1970-1979 Flashcards
who was in power 1970-74
Edward Heath
Why did the conservatives win the 1970 election
Heath was hard working and had image of competence
conservative ideas were attractive
post war consensus was failing
Enoch powell effect- Heath sacked him after speech, made him appear strong and voters who secretly agreed w powell votes conservative
what was heaths appeal
leader of opposition for 5 yrs
clear principles for modernisation
state school educated
chief EEC negotiator 1961-63
why was heath not appealing
stiff and prickly when dealing w ppl
too honest- not skilful in pleasing political allies
good at policies not politics
what were Heaths aims
tax reforms
better law and order
reform to TU
immigration controls
cuts to public spending
end public subsidies of lame duck industries
find solution to problems in Northern Ireland
what reforms did heath make
school leaving age raised to 16
local gov was reorganised into more streamlined two-tier counties and districts council system
currency went decimal bringing it into line w other European countries
positive economic indicators 1970-74
1973: gov investments to modernise industry were working
unemployment fell to 500,000
negative economic indicators 1970-74
1970- Anthony barbers attempts to encourage economic investment by cutting taxes led to stagflation
unemployment edged towards 1m
1971- U-turn on stopping lame duck subsidies
October 1973- Yom Kippur war
define stagflation
high inflation and high unemployment
what lame duck industries were invested in
rolls royce nationalised
gov poured money into upper Clyde shipbuilders
what did the Yom Kippur war lead to
stopping of exports, price of oil 4x higher and long queues at petrol stations
strengthened hand of miner when they demanded a huge pay rise in 1973
what did heath inherit in 1970 and what did he have to deal with
increasingly uncooperative attitude from TU
dealt w dockers, large pay settlement for dustmen, postal workers strikes and “go slow” by power workers leading to power cuts
what act was introduced 1971
industrial relations act 1971
what was the industrial relations act and what were the attitudes towards it
provided cooling off period (similar to in place of strife proposals) trades union congress (TUC) and confederation of British industry (CBI) opposed to it
What did Heath abolish?
National Board for Prices and Incomes
who strikes in the 1972 major strikes
miners, ambulance drivers, firefighters, civil servants, power workers, hospital staff and engine drivers
how many working days were lost to strikes
23,909,000- highest since 1926
what did the miners strike lead to
3 day week
how did heath try to deal with the strikes
industry act 1972 and aimed to involve the gov, TUC and CBI in agreeing wages, prices, investments and benefits
who were there further disputes with
fire fighters and power workers
what did the nov 1973 OPEC crisis lead to
increased wage demands from miners and an overtime ban.
3 day week from jan 1 1974
what happened at the same time of the 1973 OPEC crisis
NUM called a national strike and demanded huge pay rises
when was the who governs britain election
28th feb 1974
what was the outcome of the who governs britain election
led to hung parliament
what happened despite heaths attempts to find political solution in Northern Ireland
1970 explosion of sectarian violence
what was imposed in 1971 in Northern Ireland
night time curfews and introduction of internment
define internment
arresting suspected troublemakers and holding them without trial. believed that removing the violent men from community would reduce tension
what were the consequences of internment
1971-75: 95% of those interned were catholics
increased tension
strained British gov and Irish gov relations
destroyed cross-party understanding on NI as many labour MP’s opposed it and called for withdrawal of British troops
When was Bloody Sunday?
30th January 1972
what happened on Bloody Sunday
NICRA organised a prohibited civil rights march which ended w British soldiers firing ammunition
26 unarmed civilians were shot and 13 dies
what happened as a result of Bloody Sunday
British embassy in Dublin burned down 1972
why was 1972 knows as the bloodiest year of the troubles
1382 explosions
10628 shooting incidents
480 killed
what did heath do march 1972
suspended storming parliament and brought in direct rule from Westminster
tried to negotiate with main political parties to find solution
what was the first inquiry into Bloody Sunday may 1972
shots had been fired at soldiers before they started firing
republicans saw this as an attempt to condone British army actions
When was the Sunningdale Agreement?
