1. Political issues

Question 1

Harold Wilson term dates PM

Answer 1

1964-70
1974-76

Question 2

Wilson’s background

Answer 2

• Born in Huddersfield
• Father was a chemist/ Mother was a school teacher
• Won a scholarship to Royds Hall grammar school, later Oxford
• Influenced by G.D.H Cole to join the Labour Party
• He won a seat in Labour in the 1945 election and was appointed parliamentary secretary to the ministry of works by Attlee Wilson had been a Bevanite, and resigned in 1950 over prescription charges
• Challenged Gaitskell for leadership in 1961—he lost.

Question 3

Wilson differences of other PMs

Answer 3

1. Wilson was the first Prime Minister to have been educated at a state school
2. Classless / Smoked a pipe
3. Accent (Yorkshire)
4. Appeared more relaxed in public

Question 4

Wilson simularities to other PM

Answer 4

• Private insecurity and worry (Eden, Wilson)
• Still has an Oxford education
• Worked his way through the party
• Didn’t fight in WWI

Question 5

Wilsons promises when in gov

Answer 5

• mixed economy, sought to invest in tech advancements, education, + research = boost productivity + competitiveness. “white heat of technology,”
• improvements in education, health care, social services, reduce poverty and inequality.
• building more homes, affordable housing.
  *strong relationship with US, EEC.

Question 6

Wilson as leader

Answer 6

Skillful, carasmatic, successful election campaignes

Question 7

George Brown

Answer 7

• Deputy Leader of the Labour Party + Foreign Secretary.
• strong pro-European stance, supported closer ties w Europe,
• involved in early discussions about British membership in EEC

Question 8

James Callaghan

Answer 8

Chancellor of the Exchequer + later Home Secretary + Foreign Secretary.
the devaluation of the pound in 1967.
more centrist, pragmatic approach

Question 9

Roy Jenkins

Answer 9

Home Secretary + later Chancellor of the Exchequer.
liberal and progressive stance.
driving force behind social reforms = decriminalization of homosexuality + abolition of the death penalty.

Question 10

Barbra Castle

Answer 10

Secretary of State for Employment and later Secretary of State for Social Services.
advocate for social reform and women’s rights. introduction of the Equal Pay Act in 1970
efforts to address social inequalities and improve working conditions.

Question 11

Divisions within labour over =

Answer 11

• extent of nationalisation
• entry into EEC
• implementation of comprehensive education
• role and influence of trade unions - Labour Representation Committee.

Question 12

Labour divisions

Wilson vs Brown

Answer 12

• W feared leadership challenges
• B resepntful to lost leadership election + not made Foreign secretary 1964.
• W rumored to have undermind B’s rep by keeping record of B’s embarrising incidents

Question 13

Labour divisions

Wilson vs Jenkins

Answer 13

• W paranoid might face a leadership challenge.
• Jenkins = gaitskellite
• Didn’t supports J’s liberalising reforms as home secretary.
• J tried to kept cabinet to support devaluation during seaman strikes = W felt it a ploy to replace him and B, w J and Callaghan.

Question 14

Heath and strength of Conservatives by 1970

Answer 14

• setbacks 1966-69 (Trade Unions, devaluation, empire, EEC) –also did not produce distinguished economic policies
• Conservatives ahead in opinion polls.
• Conservatives did well in local gov elections.
• Special polls showed narrow Conservative lead in 1970.
• didn’t include immigration in campaign (sacked Powell 1968 following rivers of blood speech) refused to have Powell in the campaign despite his popularity in certain constituencies.

Question 15

1964 election, labour strengths

Answer 15

• Labour party reunited
• WHITE HEAT OF TECHNOLOGY
• Wilson skillful election campaigne = presented as better fit in technological age.

Question 16

1964 election conservative strength

Answer 16

• scandals - tired of Establishment e.g. Profumo Affait, Burgress and Mclean
• Night of the long knifes
• Suez
• Douglas Hume = old fashioned image
• Disillusioned by affluence
• Scandels tainted tory image
• unempolyment 800K
• EEC rejection humiliation

Question 17

1966, Labour win

Answer 17

• Heath no match for Wilson - unable to connect w/ voters
• Wilson = experienced campaigner
• More in tune with popular culture and society
• created dept of technology strengthened education – 7 new uni’s by 1966 Scientists employed as gov advisors.
• Liberalisation laws under Jenkins – Race Relations Act, capital punishment abolished.
• decisive victory, majority of 98 seats, % of vote biggest share since 1945

Question 18

Labour and TU

Answer 18

TU’s come to wield influence due to post war consensus politics - importance of maintaining full employment
* Favourable with general public > Opinion polls in the 1960’s = 60% people had favourable view.
* Wild cat strikes - local activists who would not take orders from the top.
* 1966-67> cosy relationship with unions began to decline
* Strikes showed union bosses losing control

Question 19

In Place Of Strife

Answer 19

1969
* necessary to curb unions + for good of British economy.
* strengthen union in dealing with employers.
* 28 day cooling off period before strike went ahead.
* gov could impose settlement when unions in dispute with each other.
* Strike ballots could be imposed
* Industrial relations court would be able to prosecute people who broke the rules
= Upset TU’s and Labour > storm of protests including National Union of Mineworkers, Callaghan + Gormley, 50 MPs ready to rebel, concerns over splits. Arguments had compromised Labour values.

