1951-64 Flashcards
identify the prime ministers 1951-64
1951-1955- winston churchill
1955-57- Anthony Eden
1957-63- Harold Macmillan
1963-64- Douglas-home
reasons conservatives won the 1951 election
first-past-the-post system
1950 saw influx of new younger tory MP’s
could attack gov on more socialist ideas (nationalisation)
key leaders (Butler) believed in key ideas such as post war consensus
reasons labour lost the 1951 election
six difficult yrs in office left them tired
divisions over economic, welfare and foreign policies
reasons conservative won 1959 election
post-war economic boom
macmillan restored party unity after suez
macmillan had good relationship w media
reasons labour lost 1959 election
internal battles over nuclear disarmament and direction of party
failure to capitalise on conservatives’ humiliation over Suez
domestic policies under conservatives
most conservatives had accepted most reforms of the labour government
war years made people ready to accept state intervention
define post-war consensus
belief in a mixed economy
support for NHS and welfare state
a wish to ensure full employment
work with both TU’s and employers
what did the conservative manifesto promise to do in terms of housing?
build 300,000 houses a year to rebuild the housing stock destroyed by the war
describe the education system under the conservatives
tripartite system-developed by butler in 1944
grammar school- intellectually gifted
technical- practical and vocational
secondary modern- majority
how was it decided which school you would go to
11+ test
describe the social reforms under the conservatives
clean air act 1956- prevent smog
housing and factory acts to improve working and living conditions
1957 wolfenden commision- homosexuality no longer criminal
reasons for conservatives fall of power
macmillan lost his political touch
rejection to EEC in 1963
night of long knives 1962- he sacked 1/3 of cabinet- dented public confidence in him
spy scandals
spy scandal examples
George Blake= convicted as Soviet double agent 1961
John Vassall= blackmailed on basis of homosexuality to pass info onto soviets 1962
John profumo= lied about actions, macmillan secrecy of state 1963
why did macmillan resign oct 1963
Ill health and a major abdominal operation kept him in hospital for weeks.
what was the difference between the left wingers and right wingers of the Labour Party
left- be more socialist
right- be more modern
what idea did Gaitskell put forward at the 1959 conference
abolishing Clause IV of the party constitution which committed party to nationalisation
when did gaitskell become the leader of the Labour Party
when it was going through its most disruptive periods
why was there divisions within the Labour Party
it couldn’t decide what type of party it was and what its aims were
what was the first step of a socialist Britain
introduction of welfare state
what did the left of the Labour Party argue for
greater commitment to state control and direction of the economy and society
many of the left were unilateralists, what is that
people who believed Britain should give up its atomic weapons without waiting for a multilateral agreement between the nuclear powers
what is CND
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
what were the socialists more in favour of
CND
abolishment of clause IV
against joining EEC
1951 prescription charges
what dictated conservative policy towards the TU’s
post-war consensus