1964-70 Flashcards
1964 election statistics
con-43.6%
lab-44.1%
1966 election statistics
lab-47.9%
con-41.9%
1970 election statistics
con-46.%
lab-43.0%
wilson’s leadership style
-liked to play his ministers off with one another
-became difficult to trust, as he always felt he was a cut above his ministers and could do their job better
-closest confident was Marcia Williams, his political secretary
-appealed to both sides of the party and helped to heal divisions after Gaitskell
union legislation
-1964 Prices and Incomes Act: unions and gov. failed to agree on wages and price rises, failed
-1965 Trade Disputes Act: compromised with unions, supported closed shop
-1966 Emergency Budget Cuts: called for wage freezes and incited unions into industrial action, Seaman’s strike
‘In Place of Strife’ 1969
-Castle’s proposals published in the white paper :
-permanent committee on industrial relations to be set up
-industrial boards to be established to hear cases
-safeguards against unfair dismissals, legislation to prevent unofficial strikes
-28 day cooling off period before a strike went ahead
-strike ballots could be imposed
results of ‘In Place of Strife’
-highly controversial
-LP divided and TUC issued their own programme for action
-50 rebel MPs are against it
-Wilson was lukewarm about it
-began to cause splits in the party
-the issue of the unions remained unsolved
wilson’s economic aims
-modernise britain using technology
-promote growth
-control inflation and move away from stop-go
-improve balance of payments
-develop welfare state
-promote relationship with unions
-invest in education and develop workforce
department of economic affairs
-made for and headed by George Brown (chancellor-callaghan, not a fan)
-national plan launched sept 1965, aimed at stimulating industrial production and exports (forecast 4% annual growth by investing in technology)
-national plan quietly dropped in 1967, following devaluation
-DEA was designed to focus on long term solutions, and the treasury on the short term causing rivalry
-after brown moved to the foreign office in 1966, DEA suffered and ended 1969
economic issues
-inherited £750 million balance of payments deficit from conservatives
-£1 billion IMF loan 1964, as a result government couldn’t fulfil promise of raising school leaving age, disappointed electorate
-another IMF loan 1967
-prices and incomes freeze 1966
-devaluation of the £ Nov 1967, $2.80 to $2.40
impact of devaluation (positive and negative)
-negative: Wilson’s reputation severely damaged (pound in your pocket speech), 1967 EEC rejection from De Gaulle
-positive: growth in exports, Jenkins replaced Callaghan as chancellor, harsher budget, tax increases but by may 1969 britain was in a surplus of £387 million
economic successes
-growth rate averaged 2.7% per annum
-communications across britain improved with the opening of the BT tower in 1964, the building of motorways and concord’s first flight 1968
-the party’s win in 1966 was due to the electorate being impressed by the government’s modernising approach
-1963-70 exports increased by 40%
economic failures
-inflation was running at 12% compared to the average of 4% in the 1960s
-gap between the unions and government became evident in the 1966 and 67 strikes
-devaluation, damaged wilson’s reputation and caused callaghan to step down as chancellor
-GB still lagged behind internationally in terms of growth rates
foreign policy aims
-to save £2billion on defence spending by 1970
-to keep the party united, hard left still opposed nuclear deterrent and EEC entry
-pro-america
-keep commonwealth links
foreign policy: decolonisation, south africa
-1961 left commonwealth
-apartheid in place
-GB put sanctions in place
-1970 cricket tour cancelled
foreign policy: decolonisation, rhodesia
-1965 Iain declared UDI
-white minority rule, 220,000 white over 4 million black
-oil sanctions imposed by GB, but ineffective
-wilson attempted talks with smith in 1966&68 but refused to use military action against white minority rule
-14 years of racial tension, only solved in 1980
foreign policy: decolonisation, withdrawal from suez
-withdrawal due to economic overstretch
-1967, Healey (Defence Secretary) announced withdrawal and set a timetable
-there were protests from those countries relying on british defence, and the US feared the growth of communism
-1967 devaluation crisis, and the wilson jenkins 1968 budget accelerated the withdrawal
