1970-79 Flashcards
heath’s successes as leader
-already had experience as chief whip
-had a clear and detailed programme of modernisation, particularly related to economic modernisation and industrial relations
-came from a different social background to other tory leaders
-promoted ministers based on merit e.g. thatcher
-europhile committed to getting britain into the EEC, experience as chief negotiator under macmillan
heath’s failings as leader
-often percieved as stiff and prickly when dealing with people
-good at policies not politics
-not personally popular with the electorate or his party
-his conviction that he was right made him impatient to the necessity of persuading others
-economic and industrial problems
selsdon park proposals and the ‘selsdon man’
-tax reform
-improved law and order
-trade union reform
-immigration reform
-cuts to public spending
-end of public subsidy to ‘lame duck’ industries
-‘selsdon man’ respresented new conservative voter who wanted more control over his affairs, reduction in the role of the government saw an important break in the post war consensus
heaths aims with the economy and industrial relations
-tackle the economy, party by public expenditure cuts, but also by a ‘free market’ laissez-faire approach, not bailing out ‘lame duck’ industries
-reform industrial relations, and tackle union power by moving away from incomes policies such as wage freezes or pay settlements
industrial relations act 1971
-required strike ballots and a ‘cooling off’ period
-national industrial relations court set up to ensure the act was obeyed, had the power to impose fines on unions that did not obey the act
-TUC refused to accept it, 140,000 union members marched through central london chanting ‘kill the bill’
-unions found loopholes and never fully complied
-financial collapse of rolls royce saw heath u-turn on not bailing out ‘lame duck’ industries by bailing it out
1972 miners strike
-unions saught to undermine government’s attempts to control inflation by wage restraint
-strike led to power cuts and a state of emergency feb 1972
-conceeded to many of strikers demands so eventually miners went back to work
april 1972 budget
-delivered by barber designed to encourage growth
-known as the ‘barber boom’ it led to higher inflation and wage demands from public sector workers
-led anti-inflation in sept 1972 alongside a prices commission and pay board
-u-turn as prices and wages would be controlled by law not the market
upper clyde shipbuilders
-shipbuilding industry in difficulties in 1968 four yards merged to create upper clyde shipbuilders, which by 1971 was on the verge of collapse and appealed to the government to cover a deficit of £28 million
-cabinet agreed it did not deserve to be saved
-shop stewards were outspoken in demands of the government saving their jobs
-ultimately £35 million was provided to save 3 of the 4 yards, this lead to the heath government deciding the ‘lame duck’ policy had consequences that were too severe
‘pentonville five’
-5 stewards arrested for ignoring an injunction to stop picketing the site on the premises of midland cold storage company, all five put in pentonville prison
-a series of strikes began to follow until there was virtually an unofficial national strike
-the five were released within a week of their arrest
-the year witnessed the highest number of strike days lost since 1926
OPEC oil crisis
-arab-israeli war 1973 led to restrictions for the supply of oil, OPEC introduced a major increase in oil prices and britsh oil imports were cut by 15%, panic buying ensued
-rapidly deteriorating fuel situation led to a state of emergency being declared november 1973
1974 restrictions to conserve fuel
-50mph speed limit
-temperature control in offices
-three day working week
-television companies had to cease broadcasting at 10:30pm
changes to special relationship under heath
-arab-israeli war, US supported israel, britain viewed as doing the same even though they wanted to stay out of it
-detente saw easing tensions with USSR and US
-watergate scandal saw political instability with US
heath and china
-first major british politician to visit PRC, warmly welcomed as a statesman and brought back two pandas
-relations generally improved, as relations with the US and china improved
VAT (heath)
-1970, britain relied more on direct taxation than other european countries, conservatives aimed to shift to more indirect taxation
-VAT initiated in 1973, only essential goods exempt, tax was a requirement for britain to enter EEC
tax credit scheme (heath)
-promised to reduce the cost of tax adminstration and alleviate the ‘poverty trap’ created by means tested benefits
-the scheme would simplify income tax structure and turn main personal allowances into reversible tax credits
-can be seen as a u-turn on the selsdon park programme
local government act 1972
-significant problems with the pre existing system as many country boundaries were decided in the middle ages, no longer suitable
-set out provision of division of functions between districts and counties and suggested a minimum population of 40,000 for districts
decimilisation of currency (heath)
-having a simple currency based on 10s and 100s had been a long time coming
-decimal currency board set up to create and manage the transition
road to EEC membership
-jan 1963, de gaulle vetoes application as america would have an insight into europe
-nov 1967, de gaulle vetoes application again, due to devaluation and economic crisis
-but by 1972 the situation was different, decolonisation meant britain no longer relied on its commonwealth trading partners so heavily, georges pompidou replaced de gaulle and relations with the US had been somewhat strained by vietnam and suez
terms of entry into EEC
-britain would gain new trading partnerships
-could attract better foreign investors
-farmers could gain grants to expand
-workers secured the same rights as those in other EEC nations
BUT
-had to give up economic relationship with commonwealth
-britain had to make high contributions to the EEC budget
-had to agree to CAP
