school buildings was also increased, together with the number of teachers in training.

Wilson also deserves credit for grasping the concept of an Open University, to give adults who had missed out on tertiary education a second chance through part-time study and distance learning. His political commitment included assigning implementation responsibility to Baroness Lee, the widow of Aneurin Bevan, the charismatic leader of Labour's left wing whom Wilson had joined in resigning from the Attlee cabinet. The Open University worked through summer schools, postal tuition and television programmes. By 1981, 45,000 students had received degrees through the Open University. Money was also channelled into local-authority run colleges of education.

Wilson's record on secondary education is, by contrast, highly controversial. A fuller description is in the article Education in England. Two factors played a role. Following the Education Act 1944 there was disaffection with the tripartite system of academically oriented Grammar schools for a small proportion of "gifted" children, and Technical and Secondary Modern schools for the majority of children. Pressure grew for the abolition of the selective principle underlying the "eleven plus", and replacement with Comprehensive schools which would serve the full range of children (see the article Debates on the grammar school). Comprehensive education became Labour Party policy. From 1966 to 1970, the proportion of children in comprehensive schools increased from about 10% to over 30%. There was also a move in primary schools towards "child-centred" or individual learning, in keeping with the recommendations of the 1967 Plowden Report on improving the education system. Polytechnics were established in 1965 through the amalgamation of existing institutions such as colleges of technology, art, and commerce. A new external examination, designed for children of middling intellectual ability and leading to a Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE), was also introduced that same year. Advanced level courses in further education were also expanded by the government much faster than under the previous Conservative government.

Labour pressed local authorities to convert grammar schools into comprehensives. Conversion continued on a large scale during the subsequent Conservative Heath administration, although the Secretary of State, Margaret Thatcher, ended the compulsion of local governments to convert.

A major controversy that arose during Wilson's first government was the decision that the government could not fulfill its long-held promise to raise the school leaving age to 16, because of the investment required in infrastructure, such as extra classrooms and teachers. Baroness Lee considered resigning in protest, but narrowly decided against this in the interests of party unity. It was left to Thatcher to carry out the change, during the Heath government.

Attempts were also made to improve the provision of nursery education. In 1960, as a means of saving money, the Conservative government issued a circular which forbade the expansion of nursery education. This restriction was slightly relaxed just before the July 1964 election, when authorities were allowed to provide places "where this would enable married women to return to teaching." In 1965, the Labour government provided a further relaxation which allowed authorities to expand "so long as they provided some extra places for teachers to whom priority was to be given." Nevertheless, the number of children under five in maintained nursery, primary, and special schools increased only slightly, from 222,000 in 1965 to 239,000 in 1969.

Overall, public expenditure on education rose as a proportion of GNP from 4.8% in 1964 to 5.9% in 1968, and the number of teachers in training increased by more than a third between 1964 and 1967. The percentage of students staying on at school after the age of sixteen increased similarly, and the student population increased by over 10% each year. Pupil-teacher ratios were also steadily reduced. As a result of the first Wilson government's educational policies, opportunities for working-class children were improved, while overall access to education in 1970 was broader than in 1964. As summarised by Brian Lapping:

The years 1964–70 were largely taken up with creating extra places in universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, colleges of education: preparing for the day when a new Act would make it the right of a student, on leaving school, to have a place in an institution of further education.

External affairs

Europe

Wilson with West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard.

Among the more challenging political dilemmas Wilson faced during his two terms in government and his two spells in Opposition before 1964 and between 1970 and 1974 was the issue of British membership of the European Community, the forerunner of the present European Union. An entry attempt had been issued in July 1961 by the Macmillan government, and negotiated by Edward Heath as Lord Privy Seal, but was vetoed in 1963 by French President Charles de Gaulle. The Labour Party in Opposition had been divided on the issue, with former party leader Hugh Gaitskell having come out in 1962 in opposition to Britain joining the Community.

After initially hesitating over the issue, Wilson's Government in May 1967 lodged the UK's second application to join the European Community. Like the first, though, it was vetoed by de Gaulle in November that year.

Following his victory in the 1970 election (and helped by de Gaulle's fall from power in 1969), the new prime minister Edward Heath negotiated Britain's admission to the EC, alongside Denmark and Ireland in 1973. The Labour Party in opposition continued to be deeply divided on the issue, and risked a major split. Leading opponents of membership included Richard Crossman, who was for two years (1970–72) the editor of New Statesman, at that time the leading left-of-centre weekly journal, which published many polemics in support of the anti-EC case. Prominent among Labour supporters of membership was Roy Jenkins.