Question 20

Labour strengths

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS/OPEN UNIVERSITY

Answer 20

• Increase in numbers of comprehensive schools in order to break down class barriers of tripartite system
• inauguration of the Open University 1969
• increase in number of universities

Question 21

Labour strengths

LIBERALISATION OF LAWS

Answer 21

• Abortion Act 1967
• Sexual Offences Act 1967
• creation of Ombudsman 1967 (protects ordinary citizen)
• Theatres Act 1968
• Abolition of death penalty 1969
• Divorce Reform Act 1969

Question 22

Labour strength

ECONOMICS

Answer 22

Jenkins had began to tame economic problems using deflationary methods=balance of payments surplus by 1970

Question 23

Labour strength

WILSON’S IMAGE

Answer 23

• “one of us”
• modern breed of politician
• in tune with current culture
• state school educated
• PR first doctor of spin.

Question 24

Labour strength

‘WHITE HEAT OF TECHNOLOGY’

Answer 24

• transformative power of technological progress.
• reflected commitment to modernizing British economy + society, encouraging technological development, and positioning the country at the forefront of the technological revolution.

Question 25

# Labour weaknesses BALANCE OF PAYMENTS (inherited)

Answer 25

£400 million deficit and cycle of stop-go, manufacturing industries shrinking, service and finance expanding

Question 26

# Labour weaknesses ATTEMPTS TO RESTRUCTURE THE ECONOMY

Answer 26

e.g. National Plan (dropped 1967), creation of DEA (and subsequent failure 1966), growing inflation, rising unemployment

Question 27

# Labour weaknesses DEVALUATION

Answer 27

– failed to take initiative and devalue in 1964 when this measure could have been passed off as a necessary hiccup resulting from inherited problem. - Stalling meant that by 1967 devaluation was seen as failure, “pound in your pocket”

Question 28

# Labour weaknesses PERMISSIVE SOCIETY

Answer 28

age of Jenkins and Liberalisation laws ushers in criticism of a permissive society

Question 29

# Labour weaknesses SOCIAL UNREST

Answer 29

government responds to racial violence with restrictive Commonwealth Immigration Act 1968 (immigration controls)

Question 30

# Labour weaknesses CRITICISM WITHIN THE PARTY

Answer 30

- leadership - Europe, - direction of party, - kitchen cabinet (reinforced Wilson’s suspicions of party rivalries and prevented ministers from having access to him)

Question 31

# Labour weaknesses TRADE UNIONS

Answer 31

* Seaman’s and Dockers strikes * In Place of Strife 1969 * humiliating climb down compromise with TUC

Question 32

# Labour weaknesses FAILURE TO GET INTO EEC

Answer 32

devaluation and economic situation led to veto by De Gaulle

Question 33

# Labour weaknesses OVERSEAS

Answer 33

– costs and changing attitude to policeman role leads to abandoning of Britain’s East of Suez position

Question 34

Technology - policies

Answer 34

* Increased funding for R&D to foster innovation * Investment in the space sector, with the launch of the first British satellite, Ariel 1, in 1962. * Education Acts of 1964 and 1968 = improve education, especially science and tech.

Question 35

Technology - impact

Answer 35

* Economic growth * global competativeness * Recognition of Britain's capabilities * Increased demand for skilled workers in technology-related fields.

Question 36

# NI origins Why catholics felt aggrieved?

Answer 36

* Claimed that the 1921 treaty had deliberately drawn the boundary between the north and south as to leave N. Ireland with a majority protestant population * Protestants had used their majority to dominate parliament (Stormont) * Better jobs and houses for protestants * Gerrymandering—changing constituencies in order to prevent certain MP’s from winning * B Specials—seen as oppressive police presence

Question 37

# NI origins Civil rights comparisons

Answer 37

N.I.C.R.A—remove Gerrymandering, remove B specials, distribute wealth/resources fairly  Modelled themselves on civil rights campaigners

Question 38

# NI Origins 'Troubles'

Answer 38

* The term ‘troubles’ describes the cycle of violence from the 1950’s to the 1990’s whose main feature was terrorist conflict between the nationalists and the unionists * British troops were sent by London to attempt to preserve peace

Question 39

# NI origins Why were troops sent?

Answer 39

* Civil rights marches 1968 protest against discrimination * IRA= organisation that fought for independence. * Large riot 12th - 14th August 1969 * Catholics complained the RUC failed to protect them * Loyalists Apprentice Boys=annual march in Derry, attacked Nationalist in the Catholic area of Bogside * RUC tried to storm the Bogside but were held back by two days of rioting * Stormont government in response offered concessions on housing and electoral boundaries—riots from Loyalists * August 1969, Wilson government sent in British troops in an attempt to keep the peace.