1973
what were the main proposals of the sunningdale agreement
- power sharing executive of nationalist and unionists guaranteeing political representation for both sides
- NI assembly elected under proportional representation
- council of Ireland that would get input from the Republic of Ireland
what were the consequences of the sunningdale agreement
violent continued- IRA attacks on police and army
extremists saw agreement as a sell-out
UUP voted to pull out agreement in jan 1974, replaced leader w harry west who opposed agreement
feb 1974 election parties opposed to agreement put one candidate to ensure anti-sunningdale vote
11 of 12 NI consituencies elected anti sunningdale MP
who was in power 1974-76
wilson
who was in power 1976-79
Callaghan
what was the main issue of labour in power
devolution
define devolution
delegation of power to political parties
what did labour have to do in 1977
make a political pact w liberal party as its majority in parliament disappeared. liberal wanted devolution for Wales and Scotland as price for its support
when were devolution acts opened for referendums in Scotland and Wales
1978
why was devolution difficult to pass
40% of electorate had to approve requiring a voter turnout of at least 80%
When were referendums held in Scotland and Wales?
1st march 1979
what was the outcome of the referendum
welsh votes against, Scottish voted for but didn’t have high enough turnout
vote of no confidence called and gov lost
positive economic indicators 1974-79
Callaghan handles 1976 IMF crisis well and loan repaid in may 1979
1978: North Sea oil on stream- 9 oilfields in production
inflation fell to 10%
unemployment falling by 1978
by 1978 days lost to industrial disputes fell to a 10yr low
what did Healys April 1975 budget impose
steep rise in taxation and cuts in public spending
what was being called into question in 1975
the effectiveness of national enterprise board to administer Govs shares in private enterprise and giving financial aid
what caused concern in 1975
nationalisation off British leyland
what did the failing of the social contract to limit wage demands in 1975 lead to
introduction of a more formal pay restraint policy which caused party divisions to intensify further
what did the poor balance of payments in 1976 cause
pressure on sterling and led to concerns that britain did not have enough currency in reserve to support it
when did the gov receive the IMF loan and how much
dec 1976- £3bn to make big spending cuts
what was unemployment at in 1978
1.6m
what was the purpose of Wilsons policy of appeasement 1974-76
wanted voters to think labour was better equipped than conservatives to deal with TUs
what did wilson negotiate with the TUC in 1973
social contract: voluntary pay restraint by unions in return for repealing the industrial relations act
what did the agreement with the NUM lead to
end of 3 day week although large wage increases to end disputes led to inflation
what was introduced in 1975
a more formal pay restraint policy as social contract wasn’t limiting wage demands which angered left-wingers in the Labour Party
what did Callaghans speech in 1976 say and lead to
warning ‘cosy world’ where gov could ensure full employment was gone
grew divisions in labour party
When was the Winter of Discontent?
1978-1979
what happened in the winter of discontent 1978
TUC rejected labours proposal of wage increase limit of 5%
Encouraged TUs to make higher demands- ford lorry drivers got 15% increase in December after 9 week strike
not as bad as 1974
who striked in the winter of discontent
lorry drivers, train drivers, hospital porters, clerical staff, dustmen, grave diggers
how did the WoD come to an end in 1979
average wage increase of 10% but devastating impact on public mood
what were the effects of the winter of discontent
reputation of TUs damaged
even without vote of no confidence over devolution that brought down gov, many think labour would’ve lost anyway
when was the 15 day strike in NI in protest against sunningdale
may 1974. Power sharing collapsed on 28th may and wilson was forced to impose direct rule
what was introduced to reintroduce the power-sharing principle
1974: Constitutional convention- introduced by Northern Ireland
when was the prevention of terrorism act passed and why
late 1974 as a response to Guildford and Birmingham pub bombing by IRA- gave police and authorities extended powers of search and arrest
when was the constitutional convention dissolved by the British government
1976
what did the British gov do to maintain hard policy towards terrorism 1976
withdrew “special category status” so terrorist prisoners were treated like ordinary criminals not political prisoners.
