14 - Heath's Government, 1970-74 Flashcards
What kind of background did Heath come from? Where was he educated?
Lower middle-class Oxford
What type of leadership did Heath reduce in the Tory Party? How would Heath promote colleagues?
Aristocratic leadership
On merit
Who was Heath’s first Chancellor? Who became Education Secretary?
Barber
Thatcher
What ideology was Heath influenced by?
The “New Right”
What intervention was reduced under Heath’s government? What did this allow?
Government intervention
Markets to decide prices and wages
Where was the New Right adopted? When were they adopted?
Selsdon Park
January 1970
What was the nickname given to a new Tory voter who wanted more control of their affairs?
“Selsdon Man”
What did less government intervention cause the breakdown of?
Post-war consensus
What did the government introduce in August 1971 in Northern Ireland? Why?
An “internment”
To arrest troublemakers without a trial
What was a problem with internment?
Mainly innocent people were arrested
What event compounded NI problems together in January 1972? How many people were killed during this event?
Bloody Sunday
14
Who did British troops open fire on during Bloody Sunday? Where did they open fire?
Catholic protesters
Londonderry
How did the IRA retaliate to Britain post-Bloody Sunday?
A bombing campaign on mainland Britain
What parliament did Britain suspend? What policy did they adopt to do this?
Stormont parliament
“Direct rule”
What did most politicians agree about between Catholics and Protestants?
Some degree of power sharing was necessary
Who introduced the Sunningdale Agreement? Who was this person?
Willie Whitelaw
Secretary of State for NI
What new executive formation allowed both Catholics and Protestants to govern the province?
A new executive of representatives from both communities
What specific group paralysed the NI province? Who particularly influenced them?
Hard-line Protestants
Reverend Ian Paisley
What did the hard-line Protestants start that defeated the Sunningdale Agreement?
A 15-day strike
What commitment did the government abandon following economic issues?
Minimal intervention
What aircraft engine manufacturer did Heath nationalise in 1971?
Rolls-Royce
What shipbuilder company received a subsidy to stay afloat? How much did they receive?
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
£35 million
What was post-war prosperity largely dependent on?
Cheap fuel
Who was the biggest provider of cheap fuel? Where were they based?
OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
Middle East
Between what 2 groups did a major war break out with in September 1973?
Israel and its Arab neighbours
What did OPEC reduce to respond to the major war of September 1973? What was raised?
Reduced oil supply
Raised prices
How much in US$ did a barrel increase in price? From what years?
$2-$35
1973, 1980
What was there a shortage of for industry and transport following the oil crisis?
Fuel and petrol
What BoP factor became more expensive due to the oil crisis?
Imports
How did the £ fall in value to the US$? What did this lead to?
It fell to $1.50
Huge budget deficits
What grew again after falling in the early 1970s? To what amount did it increase to by 1974?
Inflation
16%
How many people were unemployed by 1973? How many by 1978?
785,000
1,603,000
When did Heath call an election? What was this on the basis of?
February 1974
“Who governs Britain?”
What did American journalist Anthony Bailey write about Catholics and gerrymandering?
“The Catholics were gerrymandered out of representation”
What did the UDA Protestants claim on a leaflet that Catholics were the enemy of?
“The enemies of Faith and Freedom”
