Edward Heath

Although Margaret Thatcher was associated with the CPS Edward Heath was initially seen as a potential moderate go-between by Heath's lieutenant James Prior. Private life
Heath was a lifelong bachelor. Neave deliberately understated Thatcher's support in order to attract wavering votes from MPs who were keen to see Heath replaced even though they did not necessarily want Thatcher to replace him.

In 1971 Heath oversaw the decimalisation of British coinage and in 1972 he implemented major reform to the UK's system of local government. Two miners' strikes in 1972 and 1974 proved incredibly damaging to the government with the latter causing the implementation of the Three-Day Week to conserve energy.