1960 Labour Party leadership election
The 1960 Labour Party leadership election was held when, for the first time since 1955, the incumbent leader Hugh Gaitskell was challenged for re-election.Gaitskell had lost the 1959 general election and had seen the Labour Party conference adopt a policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament which he considered disastrous and refused to support.[2] In the meantime the Government's decision to abandon the British Blue Streak missile and buy instead the US Skybolt system had made nuclear weapons a prominent political issue.[5] One left candidate who was keen to fight for the deputy leadership was Harold Wilson, who found himself subjected to pressure to challenge Gaitskell instead.[6] Wilson resisted but his hand was forced when Anthony Greenwood resigned from the Shadow Cabinet saying he would not serve under Gaitskell while he defied conference decisions.
Hugh GaitskellHarold WilsonLabour PartyMP for Huyton1963 leadership election1964 general electionCircular 10/65Abolition of death penalty1966 general electionDecriminalisation of homosexualityAbortion Act 1967Race Relations Act 1968Divorce Reform Act 1969Operation Banner1970 general electionFebruary 1974 general election1973–1975 recessionOctober 1974 general election1976 sterling crisis1959 general electionAneurin BevanClause IVnationalisationBlue Streak missileSkyboltnuclear disarmamentParliamentary Labour PartyPeter ShoreJennie LeeAnthony GreenwoodShadow CabinetShadow Chancellor of the ExchequerLeeds SouthChancellor of the ExchequerOrmskirkHuytonPresident of the Board of TradeAttleeNational Health ServiceKorean WarBevaniteAndrew RothHistory of the Labour PartyElectoral historyGeneral election manifestosHistory of the socialist movement in the United KingdomEuropean Parliamentary Labour PartyScottish Labour Party (1888)Independent Labour PartyLabour Representation CommitteeGladstone–MacDonald pactNational Labour OrganisationLabour Independent GroupCampaign for Democratic SocialismLib–Lab pactGang of FourLimehouse DeclarationMilitant tendencyThe longest suicide note in historyLabour ListensOne more heaveNew LabourTony's CroniesBlue LabourOne Nation LabourChakrabarti InquiryLeadersHardieHendersonBarnesMacDonaldAdamsonClynesLansburyMorrisonGaitskellWilsonCallaghanKinnockBeckettHarmanMilibandCorbynStarmerDeputy LeadersGrahamGreenwoodGriffithsJenkinsHealeyHattersleyPrescottWatsonRaynerGeneral SecretariesMiddletonPhillipsWilliamsBarkerNicholasHaywardMortimerWhittySawyerMcDonaghTriesmanCarterCollinsMcNicolFormbyTreasurersLathanDaviesAtkinsonVarleyMcCluskieBurlisonProsserDromeyHollandLeaders in the LordsHaldaneCrippsPonsonbyAddisonJowitt