Wilson in opposition showed political ingenuity in devising a position that both sides of the party could agree on, opposing the terms negotiated by Heath but not membership in principle. Labour's 1974 manifesto included a pledge to renegotiate terms for Britain's membership and then hold a referendum on whether to stay in the EC on the new terms. This was a constitutional procedure without precedent in British history.

Following Wilson's return to power, the renegotiations with Britain's fellow EC members were carried out by Wilson himself in tandem with Foreign Secretary James Callaghan, and they toured the capital cities of Europe meeting their European counterparts (some commentators have suggested that their co-operation in this exercise may have been the source of a close relationship between the two men which is claimed to have assisted a smooth change-over when Wilson retired from office). The discussions focused primarily on Britain's net budgetary contribution to the EC. As a small agricultural producer heavily dependent on imports, Britain suffered doubly from the dominance of:

(i) agricultural spending in the EC budget,

(ii) agricultural import taxes as a source of EC revenues.

During the renegotiations, other EEC members conceded, as a partial offset, the establishment of a significant European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), from which it was clearly agreed that Britain would be a major net beneficiary.

In the subsequent referendum campaign, rather than the normal British tradition of "collective responsibility", under which the government takes a policy position which all cabinet members are required to support publicly, members of the Government were free to present their views on either side of the question. The electorate voted on 5 June 1975 to continue membership, by a substantial majority.

Asia

Prior United States military involvement in the Vietnam War intensified following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964. US President Lyndon Johnson brought pressure to bear for at least a token involvement of British military units in the Vietnam War. Wilson consistently avoided any commitment of British forces, giving as reasons British military commitments to the Malayan Emergency and British co-chairmanship of the 1954 Geneva Conference which agreed the cessation of hostilities and called for internationally supervised elections in Vietnam. His government offered some rhetorical support for the US position (most prominently in the defence offered by the Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart in a much-publicised "teach-in" or debate on Vietnam). On at least one occasion the British government made an unsuccessful effort to mediate in the conflict, with Wilson discussing peace proposals with Alexei Kosygin, the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers. On 28 June 1966 Wilson 'dissociated' his Government from American bombing of the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. In his memoirs, Wilson writes of "selling LBJ a bum steer", a reference to Johnson's Texas origins, which conjured up images of cattle and cowboys in British minds. Wilson's approach of maintaining close relations with the US while pursuing an independent line on Vietnam has attracted new interest in the light of the different approach taken by the Blair government vis-a-vis Britain's participation in the Iraq War (2003).

Harold and Mary Wilson greeting the Prime Minister of Australia Harold Holt and wife Zara in 1967.

Since the Second World War, Britain's presence in the Far East had gradually been run down. Former British colonies, whose defence had provided much of the rationale for a British military presence in the region, moved towards independence under British governments of both parties. Successive UK Governments also became conscious of the cost to the exchequer and the economy of maintaining major forces abroad (in parallel, several schemes to develop strategic weaponry were abandoned on the grounds of cost, for example, the Blue Streak missile and the TSR2 aircraft).

Part of the price paid by Wilson after talks with President Johnson in June 1967 for US assistance with the UK economy was his agreement to maintain a military presence East of Suez. In July 1967 Defence Secretary Denis Healey announced that Britain would abandon her mainland bases East of Suez by 1977, although airmobile forces would be retained which could if necessary be deployed in the region. Shortly afterward, in January 1968, Wilson announced that the proposed timetable for this withdrawal was to be accelerated, and that British forces were to be withdrawn from Singapore, Malaysia, and the Persian Gulf by the end of 1971. However, Wilson's successor Edward Heath sought to reverse this policy, and British forces remained in Singapore and Malaysia until the mid-1970s. Whilst widely criticised at the time, over the longer term the decision can be seen as a logical culmination of the withdrawal from Britain's colonial-era political and military commitments in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere that had been underway under British governments of both parties since the Second World War – and of the parallel switch of Britain's emphasis to its European identity.

Wilson was known for his strong pro-Israel views. He was a particular friend of Israeli Premier Golda Meir, though her tenure largely coincided with Wilson's 1970–1974 hiatus. Another associate was West German Chancellor Willy Brandt; all three were members of the Socialist International.

