Word: callaghans
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...British Prime Minister James Callaghan narrowly averted a defeat in Commons that would have forced him to resign and call new elections. Just minutes before facing a no-confidence vote demanded by Tory Leader Margaret Thatcher (TIME, March 28), Callaghan concluded a deal with the Liberal Party's David Steel, thus assuring the Labor government's survival; this actually left the P.M. in a stronger parliamentary position than he has enjoyed for months. The price that Steel extracted was a Liberal voice in the government's legislative program in order to push such Liberal pet policies...
...left-wing Tribune Group, which fears that some favorite socialist schemes will be vetoed by the Liberals. But last week's deal binds the two parties only until the end of the current parliamentary session in November. By then, Britain's economy is expected to improve, and Callaghan might be willing to risk a national election. Today, all opinion polls agree the Tories would win an election-although once in power, they would find it nearly impossible to deal with the unions and Labor's left wing, which even Callaghan has a hard time controlling...
With antigovernment sentiment on the rise, Labor whips hoped to end debate without a vote on the White Paper by moving to adjourn the House of Commons. When it became clear that Labor could not even muster a majority on that, Callaghan and his grinning supporters stayed on their benches while opposition members filed out to vote. Did the resounding 293-to-0 defeat mean the government's White Paper was dead? Technically no, since the vote was only on whether to go home for a night's sleep...
...Callaghan's ploy nevertheless left Tory Leader Thatcher furious. "This is a defeat with dishonor!" she snapped at a press conference. "No government has ever sunk so low-refusing to put its policies to a vote in the House of Commons." Indeed, Thatcher added, "We have no government...
...Prime Minister squeaks through, it will be in part because he and his rebellious left wing are sure to keep the hated Margaret Thatcher from coming to power. Help may also come from Liberal Leader Steel. Ultimately, however, Callaghan's survival could depend on Ulster M.P. Enoch Powell, the eccentric, disruptive genius of British politics. A former Tory and a bilious critic of Thatcher's, Powell just might rally key Unionist yeas behind Callaghan. In any case, the vote will be dicey. As Callaghan admitted last week, "This is the moment of truth...