ABSTRACT
The second half of the twentieth century saw two periods of Conservative ascendancy. The first was between 1951 and 1964, the second after 1979. Between 1964 and 1979 Britain returned to a more genuinely two-party system, with alternating governments. After narrowly winning the 1964 general election, Harold Wilson substantially increased his majority in 1966, only to lose to the Conservatives under Edward Heath in 1970. The election of February 1974 was indecisive. As leader of the party with the largest number of seats, however, Wilson returned to Downing Street and secured a working majority in a second general election in October. In 1976 Wilson retired in favour of Callaghan, who eventually lost the 1979 election to the new Conservative leader, Margaret Thatcher.