Africa

In 1960, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made his important Wind of Change speech to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town. This heralded independence for many British colonies in Africa. The British "retreat from Empire" had made headway by 1964 and was to continue during Wilson's administration. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland came to present serious problems.

The Federation was set up in 1953, and was an amalgamation of the British Colonies of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland and the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia. The Federation was dissolved in 1963 and the states of Zambia and Malawi were granted independence. Southern Rhodesia, which had been the economic powerhouse of the Federation, was not granted independence, principally because of the régime in power. The country bordered South Africa to the south and its governance was influenced by the apartheid régime, then headed by Hendrik Verwoerd. Wilson refused to grant independence to the white minority government headed by Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith which not willing to extend unqualified voting rights to the native African population. His government's view was that the native population was ingenuous, and doing that would lay them open to undue influence and intimidation. The franchise was open to those who had achieved a certain (fairly low) standard of education, and to property owners, and to people of "importance", i.e., chiefs and indunas – in other words, you needed to qualify for a vote – which many natives did.

Smith's defiant response was a Unilateral Declaration of Independence, timed to coincide with Armistice Day at 11.00 am on 11 November 1965, an attempt to garner support in the UK by reminding people of the contribution of the colony to the war effort (Smith himself had been a Spitfire pilot). Smith was personally vilified in the British media. Wilson's immediate recourse was to the United Nations, and in 1965, the Security Council imposed sanctions, which were to last until official independence in 1979. This involved British warships blockading the port of Beira to try to cause economic collapse in Rhodesia. Wilson was applauded by most nations for taking a firm stand on the issue (and none extended diplomatic recognition to the Smith régime). A number of nations did not join in with sanctions, undermining their efficiency. Certain sections of public opinion started to question their efficacy, and to demand the toppling of the régime by force. Wilson declined to intervene in Rhodesia with military force, believing the British population would not support such action against their "kith and kin". The two leaders met for discussions aboard British warships, Tiger in 1966 and Fearless in 1968. Smith subsequently attacked Wilson in his memoirs, accusing him of delaying tactics during negotiations and alleging duplicity; Wilson responded in kind, questioning Smith's good faith and suggesting that Smith had moved the goal-posts whenever a settlement appeared in sight. The matter was still unresolved at the time of Wilson's resignation in 1976.

Elsewhere in Africa, trouble developed in Nigeria, brought about by the ethnic hatreds and Biafra's efforts to become independent. Wilson supported the established new governments in former colonies and refused to countenance breakaway movements. He supported the government of General Yakubu Gowon during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967–1970.

Fate

By 1969, the Labour Party was suffering serious electoral reverses. In May 1970, Wilson responded to an apparent recovery in his government's popularity by calling a general election, but, to the surprise of most observers, was defeated at the polls by the Conservatives under Edward Heath.

