1964 election

Question 1

what were the results of the election?

Answer 1

-labour won 317 seats, 44.1% of votes
-cons. won 304 seats, 43.6% of votes
-so labour had a slim majority of 5 seats

Question 2

Wilson’s personal attributes that helped him to win:

Answer 2

-seen as an in-touch, modern political figure
-seen as classless (state educated, yorkshire accent, down to earth)
-good platform for uniting party as bevan and gaitskell were gone
-branded labour to be a modern, future-looking party
-relaxed and skilful on TV

Question 3

why Douglas-Home lost:

Answer 3

-out of touch
-part of the establishment
-previously a lord
-not charasmatic
-loss of support for tories due to economic crisis
-part of the aristocracy
-big business was neglected under tory gov.

Question 4

how did the revival of the liberal party help labour?

Answer 4

-many middle class voters wanted to vote against the current gov but not vote labour, so voted liberal
-almost doubled their votes from the 1959 election
-by taking voters away from the tories, it helped labour to win in many seats

Question 5

how did social change benefit labour?

Answer 5

-young people especially losing deference to the establishment and therefore the conservatives
-less traditional society

Question 6

when was Wilson’s white heat speech?

Answer 6

1st of october 1963, given to labour party

Question 7

what does wilson set out in his white heat speech?

Answer 7

-wilson has a modern view of how britain needs to change
-promised britain would catch up with the ‘white heat’ of technological change
-modernisation was vita to restore the economy
-britain needed to keep up with the social changes happening

Question 8

what was the impact of his white heat speech?

Answer 8

-became a catchphrase for labour’s campaign
-massively increased their popularity
-managed to unite his party - focusing on science allowed him to transcend the ideological divisions within labour
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