Heath ministry

Heath Ministry
82nd Cabinet of United Kingdom
1970 − 1974
Date formed	19 June 1970
Date dissolved	4 March 1974
People and organizations
Head of government	Edward Heath
Head of state	Queen Elizabeth II
Member party	Conservative Party
Status in legislature	Majority
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Harold Wilson
History
Election(s)	1970 general election
Outgoing election	1974 general election
Previous	First Wilson ministry
Successor	Second Wilson ministry

Edward Heath, of the Conservative Party, formed the Heath Ministry and became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 19 June 1970, following the 18 June general election. Heath’s ministry ended after the February 1974 general election, which produced a hung parliament, leading to the formation of a minority government by the Harold Wilson of the Labour Party.

Cabinet

June 1970 – March 1974

• Prime Minister: Edward Heath
• Lord Chancellor: Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone
• Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons: William Whitelaw
• Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords: Lord Jellicoe
• Chancellor of the Exchequer: Iain Macleod
• Foreign Secretary: Sir Alec Douglas-Home
• Home Secretary: Reginald Maudling
• Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: James Prior
• Secretary of State for Defence: Lord Carrington
• Secretary of State for Education and Science: Margaret Thatcher
• Secretary of State for Employment: Robert Carr
• Minister of Housing and Local Government: Peter Walker
• Secretary of State for Health and Social Services: Sir Keith Joseph
• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Anthony Barber
• Secretary of State for Scotland: Gordon Campbell
• Secretary of State for Technology: Geoffrey Rippon
• President of the Board of Trade: Michael Noble
• Secretary of State for Wales: Peter Thomas

Changes

• July 1970 – Iain Macleod dies, and is succeeded as Chancellor by Anthony Barber. Geoffrey Rippon succeeds Barber as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. John Davies succeeds Rippon as Secretary for Technology.
• October 1970 – The Ministry of Technology and the Board of Trade are merged to become the Department of Trade and Industry. John Davies becomes Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Michael Noble leaves the cabinet. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is succeeded by the new department of the Environment which was headed by Peter Walker.
• March 1972 – Robert Carr succeeds William Whitelaw as Lord President and Leader of the House of Commons. Maurice Macmillan succeeds Carr as Secretary for Employment. Whitelaw becomes Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
• July 1972 – Robert Carr succeeds Reginald Maudling as Home Secretary. James Prior succeeds Robert Carr as Lord President and Leader of the House of Commons. Joseph Godber succeeds Prior as Secretary for Agriculture.
• November 1972 – Geoffrey Rippon succeeds Peter Walker as Secretary for the Environment. John Davies succeeds Rippon as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Peter Walker succeeds Davies as Secretary for Trade and Industry. Geoffrey Howe becomes Minister for Trade and Consumer Affairs with a seat in the cabinet.
• June 1973 – Lord Windlesham succeeds Lord Jellicoe as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords.
• December 1973 – William Whitelaw succeeds Maurice Macmillan as Secretary for Employment. Francis Pym succeeds Whitelaw as Secretary for Northern Ireland. Macmillan becomes Paymaster-General.
• January 1974 – Ian Gilmour succeeds Lord Carrington as Secretary for Defence; Lord Carrington becomes Secretary of State for Energy.

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

References

• D. Butler and G. Butler (ed.). Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000. 

v t e Heath Cabinet Anthony Barber Tom Boardman Gordon Campbell Robert Carr Lord Carrington John Davies Sir Alec Douglas-Home Ian Gilmour Edward Heath Lord Hailsham Sir Geoffrey Howe Earl Jellicoe Patrick Jenkin Sir Keith Joseph Iain Macleod Maurice Macmillan Reginald Maudling Michael Noble John Peyton James Prior Francis Pym Geoffrey Rippon Margaret Thatcher Peter Thomas Peter Walker Lord Windlesham William Whitelaw

v t e British governments 18th century Godolphin–Marlborough Harley Townshend First Stanhope–Sunderland Second Stanhope–Sunderland Walpole–Townshend Walpole Carteret Broad Bottom First Newcastle Devonshire–Pitt 1757 Caretaker Second Newcastle Bute Grenville First Rockingham Chatham Grafton North Second Rockingham Shelburne Fox–North Coalition First Pitt the Younger 19th century Addington Second Pitt the Younger Ministry of All the Talents Second Portland Perceval Liverpool Canning Goderich Wellington Grey First Melbourne Wellington Caretaker First Peel Second Melbourne Second Peel First Russell Who? Who? Aberdeen First Palmerston Second Derby Second Palmerston Second Russell Third Derby First Disraeli First Gladstone Second Disraeli Second Gladstone First Salisbury Third Gladstone Second Salisbury Fourth Gladstone Rosebery Third Salisbury 20th century Balfour Campbell-Bannerman First Asquith Second Asquith Lloyd George Bonar Law First Baldwin First MacDonald Second Baldwin Second MacDonald First National Second National Third National Fourth National Chamberlain War Churchill War Churchill Caretaker Attlee Third Churchill Eden Macmillan Douglas-Home First Wilson Heath Second Wilson Callaghan First Thatcher Second Thatcher Third Thatcher Major Blair 21st century Brown Cameron Current Ministry