Sir Edward Heath
Sir Edward Heath, (1916- ). British Conservative politician; prime minister (1970-74). He served as Lord Privy Seal (1960-63) and president of the Board of Trade (1963-64) before succeeding Sir Alec Douglas-Home as leader of the Conservative party in 1965. As prime minister he successfully negotiated Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community (1973). Nevertheless, confrontations with the striking miners and other trade unions led to his defeat in the general elections of 1974. The following year Margaret Thatcher succeeded him as leader of the Conservative party. He was a critic of Thatcher’s policies in the 1980s and remains an outspoken advocate of European integration. A keen sailor, Heath captained the yacht Morning Cloud to win the Admiral’s Cup in 1971.
