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A comprehensive biography of James Callaghan, a British statesman and Labour politician who was Prime Minister of the UK from 1976 to 1979. Learn about his life, career, achievements, controversies and legacy.
Learn about the life and career of James Callaghan, the only 20th-century British Prime Minister to hold all four major offices of state. Find out his achievements, challenges and controversies in office from 1976 to 1979.
James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan (born March 27, 1912, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England—died March 26, 2005, Ringmer, East Sussex) was a British Labour Party politician, who was prime minister from 1976 to 1979. Callaghan entered the civil service at age 17 as a tax officer.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- He grew up in poverty. Born on 27 March 1912, Callaghan grew up in a Christian household in Portsmouth, England. When his father, also named James, died of a heart attack aged 44, ‘Sunny Jim’ was just 9 years old.
- He joined the Inland Revenue aged 17. Aged 17, Callaghan took a position as a clerk for the Inland Revenue in Maidstone, Kent. While there, he helped to set up and expand a trade union for his profession, the Association of Officers of Taxes.
- He served in the Royal Navy during World War Two. After the outbreak of World War Two, Callaghan applied to join the Royal Navy. He was initially rejected because his trade union role was classed as a reserved occupation, which barred him from military service.
- Callaghan controversially devalued the pound in 1967. After years as an MP, Callaghan was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 1964. At that time, Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s Labour government faced a deficit of some £800 million.
Learn about the life and career of James Callaghan, who led the Labour Party from 1976 to 1979 amid economic crisis and industrial unrest. Find out how he became chancellor, home secretary, foreign secretary and prime minister, and why he lost the 1979 election.
Dec 15, 2023 · Learn about the life and career of James Callaghan, who was Prime Minister of the UK from 1976 to 1979. Find out how he dealt with economic crisis, industrial relations, and the EC referendum.
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Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was a British statesman and Labour politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980.