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

Office	Name	Dates	Notes
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service	Harold Wilson	16 October 1964 – 19 June 1970
First Secretary of State	George Brown	16 October 1964	Office linked to Department of Economic Affairs until 29 August 1967
	Michael Stewart	11 August 1966 – 18 March 1968
	Barbara Castle	6 April 1968	Office linked to Ministry of Employment
Lord Chancellor	Lord Gardiner	16 October 1964
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons	Herbert Bowden	16 October 1964
	Richard Crossman	11 August 1966
	Fred Peart	18 October 1968
Lord Privy Seal	The Earl of Longford	18 October 1964	also Leader of the House of Lords
	Sir Frank Soskice	23 December 1965
	The Earl of Longford	6 April 1966	also Leader of the House of Lords
	Lord Shackleton	16 January 1968	also Leader of the House of Lords
	Fred Peart	6 April 1968
	Lord Shackleton	18 October 1968	also Leader of the House of Lords
Chancellor of the Exchequer	James Callaghan	16 October 1964
	Roy Jenkins	30 November 1967
Chief Secretary to the Treasury	John Diamond	20 October 1964	Office in Cabinet from 1 November 1968
Minister of State, Treasury	David John Mauerman	6 April 1968
	Bill Rodgers	13 October 1969
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	Edward Short	18 October 1964
	John Silkin	4 July 1966
	Robert Mellish	30 April 1969
	office vacant	31 May 1970
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Niall MacDermot	21 October 1964
	Harold Lever	29 August 1967
	Dick Taverne	13 October 1969
Economic Secretary to the Treasury	Anthony Crosland	19 October 1964	de facto Minister of State for Economic Affairs. Office abolished 22 December 1964
Secretary of State for Economic Affairs	George Brown	16 October 1964
	Michael Stewart	11 August 1966
	Peter Shore	29 August 1967	Office abolished 6 October 1969
Minister of State for Economic Affairs	Anthony Crosland	20 October 1964	Nominally Economic Secretary to the Treasury until 22 December 1964
	Austen Albu	27 January 1965 – 7 January 1967
	Thomas Urwin	6 April 1968 – 6 October 1969
Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs	Maurice Foley	21 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Bill Rodgers	21 October 1964 – 7 January 1967
	Harold Lever	7 January 1967 – 29 August 1967
	Peter Shore	7 January 1967 – 29 August 1967
	Alan Williams	29 August 1967 – 6 October 1969
	Edmund Dell	29 August 1967 – 6 April 1968
Lords of the Treasury	George Rogers	21 October 1964 – 11 January 1966
	George Lawson	21 October 1964 – 1 April 1967
	Jack McCann	21 October 1964 – 11 April 1966 and 29 July 1967 – 13 October 1969
	Ifor Davies	21 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Harriet Slater	21 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	John Silkin	11 January 1966 – 11 April 1966
	Alan Fitch	16 April 1966 – 13 October 1969
	Joseph Harper	16 April 1966 – 19 June 1970
	William Whitlock	11 April 1966 – 7 July 1966 and 1 April 1967 – 28 July 1967
	William Howie	16 April 1966 – 1 April 1967
	Harry Gourlay	7 July 1966 – 1 April 1967
	Brian O'Malley	1 April 1967 – 13 October 1969
	Walter Harrison	29 October 1968 – 19 June 1970
	Neil McBride	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	Ernest Perry	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	Ernest Armstrong	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Patrick Gordon Walker	16 October 1964
	Michael Stewart	22 January 1965
	George Brown	11 August 1966	Resigned
	Michael Stewart	16 March 1968	Merged with Commonwealth Office 17 October 1968
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Michael Stewart	17 October 1968
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs	Lord Caradon	16 October 1964 – 19 June 1970
	George Thomson	19 June 1964 – 6 April 1966 and 7 January 1967 – 29 August 1967
	Walter Padley	19 October 1964 – 7 January 1967
	Lord Chalfont	23 October 1964 – 19 June 1970
	Eirene White	11 April 1966 – 7 January 1967
	Frederick Mulley	7 January 1967 – 17 October 1968	Merged with Commonwealth Office 17 October 1968
	Goronwy Roberts	29 August 1967 – 17 October 1968	Merged with Commonwealth Office 17 October 1968
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Frederick Mulley	17 October 1968 – 6 October 1969
	Goronwy Roberts	17 October 1968 – 13 October 1969
	The Lord Shepherd	17 October 1968 – 19 June 1970
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Lord Walston	20 October 1964
	Bill Rodgers	7 January 1967
	Maurice Foley	3 July 1968	Merged with Commonwealth Office 17 October 1968
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Maurice Foley	17 October 1968 – 19 June 1970
	William Whitlock	17 October 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Evan Luard	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Secretary of State for the Home Department	Sir Frank Soskice	18 October 1964
	Roy Jenkins	23 December 1965
	James Callaghan	30 November 1967
Minister of State for Home Affairs	Alice Bacon	19 October 1964