foreign policy: EEC
-1966 application: Wilson lukewarm, Jenkins and Brown committed 1967 meeting, Wilson refused to give up ‘special relationship with US’
-1967 rejection: De Gaulle vetoed ‘velvet veto’, feared GB attempt to control EEC, poor economy 1967 (devaluation), xenophobia, special relationship (fear of US influence)
foreign policy: US, cold war
-wilson believed negotiations could bring an end to tensions with Russia, thus ending conflict in vietnam
-e.g. Genva conference, London, and Moscow
-plan of two phases initiated to end war, but US backed out
-dampened US and GB relations
foreign policy: US, vietnam
-n. vietnam wants to unite with s. vietnam, US wanted to stop this, wilson refused to send troops
-wilson’s ‘finest hour’, as he gave moral support but not troops, yet still managed to keep US loans
-public reaction to vietnam war: 1968 anti-war demos (Grosvenor Square April 1968) made Wilson less inclined to send troops
causes of change for women
-NHS (family planning act) 1967: legalised contraception and access to contraceptive advice, even for unmarried women
-introduction of many women’s lib groups
change for women
-abortion act 1967, allowed abortion as long as woman and foetus were in danger and there was approval from 2 doctors
-divorce reform act 1969, divorce after 2 years of separation, removed need to prove adultery
-1970 equal pay act, established principle of equal pay but did not come to fruition for another 5 years
impact of change for women
-labour saving devices saved women at home
-increased access to higher education and improved education standards helped women
-greater liberty over family planning helped women from stopping unwanted pregnancy
-spending on cosmetics and fashion grew
objections to change/continuity for women
-discrimination and stereotyping were still prevalent
-reinforcement of traditional role of woman
-women only made up 10% of higher professionals in 1961
cause of change for youth
-due to being born in the era of affluence, for many when they left school there were ample job opportunities
-media published new fashions and music styles and teachings such as sex before marriage being wrong were unwritten
change for youth
-grants gave youth a lot to spend
-music became linked with politics towards the end of the decade
-changing fashions helped override some social divisions
-norms were questioned
impact of change for youth
-1961-69 number of students in full time further education almost doubled from 200,000-390,000
-had much more spare cash to spend on themselves
-changing fashion indicated changing moods in society
objections to change/continuity for youth
-mods and rockers caused concern with the older generation
-cannabis was popularized by the beatles and the rolling stones showing a ‘moral decline’
-activism against the war in vietnam
-cocaine and heroin addiction became 10 times more prevalent in 1st half of 1960s
causes of change for race and immigration
-immigration controls were tightened by wilson in 1968 with the Commonwealth Immigration Act
-some, such as enoch powell believed that immigration could not lead to integration and that those from the commonwealth nations would not absorb into british society
-both major parties agreed that the level of immigration must be reduced, racial tension and discrimination needed to be addressed
change for race and immigration
-race relations act 1965, made racial discrimination illegal and set up a race relations board
-race relations act 1968 this made it a criminal offence to discriminate in accordance with race in relation to the provision of services such as housing and employment
impact of change for race and immigration
-national front, argued that immigration was responsible for general british decline, its solution was forcible repatriation of ‘new’ commonwealth immigrants
-continuing influx of immigrants meant racial tensions increased
objections to change/continuity for race and immigration
-initial race relations act, breaking it was not considered a criminal offence, and the board had few powers to investigate grievances
-racism remained endemic in society
-powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech
causes of change for moral attitudes
-legislation e.g. abortion act, sexual offences act, divorce reform act
change for moral attitudes
-permissive ideas spread in the media on TV and in magazines etc.
