1 Conservative Governments Flashcards

1
Q

How many seats did the conservatives win in the 1951 election?

A

321 seats

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2
Q

How many votes did the conservatives win in the 1951 election?

A

48% of votes

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3
Q

How many seats did Labour win in the 1951 election?

A

295 seats

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4
Q

How many votes did Labour win in the 1951 election?

A

48.8% of votes

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5
Q

What is the first-past-the-post electoral system?

A

The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins a seat in Parliament

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6
Q

When was Winston Churchill prime minister?

A

1951-1955

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7
Q

What was the advantage of having Churchill as PM?

A

He was seen as a public figure head for the nation, he got the people through war
The public wanted an anti-Stalin leader

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9
Q

What was the disadvantage of having Churchill as PM?

A

He was unwell
Has lost two elections since he was first prime minister
Butler modernised his party

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10
Q

What were Churchills successes?

A

Built 300,000 homes in a year
Maintained close relationship with the US
Mines and quarries act of 1954 - addressed young employment, saftey, health and welfare.

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12
Q

What were Churchills failures?

A

Reluctant to let go of the empire

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13
Q

What was different about Churchill from when he was first prime minister?

A

Churchill was not older and cannot interact as well as he did before.
Had illnesses and suffered a stroke in 1953.
Became a less involved international statesman rather than a democratic leader.

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14
Q

How many seats did the conservative win in the 1955 election?

A

345 seats

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15
Q

How many votes did the conservatives win in the 1955 election?

A

49.7% of votes

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16
Q

How many seats dod Labour win in the 1955 election?

A

277 seats

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17
Q

What was the advantage of having Eden as PM?

A

He has practice as foreign secretary for Churchill and wanted to increase outward expenditures .

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18
Q

How many votes did Labour win in the 1955 election?

A

46.4% of votes

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19
Q

What was the disadvantages of having Eden as PM?

A

Unpopular due to the Suez in 1956.

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20
Q

How long was Anthony Eden prime minister?

A

1955-1957

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22
Q

What were Edens successes?

A

He oversaw the lowest post-war unemployment figures. Only 215,000 unemployed by 1955

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24
Q

What were Edens failures?

A

The Suez Crisis in 1956. It fatally damaged is reputation and negativity impacted the stability of the UK.

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25
Q

How long was Harold Macmillan PM?

A

1957-1963

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26
Q

What were the advantages of Macmillan being PM?

A
He lead the country to prosperous times
His reputation of world class statesman increased his majority to 100
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27
Q

What were Macmillan’s successes?

A

He resolved the Suez tensions with the US

Decolonised with little to no problem

28
Q

What were the disadvantages of having Macmillan as PM?

A

He suffered a series of scandals

Unemployment was rising

29
What were Macmillan’s failures?
Loss of popularity due to economic circumstances Failed to join the EEC Profumo Affair in 1963 - badly damaged his reputation
30
How long was Alec Douglas-Home PM?
1963-1964
31
What were the advantages of Douglas-Home PM?
He was popular with the party Dealt with trade unions Served as commonwealth secretary in 1956, Leader of the House and Lord President of the Council
32
What were the disadvantages of Douglas-Home being PM?
Not chosen by the people, put into office by government.
33
What was the post war consensus?
It was an understanding that major parities agrees on major issues
34
What were the key elements of the consensus?
1) A mixed economy - state and private enterprise involvement 2) support for the NHS and welfare state 3) wish to ensure full employment, avoid mass unemployment 4) working with trade unions and employers.
35
What did the conservatives do in relation to education?
Continued the tripartite system. Children would need to pass their 11+ to get into a grammar school.
36
What did the conservatives do in relation to social reforms?
Macmillan’s Clean Air Act of 1956 and Housing and Factory Act Butler’s The Homicide Act of 1957 and Wolfenden Commission
37
What was Macmillan’s Clean Air Act in 1957?
To prevent smog
38
What was the Macmillan’s Housing and Factory Act?
Aimed to improve living and working conditions
39
What was Butlers Homicide Act in 1957?
Restricted when the death penalty would be imposed
40
What was Butlers Wolfenden Commission?
It recommended that homosexual behaviour should no longer be a criminal act.
41
How many seats did the conservatives win in the 1959 election?
365 seats
42
How many votes did the conservatives win in the 1959 election?
48.8% of votes
43
How many seats did labour win in the 1959 election?
258 seats
44
How many voted did Labour win in the 1959 election?
44.6% of votes
45
What was Labour struggling with in the 1950’s?
An internal struggle. The | Arty was growing a split, both in ideologies and personalities
46
What were the key features in the split?
1) Aneuin Bevan and Hugh Gaitakell | 2) Both stood in for leader of labour when Attlee stepped down
47
Who became the leader pf the labour party after Attlee stepped down?
Gaitskell
48
Who lead the left wingers?
Bevan
49
Who lead the right wingers?
Gaitskell
50
What did the the left wingers want?
They wanted the party to become more socialist
51
What did Bevan say and then change about CND?
He initially opposed Britain developing nuclear weapon’s but in 1957, he announced his opposition to unilateral nuclear disarmament.
52
What did Bevan’s change in opinion effect?
1) More of Labour Left joined the Campaign of Nuclear Disarmament 2) the link between CND and Labour Left may have pushed people away from voting for Labour
53
How did the defeat of the 1959 election effect the Labour Party?
The divisions became more apparent | Battles over the future directions of the party was fought annually.
54
Where did the annual conferences take place? What year?
Blackpool 1959 | Scarborough 1960
55
What was important about the Scarborough conference of 1960?
It became a legend in labours history because Gaitskell’s emotional speech tried to convince the conference to reject unilateral nuclear disarmament
56
What were the characteristics of the Labour party after 1960?
Political position slowly improved Appears more unified Cultural shifts in country -> becoming more critical of conservative gov Death of Gaitskell -> Wilson becoming leader in 1963
57
Wha were the reason for the Conservative fall from power?
By early 1960’s, growing concerns about the economy. Being rejected from the EEC. Night of the Long Knives The Profumo Affair
58
What was the Night of the Long Knives?
When Macmillan sacked 1/3 of his cabinet. Tried to rejuvenate the Government but it actually weakened it
59
What was the Profumo Affair?
John Profumo, the Defence Secretary, has a brief affair with Christine Keller, who was also sleeping with a Soviet spy called Ivanow, which raised questions about possible leaks of the Cold War secrets. He was forced to resign in disgrace.