	Lord Stonham	29 August 1967
	Shirley Williams	13 October 1969
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Lord Stonham	20 October 1964 – 29 August 1967
	George Thomas	20 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Maurice Foley	6 April 1966 – 7 January 1967
	Dick Taverne	6 April 1966 – 6 April 1968
	David Ennals	7 January 1967 – 1 November 1968
	Elystan Morgan	6 April 1968 – 19 June 1970
	Merlyn Rees	1 November 1968 – 19 June 1970
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	Fred Peart	18 October 1964
	Cledwyn Hughes	6 April 1968
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	John Mackie	20 October 1964 – 19 June 1970
	James Hutchison Hoy	21 October 1964 – 19 June 1970
Minister of State for Aviation	Roy Jenkins	18 October 1964
	Frederick Mulley	23 December 1965
	John Stonehouse	7 January 1967	Office abolished 15 February 1967
Parliamentary Secretary for Aviation	John Stonehouse	20 October 1964
	Julian Snow	6 April 1966	Office abolished 7 January 1967
Secretary of State for the Colonies	Anthony Greenwood	18 October 1964
	The Earl of Longford	23 December 1965	also Leader of the House of Lords
	Frederick Lee	6 April 1966	Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs from 1 August 1966. Office abolished 7 January 1967
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies	Eirene White	20 October 1964 – 11 October 1965
	Lord Taylor	20 October 1964 – 11 April 1966	Also Under-Secretary at Commonwealth Relations
	Lord Beswick	11 October 1965 – 1 August 1966	Also Under-Secretary at Commonwealth Relations
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations	Arthur Bottomley	18 October 1964	Merged into Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs	Herbert Bowden	11 August 1966
	George Thomson	29 August 1967	Merged with Foreign Office 17 October 1968
Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations	Cledwyn Hughes	19 October 1964 – 6 April 1966	Merged into Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs
Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs	Judith Hart	6 April 1966 – 26 July 1967
	George Thomas	7 January 1967 – 6 April 1968
	The Lord Shepherd	26 July 1967	Merged with Foreign Office 17 October 1968
Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations	Lord Taylor	20 October 1964	Also Under-Secretary for the Colonies
	Lord Beswick	11 October 1965	Also Under-Secretary for the Colonies until 1 August 1966
Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs	Lord Beswick	1 August 1966
	William Whitlock	26 July 1967	Merged with Foreign Office 17 October 1968
Secretary of State for Defence	Denis Healey	16 October 1964
Minister of State for the Army	Frederick Mulley	19 October 1964	Also Deputy Secretary of State
	Gerald Reynolds	24 December 1965
Under-Secretary of State for the Army	Gerald Reynolds	20 October 1964
	Merlyn Rees	24 December 1965
	David Ennals	6 April 1966
	James Boyden	7 January 1967
	Ivor Richard	13 October 1969
Minister of State for the Navy	Christopher Mayhew	19 October 1964
	Joseph Mallalieu	19 February 1966	Office abolished 7 January 1967
Under-Secretary of State for the Navy	Joseph Mallalieu	21 October 1964
	Lord Winterbottom	6 April 1966
	Maurice Foley	7 January 1967
	David Owen	3 July 1968
Minister of State for the Air Force	Lord Shackleton	19 October 1964	Office abolished 7 January 1967
Under-Secretary of State for the Air Force	Bruce Millan	20 October 1964
	Merlyn Rees	16 April 1966
	Lord Winterbottom	1 November 1968
Minister of Defence for Administration	Gerald Reynolds	7 January 1967
	Roy Hattersley	15 July 1969
Minister of Defence for Equipment	Roy Mason	7 January 1967
	John Morris	16 April 1968
Secretary of State for Education and Science	Michael Stewart	18 October 1964
	Anthony Crosland	22 January 1965
	Patrick Gordon Walker	29 August 1967
	Edward Short	6 April 1968
Minister of State for Education and Science	Lord Bowden	19 October 1964 – 11 October 1965
	Reg Prentice	20 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Edward Redhead	11 October 1965 – 7 January 1967
	Goronwy Roberts	6 April 1966 – 29 August 1967
	Shirley Williams	7 January 1967 – 13 October 1969
	Alice Bacon	29 August 1967 – 19 June 1970
	Gerald Fowler	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Minister of State for the Arts	Jennie Lee	17 February 1967 – 19 June 1970
Under-Secretary of State for Education	James Boyden	20 October 1964 – 24 February 1965
	Denis Howell	20 October 1964 – 13 October 1969
	Jennie Lee	24 February 1965 – 17 February 1967	Arts
	Joan Lestor	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity	Barbara Castle	6 April 1968
Minister of State for Employment and Productivity	Edmund Dell	13 October 1969
Under-Secretary of State for Employment	Ernest Fernyhough	6 April 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Roy Hattersley	6 April 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Harold Walker	6 April 1968 – 13 October 1969
