Michael Foot for his rumpled appearance. A centrist faction of the party broke away in 1981 to form the SDP. Foot led Labour into the 1983 general election, when the party obtained its lowest share of the vote since the 1918 general election and the fewest parliamentary seats it had had at any time since before 1945. He resigned after the election, and was succeeded as leader by Neil Kinnock. Among the books he authored are "Guilty Men" (1940); "The Pen and the Sword" (1957), a biography of Jonathan Swift; and a biography of Aneurin Bevan. Foot was born in Lipson Terrace,
1976 Labour Party (UK) leadership election majority, the candidate with the lowest number of votes was eliminated (in this case Healey). A final run-off ballot was held six days later. Immediately upon his election as Labour leader, Callaghan succeeded Wilson as Prime Minister. 1976 Labour Party (UK) leadership election The 1976 Labour Party leadership election occurred when Harold Wilson resigned as Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister. It is the only occasion the Labour Party has had a leadership election with more than one candidate whilst in government. In the first ballot, held on 25 March, six candidates vied for the leadership: As a