Editing Michael Foot (section)

==1983 general election==
{{Main|1983 United Kingdom general election}}
The 1983 Labour manifesto, strongly [[socialist]] in tone, advocated unilateral nuclear disarmament, higher personal taxation and a return to a more [[interventionism (politics)|interventionist]] industrial policy. The manifesto also pledged that a Labour government would abolish the [[House of Lords]], nationalise banks and immediately withdraw from the then-[[European Economic Community]]. [[Gerald Kaufman]], once [[Harold Wilson]]'s press officer and during the 1980s a prominent figure on the Labour right-wing, described the 1983 Labour manifesto as "[[the longest suicide note in history]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3059773.stm|title=Foot's message of hope to left|last=Mann|first=Nyta|work=[[BBC Online]]|date=14 July 2003|access-date=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902204856/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3059773.stm|archive-date=2 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a statement on internal democracy, Foot passed the edict that the manifesto would consist of all resolutions arrived at conference. The party also failed to master the medium of [[television]], while Foot addressed public meetings around the country, and made some radio broadcasts, in the same manner as [[Clement Attlee]] did in 1945.

The ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' was the only major newspaper to back Foot and the Labour Party at the 1983 general election, urging its readers to vote Labour and "Stop the waste of our nation, for your job your children and your future" in response to the mass unemployment that followed Conservative Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s [[monetarist]] economic policies to reduce inflation. Most other newspapers urged their readers to vote Conservative.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/may/04/general-election-newspaper-support|title=Newspaper support in UK general elections|work=The Guardian|location=London|first=Katy|last= Stoddard|date=4 May 2010|access-date=26 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801141949/http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/may/04/general-election-newspaper-support|archive-date=1 August 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Labour Party, led by Foot, lost to the Conservatives in a landslide – a result that had been widely predicted by the opinion polls since the previous summer. The only consolation for Foot and Labour was that they did not lose their place in opposition to the [[SDP–Liberal Alliance]], who came close to them in terms of votes but were still a long way behind in terms of seats.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393313.stm|title=1983: Thatcher triumphs again|date=5 April 2005|work=BBC News|access-date=10 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422033837/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393313.stm|archive-date=22 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Foot was very critical of the Alliance, accusing them of "siphoning" Labour support and enabling the Tories to win more seats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/9/newsid_2500000/2500847.stm |title=1983: Thatcher wins landslide victory |work=On This Day |publisher=BBC News |access-date=15 August 2010 |year=2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612170844/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/9/newsid_2500000/2500847.stm |archive-date=12 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Foot resigned days following the bitter election defeat, and was [[1983 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|succeeded as leader]] on 2 October by [[Neil Kinnock]]; who had been tipped from the outset to be Labour's choice of new leader.