Minister of Health	Kenneth Robinson	18 October 1964	Office abolished 1 November 1968
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health	Sir Barnett Stross	20 October 1964
	Charles Loughlin	24 February 1965
	Julian Snow	7 January 1967
Secretary of State for Social Services	Richard Crossman	1 November 1968	Incl. Health
Minister of State for Social Services	Stephen Swingler	1 November 1968 – 19 February 1969
	David Ennals	1 November 1968 – 19 June 1970
	Lady Serota	25 February 1969 – 19 June 1970
Under-Secretary of State for Social Services	Norman Pentland	1 November 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Charles Loughlin	1 November 1968 – 20 November 1968
	Julian Snow	1 November 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Brian O'Malley	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	John Dunwoody	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Minister of Housing and Local Government	Richard Crossman	18 October 1964
	Anthony Greenwood	11 August 1966	Office not in Cabinet from 6 October 1969
	Robert Mellish	31 May 1970
Minister of State for Housing and Local Government	Frederick Willey	17 February 1967
	Niall MacDermot	29 August 1967 – 28 September 1968
	Denis Howell	13 October 1969
Minister for Planning and Land	Kenneth Robinson	1 November 1968	Office abolished 6 October 1969
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Local Government	Robert Mellish	18 October 1964 – 29 August 1967
	James MacColl	20 October 1964 – 13 October 1969
	The Lord Kennet	6 April 1966 – 19 June 1970
	Arthur Skeffington	17 February 1967 – 19 June 1970
	Reginald Freeson	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	Richard Marsh	20 October 1964 – 11 October 1965
	Ernest Thornton	21 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Shirley Williams	6 April 1966 – 7 January 1967
	Ernest Fernyhough	7 January 1967 – 6 April 1968
	Roy Hattersley	7 January 1967 – 6 April 1968
Minister of Labour	Ray Gunter	18 October 1964	Reorganised as Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity 6 April 1968
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Douglas Houghton	18 October 1964
	George Thomson	6 April 1966	Office not in Cabinet
	Frederick Lee	7 January 1967
	George Thomson	6 October 1969	Office in Cabinet
Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning	Anthony Crosland	6 October 1969
Minister of State for Local Government and Regional Planning	Thomas Urwin	6 October 1969
Minister for Land and Natural Resources	Frederick Willey	18 October 1964	Office wound up 17 February 1967
Parliamentary Secretary for Land and Natural Resources	Lord Mitchison	October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Arthur Skeffington	21 October 1964 – 17 February 1967
Minister of Overseas Development	Barbara Castle	18 October 1964
	Anthony Greenwood	23 December 1965
	Arthur Bottomley	11 August 1966
	Reginald Prentice	29 August 1967	Office no longer in Cabinet
	Judith Hart	6 October 1969
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Overseas Development	Albert Oram	21 October 1964
	Ben Whitaker	13 October 1969
Paymaster General	George Wigg	19 October 1964 – 12 November 1967
	office vacant	12 November 1967
	Lord Shackleton	6 April 1968	also Leader of the House of Lords
	Judith Hart	1 November 1968
	Harold Lever	6 October 1969
Minister of Pensions and National Insurance	Margaret Herbison	18 October 1964	Minister of Social Security from 6 August 1966
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions	Harold Davies	20 October 1964 – 6 August 1966
	Norman Pentland	21 October 1964 – 6 August 1966
Minister without Portfolio	Sir Eric Fletcher	19 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Lord Champion	21 October 1964 – 7 January 1967
	Douglas Houghton	6 April 1966 – 7 January 1967	In Cabinet
	Lord Shackleton	7 January 1967 – 16 January 1968
	Patrick Gordon Walker	7 January 1967 – 21 August 1967
	George Thomson	17 October 1968 – 6 October 1969
	Peter Shore	6 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Postmaster-General	Tony Benn	19 October 1964
	Edward Short	4 July 1966
	Roy Mason	6 April 1968
	John Stonehouse	1 July 1968	Post Office became public corporation 1 October 1969
Assistant Postmaster-General	Joseph Slater	20 October 1964
Minister for Posts and Telecommunications	John Stonehouse	1 October 1969
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications	Joseph Slater	1 October 1969
	Norman Pentland	13 October 1969
Minister of Power	Fred Lee	18 October 1964
	Richard Marsh	6 April 1966
	Ray Gunter	6 April 1968
	Roy Mason	1 July 1968	Office abolished 6 October 1969
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power	John Morris	21 October 1964
	Lord Lindgren	10 January 1966
	Jeremy Bray	6 April 1966
	Reginald Freeson	7 January 1967 – 6 October 1969
Minister of Public Building and Works	Charles Pannell	19 October 1964
	Reginald Prentice	6 April 1966
	Robert Mellish	29 August 1967
	John Silkin	30 April 1969
