Edward Heath

Edward Heath was born in 1916 in Broadstairs, Kent. His father was a carpenter, his mother was a maid and his background was very modest. He attended Balliol College at Oxford, where he earned a second-class degree in philosophy, politics and economics. He got active in Conservative Party politics while at Oxford, but opposed Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement. He served in the military during World War II, in the Royal Artillery. After the war, he entered the Civil Service in the Ministry of Aviation. In 1950, he was elected Conservative MP for Bexley. He would represent that constituency for more than fifty years. His rise through the ranks was rapid, being appointed a junior whip in 1951 and was promoted to Chief Whip in 1955. He was appointed Minister of Labour in 1959. He was also appointed Lord Privy Seal in 1960 and President of the Board of Trade in 1963. The Conservative Party lost the 1964 election and its leader, Alec Douglas Home, stepped down shor