ABSTRACT
Whilst the Labour Party had high expectations of a new, radical political dawn upon winning the general election on 15 October 1964, it faced two major hazards. First, it only had a majority of 4 seats, and this small majority constrained Wilson in both party political and policy issues. Conversely, this situation also provided him with an excuse for not undertaking radical initiatives. Despite being from the centre-left of the party, he appointed many colleagues from the right to his Cabinet. Patrick Gordon Walker, a ‘quiet, acquiescent’ man (Short, 1989: 21), became Foreign Secretary, shortly to be followed by another right-winger, Michael Stewart. Denis Healey became Defence Secretary, a position that he held throughout the two Labour Governments. However, Harold Wilson also established a new Ministry, that of Overseas Development, the first appointment to which was a left-winger, Barbara Castle.
