UPSC Prelims 2005 Q124: Current Affairs – Notable Personalities
Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
British Prime Minister - Political Party
- (a) John Major - Conservative Party
- (b) James Callaghan - Labour Party
- (c) Harold Wilson - Conservative Party
- (d) Margaret Thatcher - Conservative Party
Answer: (c) Harold Wilson - Conservative Party
Explanation
British Prime Ministers and parties
| Prime Minister | Party |
|---|---|
| John Major | Conservative |
| James Callaghan | Labour |
| Harold Wilson | Labour, not Conservative |
| Margaret Thatcher | Conservative |
Harold Wilson was a Labour Prime Minister, so pairing him with the Conservative Party is wrong.
Answer: (c) Harold Wilson - Conservative Party.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. John Major was Conservative.
- (b) Incorrect. Callaghan was Labour.
- (c) CORRECT. Wilson was Labour, so this pair is wrongly matched.
- (d) Incorrect. Thatcher was Conservative.
Key point
Labour PMs: Attlee, Wilson, Callaghan, Blair, Brown. Conservative: Heath, Thatcher, Major, Cameron.
Remember
Harold Wilson was a Labour Prime Minister.
Common mistakes
- Mixing Wilson with Heath, the Conservative PM in between.
- Reading the question as asking for a correct pair.
- Forgetting Callaghan followed Wilson in 1976.
Exam tip
Wilson (1964-70, 1974-76), Heath (1970-74), Callaghan (1976-79).
Sources
- UK Government — list of Prime Ministers
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Harold Wilson