1912–, British statesman. He was first elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1945. As chancellor of the exchequer (1964–67), he introduced extremely controversial taxation policies, including employment taxes. He was also home secretary (1967–70), and foreign secretary (1974–76) in successive Labour governments. Callaghan succeeded Prime Minister Harold Wilson, when the latter resigned in 1976. He was by nature a moderate man, but his government foundered after a series of paralyzing trade union strikes in the winter of 1978–79. In the elections later that year, the Labour party lost to the Conservatives, led by Margaret Thatcher. Callaghan resigned as party leader in 1980 and was created a life peer in 1987.

See his autobiography Time and Chance (1987); biography by B. Donoughue, Prime Minister (1987).

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