impact of change for moral attitudes
-a reduction of deference caused by increasing satire
-culture was beginning to criticise traditional views of society
continuity/ objections to change for moral attitudes
-mary whitehouse’s clean up tv campaign
-attitudes towards sex remained quite traditional
-critics of the new society saw it as a moral decline
causes of change for leisure
-shorter working hours, average working week fell from 48 to 40 hours
-rising incomes and improved living standards
-mass ownership of televisions and cars
-the spread of education increased social mobility
-the growth of tourism companies
change of leisure
-4/5 homes posessed a garden
-wages increased by 72% 1951-64
-number of supermarkets increasef as did the number of travel companies
impact of change for leisure
-by the 1950s, 60,000 people a week holidayed at butlins
-cars became a way to show moving up the ladder of affluence
-shopping styles began to change due to the car
continuity/objections to change for leisure
-beeching report recommended closure of all branch lines, closing of local stations, and the scheme went ahead in 1963 despite fierce opposition
-car ownership brought traffic jams, accidents and personal isolation
causes of change for science and technology
-government made scientific developments a key aim
-wilson’s ‘white heat of technology’ speech
change for science and technology
-1961 first person had gone into space and by 1969 us had landed on the moon
-anglo-french partnership continued development of concorde
-post office tower opened in 1965 to improve telecommunications
impact of change for science and technology
-by 1969, tv accounted for 23% of leisure
- introduction of vacuum cleaner and electric floor polisher mean that the time a woman spent cleaning the house dropped from 75 to 44 hours a week
continuity/objections to change for science and technology
-whilst it did help to reduce housework, women were still predominantly in the kitchen
abolition of the death penalty 1969
-why it came about: anti-hanging campaign recieved a boost from the case of ruth ellis, backbencher silverman campaigned for its abolition, 1965 free vote abolished it (for a five year trial period) 1969 this was made permanent
-its impact: jenkins refused to authorise the beating of prisoners and brought in majority verdicts for juries, many dangerous criminals were convicted but the number of violent crimes did not drop as hoped
divorce reform act 1969
-why it came about: until this one party had to prove adultery, under the reform the couple could divorce if they lived apart for 2 years and agreed, or lived apart for 5 years and one agreed
-its impact: huge increase in number of divorces, 1950 72 divorces per 1000 couples in england and wales, by mid 1970s almost 10 in 1000
abortion act 1967
-why it came about: previously there were two options, private clinic or back street abortion, 100,000-200,000 illegal abortions performed annually, campaigning by liberal mp david steele
-its impact: permitted legal termination of pregnancy within the first 28 weeks under medical supervision with written consent of two doctors, number of abortions increased 4 per 100 in 1968 to 17.6 in 1975
sexual offences act 1967
-why it came about: men could previously be imprisoned for 2 years for participating in homosexual acts, abse (backbencher) supported it and it became a private members bill, both men had to consent, be over 21, and it had to be in private
-its impact: welcomed by those who had led ‘double lives’, ‘in private’ interpreted as no one else in the building which meant it wasn’t the end of homosexual prosecutions
educational reform
-why it came about: tripartite system seen as unequal, by 1964 1 in 10 were educated in comprehensive schools,by 1970 only 8 authorities failed to convert to comprehensives, robbins report suggested britain lagged behind in terms of university education it needed more students on science and technology courses, jennie lee was responsible for establishing the open university which meant increased opportunities and modernisation
-its impact: middle class mainly turned grammar schools, new universities introduced by 1968 there were 30 polytechnics and 56 universities opening up university education for more, by 1980 the open university awarded more degrees than oxford and cambridge
1970 election
-first election that 18 year olds could vote in, wilson hoped this would increase his base of support, but due to vietnam it did not
-4.7% swing
-wilson government had come through its tough times by the time of the election, Jenkins credited for economic recovery and wilson was credited as as master campaigner, but due to the negatives it had experienced during its time in power (devaluation, IMF, In Place of Strife etc.) and 3 days before the election balance of payments deficit announced
-conservatives performed well in by-elections 1966-69, Heath attacked labour effectively, ‘powell factor’
