biography
| name: |
Gaitskell, Hugh (Todd Naylor)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1906–63)
|
| biography:
| British statesman, born in London, UK. He studied at Oxford, and became a Socialist during the 1926 General Strike. An MP in 1945, he was minister of fuel and power (1947) and of economic affairs (1950), and Chancellor of the Exchequer (1950–1). In 1955 he was elected Leader of the Opposition by a large majority over Bevan. He bitterly opposed Eden's Suez action (1956), and refused to accept a narrow conference vote for unilateral disarmament (1960). This caused a crisis of leadership in which he was challenged by Harold Wilson (1960), but he retained the loyalty of most Labour MPs. |
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