1975 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election a major British political party. 1975 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election The 1975 Conservative Party leadership election was held in February 1975, in which the party's sitting MPs voted Margaret Thatcher as party leader on the second ballot. Previous leader Edward Heath stood aside after the first ballot, in which he unexpectedly finished behind Thatcher. The Conservatives were the official Opposition to the Labour government, so Thatcher also became Leader of the Opposition. Edward Heath, leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister had called and unexpectedly lost the February 1974 general election. Although the Labour Party were able only
Heath MacQuarrie Heath MacQuarrie Heath Nelson Macquarrie (September 18, 1919 – January 2, 2002) was a Canadian politician, teacher, scholar, and writer. Macquarrie described himself as a Red Tory, using the term in the title of his autobiography "Red Tory Blues". During the October Crisis of 1970, he agonized over the implementation of the War Measures Act, and was prepared to vote against it, but relented for the sake of keeping the Tory caucus united behind Robert Stanfield. Writing in retrospect, Macquarrie described his vote in favour of the Act as "fundamentally wrong". He was first elected to the House of Commons