Editing Roy Hattersley (section)

===Privy Council===
In the [[Labour government, 1974–1979|Wilson government of 1974]], Hattersley was appointed the (non-cabinet) Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and in the [[1975 New Year Honours]], he was sworn of the [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|Privy Council]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46444 |date=31 December 1974 |page=1 |supp=y}}</ref> Hattersley headed the British delegation to Reykjavik during the "[[Cod Wars]]", but was primarily given the task of renegotiating the terms of the UK's membership of the EEC. Following the resignation of Wilson he voted for [[James Callaghan]] in the ensuing leadership contest to stop [[Michael Foot]] (a man "[who] for all his virtues&nbsp;... could not become Prime Minister"). Under Callaghan he finally made it into the Cabinet as [[Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection]], a position he held until Labour's defeat in the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]].

In 1979 Hattersley was appointed to shadow [[Michael Heseltine]] as the Minister for the Environment, contending with him over the cuts in local government powers and the "[[Right to Buy]]". Following the rise of the '[[hard left]]', as demonstrated at the 1980 Labour Conference, Callaghan resigned. The leadership contest was between Healey and Foot, with Hattersley organising Healey's campaign. "An electorate [the PLP] deranged by fear" elected Foot. Healey was made deputy leader and Hattersley was appointed [[Shadow Home Secretary]], but felt that Foot was "a good man in the wrong job", "a baffling combination of the admirable and the absurd".{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Healey was challenged for his post in 1981, following electoral rule changes, by [[Tony Benn]], retaining his post by 50.426% to 49.574%. Hattersley felt that "the Bennite alliance [although defeated]&nbsp;... played a major part in keeping the Conservatives in power for almost twenty years". Hattersley also had very little regard for those Labour defectors who created the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|SDP]] in 1981. He helped found Labour Solidarity (1981–83) and credits the group with preventing the disintegration of the Labour Party.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}