They refused to wear prison uniform and began blanket protest
what did the blanket protests escalate to in 1978
dirty protest where they refused to leave their cells and smeared exccretement up their walls
how many prisoners were taking part in the protest in 1979
250
1970’s were seen as the high point for second wave feminism. What were the 2 different ideologies?
radical feminists believed women were oppressed by patriarchal society and campaigned on issues such as reproductive rights.
Social feminists identified a class dimension to inequality and campaigned on issues that would lead to female financial independence
when did the TUC publish a charter, equality for women within TU?
not until 1979 as the TU was dominated by men and was believed that women in the workplace would suppress mens wages
why didn’t the equal pay act solve all problems
employers could make tasks slightly different and not comparable to avoid paying women the same as men
when was the equality opportunities commission set up and what was it for
1975- to oversee implementation and enforcement of equal pay act and sex discrimination act
was the equality opportunities commission successful?
only 9 investigations between 1976-83 and only 10% of workplace sex discrimination claims were successful
when was the first women’s liberation meeting and what did it do
1970 and disrupted 1970 miss world contest bc it objectified women
what did the women lib demonstrations in London and Liverpool 1971 demand
equal pay for women and 24hr free nurseries
what was the pill available through the NHS
1971
when could women take out a mortgage without a male guarantor
1971
When did the Equal Pay Act come into force?
1975
When was the Sex Discrimination Act passed?
1975 to end discrimination against men or women on the basis of gender or marital status
what could the equality opportunities commission do
bring court proceedings against any parties not complying with either the equal pay act or sex discrimination act
why was the equality opportunities communities commission not successful
only 10% claims successful and 9 investigations carried out between 1976-1983
when was the employment protection act and what did it introduce
1975-paid maternity leave and outlawed dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy
when was the first rape crisis centre opened
1976 in London
when was the domestic violence act and what did it allow
1976- made it possible for women to take out restraining orders against violent partners
when was the reclaim the night marches held
1977 in response to Yorkshire ripper murders
how did women wages increase
1970- 59% of mens wages to 1977- 70% of mens wages
when was international women’s day established
1977
what was the general attitude to race relations in this period
tensions increased further leading to a rise in national front activity- marches and demonstrations in areas where there were high numbers of immigrants.
Significant rise in assaults and robberies against asian and afrocarribean ppl
distrust of police and their treatment of ethnic minorities
what did the rise in national front activity lead to
other groups being set up to counteract their racist attitudes and western culture drew on reggae and ska influences
When was the Immigration Act?
1971
what did the immigration act do
restricted the right of people from the new commonwealth from coming to britain- they needed to have guaranteed job and at least one grandparent in britain
how many immigrants arrived in britain by 1974?
1 million new commonwealth: 325,000 from West Indies, 435,000 from India and Pakistan, 150,000 from Africa
what showed a low political representation of immigrants
1974 London borough council elections, only 10 non white councillors elected
how many candidates did the national front put up in the general election feb 1974
90
When was the Race Relations Act passed?
1976
What did the Race Relations Act do?
established commission for racial equality which had power to instigate investigations and compel witnesses to appear in front of it
how many members did the national front have in 1976
20,000
when was the rock against racism and what was it in response to
1976- comments made by Eric Clapton in support of enoch powell
how many black police officers in 1976
only 70 out of a total force of 20,000
what happened at the 1976 notting hill carnival
riots broke out and 300 ppl injured which led to event being banned
what was the national front described as in 1977
Britains fourth biggest political party
When was the Anti-Nazi League set up?
