Editing Edward Heath (section)

==Post-war, 1945–1950==
Before the war, Heath had won a scholarship to [[Gray's Inn]] and had begun making preparations for a career at the Bar, but after the war he was placed in joint top position in the [[civil service examination]]s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1494246/Sir-Edward-Heath.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1494246/Sir-Edward-Heath.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Sir Edward Heath obituary |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=18 July 2005 |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He then became a civil servant in the Ministry of Civil Aviation (he was disappointed not to be posted to the Treasury, but declined an offer to join the Foreign Office, fearing that foreign postings might prevent him from entering politics).<ref>Heath, Edward. ''The Course of My Life''. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1998, p. 111.</ref>

Heath joined a team under [[Alison Munro]] tasked with drawing up a scheme for British airports using some of the many Second World War [[RAF]] bases, and was specifically charged with planning the home counties. Years later she attributed his evident enthusiasm for Maplin Airport to this work. Then much to the surprise of civil service colleagues, he sought adoption as the prospective parliamentary candidate for [[Bexley]] and resigned in November 1947.

After working as news editor of the ''[[Church Times]]'' from February 1948 to September 1949,<ref>Palmer, Bernard ''Gadfly for God'' London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1991, p. 197.<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref> Heath worked as a management trainee at the [[merchant bank]]ers [[Brown, Shipley & Co.]] until his election as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Bexley (UK Parliament constituency)|Bexley]] in the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|February 1950 general election]]. In the election he defeated an old contemporary from the Oxford Union, [[Ashley Bramall]], by a margin of 133 votes.