1 - Conservative Governments And The Reasons For Political Dominance Flashcards
Which snap election did the Conservatives win? Who became PM?
1951
Winston Churchill
How old was Winston Churchill in 1951? What was a main problem about this?
77
Frequently ill
When was Anthony Eden PM? What was his previous role?
1955-57
Foreign Secretary
What event cut Eden’s premiership short?
Suez Crisis
When was Macmillan PM from? What did he preside over?
1957-63
Increased prosperity
When was Alec Douglas-Home PM from? What happened before he made his mark?
1963-64
Defeated in October 1964 election
How long did the Conservatives govern Britain for?
1951-64 - 13 years
What board agreement was there between the 3 parties?
Post-war consensus
What was the important saying of the post-war consensus?
“From the cradle to the grave”
What 2 systems were introduced from the post-war consensus?
Welfare state/NHS
What did the government intervene in with the post-war consensus? Why?
The economy
To ensure employment and growth
What was the foreign policy of the post-war consensus based on? What did the UK oppose?
US support
Communism
Who received independence from the post-war consensus?
Colonies of the Empire
What did the Labour Party label the Conservative period of 1951-64 as? How was this contradicted?
“13 wasted years”
Conservatives retained popularity
What 2 reasons did the economic policies seem successful?
Minimal unemployment/Increased standards of living
What Age were the Conservatives associated with? What monarch was coronated in 1953?
Elizabethan Age of optimism
Queen Elizabeth II
How did Britain seem a world power? What event showed this?
Nuclear weapons
Korean War
What did the Conservatives maintain? What did they attempt to engender?
Welfare spending and planning
Full employment
How many houses did Churchill build per year? What was the purpose of these?
300,000
To be purchased
How many new schools were built? What was being planned to double?
6,000
University places
When did the first motorways open up? What was the name of the first one?
1959
M1
When did Britain become an atomic power? Why?
1952
Explosion of the first British atomic bomb
Which 3 elections did the Conservatives win? How many seats were won for each?
1951, 1955, 1959
321, 344, 365
What topic caused a split in the Labour Party? What was wanted over this?
Defence spending
Social welfare
What did the Labour Party oppose?
Nuclear weapons
What main problem of the Labour Party occurred in 1963?
Sudden death of Hugh Gaitskell