|
|
 |
Michael Foot
In 1980 Michael Foot was elected leader of the Labour Party. His extreme left politics made the party unelectable in the eyes of the public. This election led to the so-called Gang of Four: Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and David Owen breaking with the Labour Party.
Mrs Thatcher achieved a reduction in British payments into the European Community. Lech Walesa became leader of a new Polish workers' organisation called Solidarity.
Lech Walesa |
LECH WALESA (b 1943) - Born in Popowo, Poland
- A devout Catholic
- Trained as an electrician
- Went to work at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk
- Sacked for organising and leading strikes.
- Founded Solidarnosc (Solidarity)
- Arrested in 1981 when Solidarity was outlawed
- Released in 1982
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize 1983
- Granted an audience with Pope Jean Paul II
John Lennon was murdered outside his home in New York in 1980.
David Owen on the Election of Michael Foot
"The election of Michael Foot was the final straw.
"I had, after all, watched Michael Foot closely in Plymouth ever since the age of 11; there were people in the Devonport constituency whom I knew well and who also knew him, and we had many family friends in common.
"I never disliked him as a person but I deplored his political positions.
"It was beyond my worst imaginings that he would become leader of the Labour Party.
"Even in the early Seventies when he started to poll well in the Parliamentary Party, it seemed something only for nightmares.
"Now it was a reality.
"I knew better than most how deep-seated was his antagonism to nuclear deterrence, to serious defence spending and many of the principles on which NATO was founded.
"His criticism of the economic market basis of the European Community was venomous; his romantic attachment to parliamentary sovereignty and his hostility to any legislation which stemmed from the European Communities Act were passionate.
"I knew that under his leadership I could not remain a member of the Shadow Cabinet."
 
|
|
/home/system/data/timb/kwikquiz.dat does not exist /home/system/data/timb/kwikquiz.html does not exist
| 1975 | The Sex Discrimination Act is passed
|
| 1976 | Wilson retires and Callaghan becomes Prime Minister (Labour)
Race Relations Act is passed
Concorde makes its first passenger flight
|
| 1977 | Jimmy Carter becomes President of the USA
|
| 1978 | Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II
|
| 1979 | Margaret Thatcher becomes Prime Minister (Conservative)
|
| 1980 | Southern Rhodesia independent and changes its name to Zimbabwe
|
| 1981 | Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer
|
| 1982 | Britain defeats Argentina in the Falklands War
|
| 1983 | Margaret Thatcher wins the General Election (Conservative)
|
| 1984 | Indira Gandhi of India assassinated
|
| 1985 | Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of USSR
|
|
