Ted Heath
- The late Sir Edward Heath was born on 9 July 1916, the son of a carpenter and of a housemaid.
- Edward Heath rose to the rank of major in 1945 and was awarded the MBE.
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Ted Heath went to Balliol College Oxford and was President of the Oxford Union in 1939. He was an anti-fascist, although he shook Himmler's hand at the Nuremberg Rally.
- Ted Heath became MP for Bexley in 1950. He became Conservative Party leader in 1965 and was Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974.
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After the Conservative Party ditched him in favour of Mrs Thatcher, Ted Heath gained a reputation for striking a discordant note. Andrew Rawnsley called him the 'Leader of Her Majesty's Disloyal Opposition'; Robin Oakley referred to Heath's 'longest sulk in history'; and Mark Lawson dubbed Heath the 'Angry Old Man'.
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Ted Heath was a pro-European, who also urged closer ties with China.
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Sir Edward Heath died in July 2005 having become the Father of the House of Commons, i.e. the longest-serving MP.
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Aside from his life in politics, Ted Heath was an accomplished yachtsman and musical conductor. He captained Britain's Admiral Cup winning team in 1971 (whilst he was Prime Minister).
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