Born in Keighley, Yorkshire in 1917, Denis Winston Healey was educated at Bradford Grammar School and Balliol College, Oxford.
He served in the army during World War II and became Labour MP for Southeast Leeds in 1952.
From 1945 to 1952, he was secretary of the international department of the Labour Party and from 1952, took part in many international conferences.
He was a British delegate to the Western Union and the Council of Europe 1963 – 1964. From 1954 to 1961 he was a member of the Fabian Society executive.
He became secretary of state for Defence in 1964, a post he held until Labour’s defeat in 1970. During this time, he was in charge of reducing British forces east of Suez.
He was the opposition spokesperson on foreign affairs from 1970 to 1972 and on economic affairs from 1972 to 1974, and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.
In 1976 he contested the party leadership, losing to James Callaghan, and again in 1980, losing to Michael Foot, to whom he was deputy leader between 1980 and 1983.
In 1987 he resigned from the shadow cabinet. He published an autobiography, The Time of My Life, in 1989. He was made a life peer in 1992.
You May Also Like
Leonid Brezhnev A protégé of Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev came to power (after he and…
Denise Drysdale Australia's most famous Go-Go dancer, Denise Drysdale's name was actually spelt with a 'c' (Denice) but…
Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was born on 22 January 1946 in North London. His father left…
Barney Bubbles Barney Bubbles is a cult figure among other designers but is barely known outside the field…
Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt was born in Sydney in 1908 and educated at Melbourne University. He worked…
Jim Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan entered the civil service at the age of 17 as a tax officer.…
Pete Myers - 'The Mad Daddy' Born in San Francisco, Pete Myers (aka "The Mad Daddy") was the wildest Disc Jockey from…
Alan Bond This English-born Australian entrepreneur was chair of the Bond Corporation from 1969 until 1990 during the…
He was a British delegate to the Western Union and the Council of Europe 1963 – 1964. From 1954 to 1961 he was a member of the Fabian Society executive.
