Lessons from history: Jim Callaghan's Premiership - fifty years on

James Callaghan, “Sunny Jim”, was one of Labour’s most experienced heavyweights.

Callaghan is the only Labour leader to have become PM following a contested Labour leadership election (Callaghan’s defeated rivals included Roy Jenkins, Tony Crosland, Denis Healey, Michael Foot and Tony Benn). His economic inheritance was grim, and during the 18 months since the October 1974 election, by-election defeats had cost Labour the slim majority Harold Wilson had secured at the October 1974 election. It was a tough job to take on.

Could he have done better? What are the lessons for today? An all-star panel including some of Callaghan’s closest advisers and acclaimed political commentators will be giving their insights

Born in Portsmouth, Callaghan served on board the Royal Navy’s battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth during the second world war before winning Cardiff for Labour in Attlee’s 1945 landslide. Callaghan remains the last British prime minister to be an armed forces veteran and the only one ever to have served in the Royal Navy. A junior minister in Attlee’s government, where his legacies included zebra crossings and cats eyes on Britain’s roads he is unique in Labour history for serving as Chancellor (1964-67), Home Secretary (1967-70), Foreign Secretary (1974-76) before Prime Minister (1976-79).

Our panel of expert witnesses includes:

· Michael Cockerell: Emmy award-winning political documentary maker including on Callaghan (“Labour’s Last Premier” of 1992).

· Lord (Bernard) Donoughue: Head of the Downing Street Policy Unit for Prime Minister Jim Callaghan (and Harold Wilson) 1974-79.

· Peter Kellner CBE: biographer of Callaghan, veteran journalist and acclaimed pollster and political analyst.

· Baroness (Helen) Liddell: Scottish Labour Party General Secretary under Callaghan (and subsequently a Cabinet minister under Blair).

· Chaired by Baroness (Dianne) Hayter (Fabian Society chief during Callaghan’s premiership)

· With reflections from Baroness (Margaret) Jay (daughter of James Callaghan and Cabinet minister under Tony Blair)

6:30 for 6:45pm start, Tuesday 28 April 2026

Committee Room 4A, Parliament. (Main entrance, Cromwell Green – please bring this invitation with you to show security and allow 20 mins to pass through airport style security)

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Palace of Westminster, Palace of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

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