Michael Foot

Michael Foot 1913-, British politician. He entered Parliament in 1945 and became a spokesperson for the Labour party 's radical left wing. Editor of the party organ, the Tribune, he served as secretary of state for employment (1974-75) and as leader of the House of Commons (1976-79). He succeeded James Callaghan as Labour party leader (1980-83) and tried to maintain the party's traditional policies in the face of the opposition of more conservative members, who broke away and formed the Social Democratic party.

Foot, Michael (b. 1913). Deputy leader (1976–80) and leader (1980–3) of the Labour Party. A distinguished left‐wing author and journalist, Foot, as editor and managing director of Tribune, was a leading Bevanite in the 1950s and after 1958 prominent in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. An MP from 1945, he accepted office for the first time as employment secretary 1974–6. Between 1976 and 1979 he was lord president of the council and leader of the House of Commons, before succeeding James Callaghan as party leader. He led a divided party however, and went down to humiliating defeat at the hands of Mrs Thatcher in 1983 on a manifesto described as ‘the longest suicide note in history’.