Henry "Hal" Collingridge is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1992 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1991. He previously served as Minister for the Environment and Minister for Inner-City Growth under Margaret Thatcher from 1979 to 1990.
Collingridge had an undistinguished background. He served in Thatcher's three ministries as the Minister for the Environment and Minister for Inner-City Growth. Following Thatcher's resignation in 1990 after a challenge was launched to her leadership, Collingridge stood in the 1990 Conservative Party leadership election to replace her and emerged victorious, becoming prime minister. While serving as prime minister, Collingridge also served as the First Lord of the Treasury and the Minister for the Civil Service. At the start of his premiership, Collingridge went on to lead the Conservative Party to a fourth consecutive electoral victory, though with a reduced majority.
Collingridge's moderate views led to him rejecting Chief Whip Francis Urquhart's rejected right-wing cabinet, as well as Urquhart's participation in the new cabinet. This led to Urquhart leaking delicate information to the press, and fabricated a scandal concerning Collingridge's brother Charles and insider trading, which led to Collingridge announcing his resignation. Collingridge remained as Conservative leader and prime minister while the leadership election to replace him was underway. In the leadership election to succeed him, Collingridge showed support to Urquhart, unaware of Urquhart's role in his own downfall. His resignation as Conservative leader and prime minister formally took effect in January 1992 after the election of Urquhart.
Early life and early political career[]
Henry Collingridge had an undistinguished background. He married his wife Anne, and his brother Charles served in the military and later became an alcoholic. He was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for an undisclosed consistency.
Collingridge joined the Conservative Party during Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Leader of the Opposition, and after winning the 1979 general election and becoming prime minister, she appointed Collingridge to her first ministry as Minister for the Environment and Minister for Inner-City Growth. He retained this role in Thatcher's second and third ministries after her 1983 and 1987 election wins.
Conservative Party leadership election[]
Collingridge stood in the 1990 Conservative Party leadership election to succeed Thatcher, and was seen during the leadership contest as the frontrunner to succeed Thatcher. Although Collingridge obtained 185 votes in the final ballot, 2 votes short of an overall majority, he polled far enough ahead of both John Major and Michael Heseltine to secure their immediate withdrawal. With no remaining challengers, Collingridge was formally named Leader of the Conservative Party that evening and was duly appointed prime minister the following day.
Prime Minister (1990-1992)[]
Collingridge giving a speech at the Conservative Party Conference
Shortly after being appointed prime minister, Collingridge appointed his cabinet, retaining Francis Urquhart as Chief Whip and Tim Stamper as Junior Chief Whip, and promoting Theodore Billsborough as Conservative Party chairman, Patrick Woolton as Foreign Secretary, Peter MacKenzie as Health Secretary, Harold Earle as Education Secretary, Michael Samuels as Environment Secretary, and Roger O'Neill as the party's public relations consultant.
A month after he was appointed prime minister, Collingridge called an early election, in which he led his party to victory, albeit with a reduced majority. His campaign slogan was "The Right Way", and he was seen as "the acceptable face of capitalism", with Collingridge making it his goal to see the British people "come together". After the election, Urquhart submits a memorandum to Collingridge advocating a cabinet reshuffle that would contemplate a prominent ministerial position for Urquhart himself. Urquhart believed that the time had come for change in Britain, and he proposed the appointment of many rural and right-wing Conservatives. However, Collingridge discards Urquhart's proposals on the basis that doing so would probably adversely affect the party's popularity, citing Harold Macmillan's political demise after the 1962 Night of the Long Knives, and said that Urquhart would be more use to him as the Chief Whip instead of Foreign Secretary. Enraged, Urquhart begins plotting an intricate, long-term political revenge.
Collingridge at Prime Minister's Questions
At the same time, Urquhart begins an affair with Mattie Storin, a junior political reporter at a Conservative-leaning tabloid newspaper called The Chronicle. Urquhart blackmails O'Neill into leaking information on budget cuts that humiliates Collingridge during the Prime Minister's Questions. Later, he blames party chairman Theodore Billsborough for leaking an internal poll showing a drop in Tory numbers, leading Collingridge to sack him. As Collingridge's image suffers, Urquhart encourages ultraconservative Woolton and Chronicle owner Benjamin Landless to support his removal. He also poses as Charles to trade shares in a chemical company about to benefit from advance information confidential to the government. Charles just happens to be the only Charles Collingridge in the entire London telephone book, which allows Urquhart to orchestrate a scandal involving a fake insider trading crisis where Charles seemingly profited off his brother's prime ministerial decisions, which gets acknowledged during a television interview with Collingridge.
Collingridge announcing his resignation
When Collingridge becomes falsely accused of insider trading, he chaired an emergency cabinet meeting. Collingridge asked the cabinet secretary to undertake a formal independent investigation into the allegations, which Collingridge believed would establish his complete innocent "beyond any shadow of a doubt." However, wanting to protect the integrity of the office of prime minister after it was brought into question by the allegations, Collingridge said he would resign as prime minister as soon as a successor can be chosen. When Collingridge tells his cabinet he has decided to resign, he asks them to keep it secret so he can announce it on his own terms later that day. Urquhart leaks it to the press as soon as the meeting ends, causing reporters to pursue Collingridge before he is driven to Buckingham Palace to announce his intention to resign as prime minister. He remained as prime minister in a caretaker role while the leadership election to replace him was underway.
Collingridge meeting his brother Charles
Collingridge's brother Charles saw the resignation announcement on the news, which made him extremely distressed, believing he was responsible for Collingridge having to reign. Upon being informed about this, Henry visited Charles at his care home. Charles offered to say that it was all his fault, though Henry reassured him by saying neither of them were at fault and that they'll work it out. When Charles said that he'd "cocked up everything" for his brother, Henry revealed that he was relieved to be out of his joyless tenure as prime minister - to the point of breaking down in tears and admitting to his brother that he's glad he doesn't have to "fight those bastards anymore." Unaware of Urquhart's role in his own downfall, Collingridge had a meeting with Urquhart, where he said that if Urquhart were to stand in the leaership election, he'd have Collingridge's "personal support." Urquhart initially feigns unwillingness to stand before announcing his candidacy, and subsequently won the leadership election after he and Stamper made sure the other competitors dropped out of the race. After Urquhart won the leadership election, Collingridge resigned as prime minister, and shortly thereafter was succeeded by Urquhart.
Trivia[]
- Even before Henry Collingridge snubbed him for promotion, Francis Urquhart didn't think he was worthy of being prime minister for his undistinguished background.
- Urquhart's opening narration at the start of To Play the King refers to Collingridge as a "frightfully nice man who talked a lot about the classless society." It's a clear reference to John Major, whose premiership doesn't exist in the "House of Cards" timeline.
- Garrett Walker is Collingridge's counterpart in the US series of House of Cards.
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