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Public Building and Works	Jennie Lee	20 October 1964	Arts
	James Boyden	24 February 1965
	Lord Winterbottom	7 January 1967
	Charles Loughlin	20 November 1968
Secretary of State for Scotland	Willie Ross	18 October 1964
Minister of State for Scotland	George Willis	20 October 1964 – 7 January 1967
	Dickson Mabon	7 January 1967 – 19 June 1970
	Lord Hughes	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland	Lord Hughes	21 October 1964 – 13 October 1969
	Judith Hart	20 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Dickson Mabon	21 October 1964 – 7 January 1967
	Bruce Millan	6 April 1966 – 19 June 1970
	Norman Buchan	7 January 1967 – 19 June 1970
Minister of Social Security	Margaret Herbison	6 August 1966
	Judith Hart	26 July 1967	Office abolished 1 November 1968 – thereafter Health & Social Security
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Security	Harold Davies	6 August 1966 – 7 January 1967
	Norman Pentland	6 August 1966 – 1 November 1968
	Charles Loughlin	7 January 1967 – 1 November 1968
Minister of Technology	Frank Cousins	18 October 1964
	Tony Benn	4 July 1966
Minister of State for Technology	John Stonehouse	15 February 1967 – 1 July 1968
	Joseph Mallalieu	1 July 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Reg Prentice	6 October 1969 – 10 October 1969
	Lord Delacourt-Smith	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	Eric Varley	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Technology	Julian Snow	19 October 1964 – 6 April 1966
	Richard Marsh	11 October 1965 – 6 April 1966
	Peter Shore	6 April 1966 – 7 January 1967
	Edmund Dell	6 April 1966 – 29 August 1967
	Jeremy Bray	7 January 1967 – 24 September 1969
	Gerald Fowler	29 August 1967 – 13 October 1969
	Alan Williams	6 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	Neil Carmichael	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
	Ernest Davies	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
President of the Board of Trade	Douglas Jay	18 October 1964
	Anthony Crosland	29 August 1967
	Roy Mason	6 October 1969
Minister of State for Trade	George Darling	20 October 1964 – 6 April 1968
	Edward Redhead	20 October 1964 – 11 October 1965
	Roy Mason	20 October 1964 – 7 January 1967
	Lord Brown	11 October 1965 – 19 June 1970
	Joseph Mallalieu	7 January 1967 – 1 July 1968
	Edmund Dell	6 April 1968 – 13 October 1969
	William Rodgers	1 July 1968 – 13 October 1969
	Goronwy Roberts	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade	Lord Rhodes	20 October 1964
	Lord Walston	7 January 1967
	Gwyneth Dunwoody	29 August 1967
Minister of Transport	Thomas Fraser	18 October 1964
	Barbara Castle	23 December 1965
	Richard Marsh	6 April 1968
	Frederick Mulley	6 October 1969	Office no longer in Cabinet
Minister of State for Transport	Stephen Swingler	29 August 1967	Office vacant 1 November 1968
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport	Lord Lindgren	20 October 1964 – 10 January 1966
	Stephen Swingler	20 October 1964 – 29 August 1967
	John Morris	10 January 1966 – 6 April 1968
	Neil George Carmichael	29 August 1967 – 13 October 1969
	Robert Brown	6 April 1968 – 19 June 1970
	Albert Murray	13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Secretary of State for Wales	James Griffiths	18 October 1964
	Cledwyn Hughes	6 April 1966
	George Thomas	6 April 1968
Minister of State for Wales	Goronwy Roberts	20 October 1964
	George Thomas	6 April 1966
	Eirene White	7 January 1967
Under-Secretary of State for Wales	Harold Finch	21 October 1964
	Ifor Davies	6 April 1966
	Edward Rowlands	13 October 1969
Attorney General	Sir Elwyn Jones	18 October 1964
Solicitor General	Sir Dingle Foot	18 October 1964
	Sir Arthur Irvine	24 August 1967
Lord Advocate	Gordon Stott	20 October 1964	Not an MP
	Henry Wilson	26 October 1967	Not an MP
Solicitor General for Scotland	James Graham Leechman	20 October 1964	Not an MP
	Henry Wilson	11 October 1965	Not an MP
	Ewan George Francis Stewart	26 October 1967	Not an MP
Treasurer of the Household	Sydney Irving	21 October 1964
	John Silkin	11 April 1966
	Charles Grey	7 July 1966
	Charles Richard Morris	13 October 1969
Comptroller of the Household	Charles Grey	21 October 1964
	William Whitlock	7 July 1966
	William Howie	1 April 1967
	Ioan Evans	6 February 1968
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	William Whitlock	21 October 1964
	Jack McCann	11 April 1966
	Charles Richard Morris	29 July 1967
	Alan Fitch	13 October 1969
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	The Lord Shepherd	21 October 1964
	Lord Beswick	29 July 1967
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	Lord Bowles	28 December 1964
Lords in Waiting	Lord Hobson	21 October 1964 – 17 February 1966
	Lord Beswick	28 December 1964 – 11 October 1965
	Lord Sorensen	28 December 1964 – 20 April 1968
	Lady Phillips	10 December 1965 – 19 June 1970
	Lord Hilton of Upton	6 April 1966 – 19 June 1970
	Lady Serota	23 April 1968 – 25 February 1969
	Lady Llewelyn-Davies	13 March 1969 – 19 June 1970

