ABSTRACT
In political terms, the limitations of the Thatcher governments' attempts to provide remedies for many of the problems which beset Labour in power under Wilson have stimulated calls for a more balanced reappraisal of his years in office. Presenting himself as a candidate with a left pedigree who could also appeal to other sections of the party, he defeated George Brown and James Callaghan for the leadership. The first eighteen months of the new government are generally regarded as one of Wilson’s most successful spells in office. The government was continuously on the defensive after 1966. As inflation drove the cost of living upwards, and disillusionment set in, Wilson was faced by a spate of militant union actions. The most important principle which governed his foreign policy decisions concerned his perception of British interests in its new post-imperial role. Domestic economic policy was the second, equally troublesome policy area facing the government.