1977 to combat National front violence
what did the youth subcultures reflect
social, political and economic battles of the 1970’s
what were the youth subcultures
skinheads
football hooligans
punks
what were the skinheads increasingly linked to
national front and football hooliganism
what were the football hooligans
organised groups linked to particular football clubs. problems worsened over decade as violence at football became so common it was known as the English disease
what were the punks
movement began 1975-6 and was influenced by bands in the USA
what were British punk bands
sex pistols, the clash, the damned and the Buzzcocks. played loud, fast guitar music with words shouted over the top. punks aimed to shock
what was punk fashion
bondage gear, safety pins, ripped t shirts, spiky hair.
what was punk music like
often violent scuffles at concerts and people spitting at each other. sex pistols swore on live TV. released controversial single “god save the queen” during silver jubilee year 1977, BBC refused to pay but still charted no.2
what was the year 1970 announced to be
year of European conservation
where did the environmental pressure group friends of the earth expand to in 1971
britain, France and Sweden
when and where was Greenpeace founded
1971 in Vancouver, Canada
what did teddy goldsmith publish in 1972
blueprint for survival which advocated a return to self-sufficiency and a de-industrialised society
when was the peoples party set up
1973
what protests were carried out in 1973
animal rights protests carried out violent attacks on pharmaceutical laboratories
what happened in the peoples party in 1975
changed name ecology party
how many candidates were put up in the peoples party in 1979
53
why was there outrage in 1975
discovered that beagles in laboratories were being forced to smoke cigarettes to study effects
when was the animal liberation front formed
1976
When was Greenpeace UK formed?
1977
where was there a partial nuclear meltdown in 1979
three mile island, New York which increased anxieties
how many nuclear power station incidents between 1957-79
5 incidents at nuclear power station sellafield on cumbrian coast
what became popular in 1979
David Attenboroughs life on earth series
what are the aims of foreign policy in this period
join EEC and consolidate European position
Heath less keen to focus on special relationship but wilson and Callaghan saw is as crucial for holding back communism during cold war
as detente progressed, develop relationship with key communist countries (USSR, CHINA)
when was Britains 3rd application to join the EEC
1971
why was it definite britain would be accepted to the EEC this time
heath was pro-europa and de gaulle was replaced by George Pompidou who was convinced eec needed britain as much as britain needed the eec. All detailed arrangements were in place bc of heaths previous negotiations in 1962
when did britain join the EEC
1973- 69 rebel labour MP’s helped the cons gov to win the approval vote in parliament
when was the referendum on British membership of the EEC
1975- wilson promised labour MP’s to hold the party together. Voters in favour of staying in eec bc of economic mess britain was in, ppl thought it was essential for britain to survive
what was heaths stance on the special relationship
did not want US to use britain as a link to Europe and said they should negotiate with the EEC as a whole, but was more supportive of US policy in Vietnam than wilson had been
how did the withdrawal of troops from east Suez 1971 onwards affect the US
made them feel like they were being left to deal with global security by themselves
how did the 1973 Yom Kippur war strain the relationship
US wanted to use NATO bases to airlift supplies to Israel. Britain and other European states refused permission bc they were worried that supplies of oil from Middle East would be put at risk
when was the replacement of Polaris w trident
1979- Callaghans strong relationship w America led to a negotiation of new nuclear deterrent w president jimmy Carter
1970 Detente
US and USSR held a series of meetings and agreed to limit the build-up of arms
what was the 1978 Markov affair
Bulgarian defector assassinated in London w a poisonous pellet in an umbrella
what did the 1979 soviet invasion of Afghanistan do
brought detente pretty much to an end as west did not want USSR having influence in oil rich Middle East
what happened In the 1970’s in china
abandonment of support of Taiwan and recognition of PRC as legitimate government
when did heath visit PRC
1974 after he left government- first major British politician to do so. followed americas lead as Nixon did it in 1972
what happened between 1974-79
labour signed trade and diplomatic agreements with PRC. October 1979 Hua Guofeng visited britain as part of European tour- first visit to britain of a Chinese leader since the communist revolution