Further reading

Main article: Harold Wilson bibliography

• Blick, Andrew. "Harold Wilson, Labour and the machinery of government." Contemporary British History (2006) 20#3 pp: 343-362.
• Borthwick, R.L.; Donald Shell; Richard Hodder-Williams (1995). Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership since 1945. Hurst & Company. ISBN 1-85065-147-7.
• Cairncross, Alexander Kirkland, and Barry J. Eichengreen. Sterling in Decline: the Devaluations of 1931, 1949, and 1967 (Basil Blackwell, 1983)
• Childs, David. Britain since 1945: a political history. (Taylor & Francis, 2006)
• Butler, D. and G. Butler (ed.). Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000.
• Dorey, Peter. "The Fall of the Wilson Government, 1970." in How Labour Governments Fall: From Ramsay Macdonald to Gordon Brown (2013): 83+.
• O'Hara, Glen. "'Dynamic, Exciting, Thrilling Change': the Wilson Government's Economic Policies, 1964–70," Contemporary British History, (Sept 2006) 20#3 pp 383–402
• Parr, Helen; Glen O’Hara (2006). The Wilson governments 1964-1970 reconsidered. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-35634-2.
• Rogers, Chris. (2011) "Economic Policy and the Problem of Sterling under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan," Contemporary British History (2011) 25#3 pp 339–363.
• Warner, Geoffrey. "Putting pressure on O'Neill: the Wilson government and Northern Ireland 1964–69." Irish Studies Review (2005) 13#1 pp: 13-31.

Foreign policy

• Coggins, Richard. "Wilson and Rhodesia: UDI and British policy towards Africa." Contemporary British History (2006) 20#3 pp: 363-381.
• Colman, Jonathan. A 'Special Relationship'?: Harold Wilson, Lyndon B. Johnson and Anglo-American Relations' at the Summit', 1964-8 (Manchester University Press, 2004)
• Colman, Jonathan. "Harold Wilson, Lyndon Johnson and Anglo-American ‘summit diplomacy’, 1964–68." Journal of Transatlantic Studies (2003) 1#2 pp: 131-151.
• Dockrill, Saki. "Forging the Anglo‐American global defence partnership: Harold Wilson, Lyndon Johnson and the Washington summit, December 1964." Journal of Strategic Studies (2000) 23#4 pp: 107-129.
• Dockrill, Saki. "Britain's power and influence: Dealing with three roles and the Wilson government's defence debate at Chequers in November 1964." Diplomacy and Statecraft (2000) 11#1 pp: 211-240.
• Pine, Melissa. Harold Wilson and Europe: Pursuing Britain's Membership of the European Community (IB Tauris, 2007)
• Spelling, Alex. "‘A Reputation for Parsimony to Uphold’: Harold Wilson, Richard Nixon and the Re-Valued ‘Special Relationship’1969–1970." Contemporary British History (2013) 27#2 pp: 192-213.
• Vickers, Rhiannon. "Harold Wilson, the British Labour Party, and the War in Vietnam." Journal of Cold War Studies(2008) 10#2 pp: 41-70.
• Wilson, Craig. "Rhetoric, reality and dissent: The Vietnam policy of the British labour government, 1964–1970." Social Science Journal (1986) 23#1 pp: 17-31.

Primary sources

• Wilson, Harold. The Labour government, 1964-70: a personal record. (Penguin, 1974)