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 Caper Heath Caper The Heath Caper was an alleged plot by the KGB and the Czechoslovakian secret service (StB) to gain blackmail leverage over British Conservative politician Edward Heath. Josef Frolik, published details of the alleged plot in his memoirs in 1975. In 2012 the BBC interviewed Jan Mrazek, the supposed StB handler, who denied any involvement. The archives did not contradict him, however they did disagree with some of his general claims. Jan Mrazek claimed were made that George Kennedy Young, a former member of MI6, and on the opposite wing of the Conservative Party had initiated the story as