Heath, Edward (1916-2005)

Heath, Edward

STATESMAN (ENGLAND)

BORN 9 Jul 1916, Broadstairs, Kent: 54 Albion Road - DIED 17 Jul 2005, Salisbury, Wiltshire: Arundells, Cathedral Close
BIRTH NAME Heath, Edward Richard George
CAUSE OF DEATH pneumonia
GRAVE LOCATION Salisbury, Wiltshire: Salisbury Cathedral ((ashes))

Edward Heath was the son of the carpenter Geroge Heath (1888-1976) and lady's maid Edit Anne Pantony (1888-1951). He studied at Balliol College, Oxford where he showed himself a promising organist and he would conduct Chrismas carol concerts in Broadstairs every year until he was old. During his time at university He also got involved in Conservative politics. He travelled widely and in 1937 he witnessed a rally of the nazis in Nuremburg and at a cocktail party he met Göring, Goebbels and Himmler, whom he described as the most evil man he ever met. Later he accused the British government of treating Hitler to kindly. In 1938 he was in Spain during the Civil War.

During the Second World War he was an officer in the Royal Artillery. He worked as a civil servant until het stood for Parliament and he was elected in 1950 for Bexley. In 1955 he became Chief Whip under Anthony Eden and in 1959 Harold MacMillan made him Minister of Labour. After the defeat of the Conservatives in 1964 he became the leader of the party in 1965. They were defeated again in 1966 but he held on to the leadership and in 1970 the Conservatives unexpectedly won the elections. Much of his attention went to the trouble in Northern Ireland and in 1974 he called elections for a mandate to refuse the wage demands of the miners. The Conservatives lost their majority in Parliament and he resigned as Prime Minister. He wanted to hang on to the leadership but Margaret Thatcher challenged him and defeated him in February 1975.

In 1975 he campaigned to keep Britain in the EU. He became a bitter opponent of Margaret Thatcher when she was prime minister. Between 1975 and 1980 he wrote several books. In 2001 he retired from Parliament and he died in 2005 in Salisbury. Apart from politics he had occupied himself as a yachtsman, a musician and an author. He never married and he was probably asexual.

Events

Images
Gravestone of Edward Heath at Salisbury Cathedral. Picture by Androom (26 Aug 2015)	Plaque at the house "Arundells" in Salisbury where Edward Heath lived. Picture by Androom (26 Aug 2015)