-common fisheries policy restricted right to fish in certain waters
-VAT had to be imposed
conservative opposition to EEC entry
-believed britain was surrendering sovereignty to europe
-powell was a critic and voted against the entry bill at every stage, refused to stand as candidate at 1974 election and encouraged his supporters to vote labour
labour opposition to EEC entry
-radical left were worried membership could affect the working class
-wilson tried to be neutral to unite party
european referendum 1975
-purpose to unite labour
-most of the press was in favour of remaining
-17million voted remain, 8 million voted leave
-personal triumph for wilson
-temporarily halted europe debate, reopened with major’s gov. in 90s
long term reasons as to why the tories lost the 1974 election
-the troubles accelerated
-heath was stubborn and socially awkward, not personally popular with his party or the electorate
-wilsons ongoing conflict with the unions left a legacy
short term reasons as to why the tories lost the 1974 election
-NI situation accelerated by internment policy and bloody sunday
-TUC used loopholes to get around industrial relations act
-u-turn on not bailing out lame-duck industries
-yom kippur war causing oil crisis
-miners working to rule and three day week
-u-turn, intervening with prices and incomes
immediate factors as to why tories lost 1974 election
-3 day week intended to defeat miners did not
-heath’s government achieved none of its economic goals and unemployment was the highest since the 1930s
-25th feb £383mil deficit released
-powell recommended nation vote labour as they were offering european referendum
-election called in defence of statutory incomes policy
heath’s election campaign
-election took place during 3 day week (28th feb)
-election called in defence of statutory incomes policy, u-turn on selsdon park
-enoch powell encouraged nation to vote labour, previous influence was ‘powell factor’ after ‘rivers of blood’ speech
-21st feb, miners pay had been wrongly calculated, showed government incompetence
-25th feb- £383million deficit released
-26th feb-‘private meeting’ industrial relations act should be repealed, reminiscent of 1970 election
wilson’s approach to election
-offered referendum on europe
-placed greater importance on food prices (key issue for swing voters)
-criticism of miscalculation of miners wages
wilson’s elections
-feb 1974: heath asked ‘who governs britain’ in the middle of the three day week and OPEC oil crisis, lib-lab pact had to be made for working majority
-oct 1974: increased labour majority by 3, as log as they remained united they had a majority to pass laws
wilson’s inherited economic problems
-inflation: 74-5 24.1%
-unemployment: jan 1974 560,000
-£ under pressure
-£383 million trade deficit
attempted solutions to eco problems by wilson
-healey’s emergency budget autumn 1974: raised income tax to 83% on wealthy, support for poorest
-april 1975 budget imposed steep rises and £900million public spending cuts
-april 1976 budget limited wage increases to 35, public spending cuts of 2.5 billion and price increases on alcohol and tobacco
wilson and industrial relations
-wanted to avoid confrontation with unions
-foot’s appointment as employment secretary pleased the unions
-settled miners strike by allowing full wage claim
-ended 3 day week
-trade union s and labour relations act 1974 act abolished
social contract (wilson)
-contract established between wilson and TUC
-if unions followed pay restraint policy workers could get great benefits
-annual pay increase would be negotiated in line with inflation
-lower number of strike days
wilson’s resignation
-he felt he owed it to his wife to resign as he was too old and had been in politics too long
-callaghan replaced him in 1976 ‘sunny jim’
callaghan’s policies
-1976 IMF loan ‘britain’s shame’
-dec 1976 healey made 2.5 billion cuts in budget
-social contract continued
political problems: loss of voter confidence
-jan 1977 labour lost 4 by-election seats so majority was down to 1
-middle class liked power of unions
-manual workers in decline, change in demographic
-rise in nationalism
political problems: industrial relations
-union support lessened, callaghan wanted to continue 5% wage limit but inflation was at 10%, lead to strikes
political problems: labour divisions
-EEC, devolution, lack of social policies, union policies, economic policy
winter of discontent 1978-79
-40% pay demand led to strikes, unemployment at 1.4mil
BUT
-fuel supplies not affected
-media exaggerated the crisis
-the crisis was enhanced by callaghan’s absence, when he returned he faced a press conference and the media portrayed him badly ‘crisis? what crisis?’
economic successes 1974-79
-callaghan handled IMF crisis well and economy recovered
-by 1978 nine oilfields were in production
-inflation fell to 10% in 1978
economic failures 1974-79
-inflation at 15% 1974 and £3 billion balance of payments deficit
-£3 billion IMF loan 1976, resulting in spending cuts,and many being anxious of a run on the pound
industrial relation successes 1974-79
-agreement reached with NUM allowing wilson to end state of emergency and three day week
-benn and foot in charge of unions
-social contract
-number of days lost to industrial disputes at 10 year low
industrial relations failures 1974-79
-unemployment at 1.6 million in 1978
-red robbo, shop steward for british leyland , lots of wildcat strikes
political successes 1974-79
-oct 1974 election: labour majority of 3
-wilson resigned leaving enough time for new leader to establish himself
political failures 1974-79
-disappointing result of devolution referendum caused nationalists to withdraw support from labour
-went back to lib-lab pact under callaghan 1977
progress of feminism
-1970 made up 4% of commons, by 1979 only 3%
-jennie lee and barbara castle in wilson’s governments
-by 1960s women made up 1/3 of workforce
-womens campaigning did not however achieve mass membership and discussions were usually limited to well educated white women and their issues alone
strands of the feminist movement
-some made alternative to ‘consumer’ magazines, such as spare rib
-protest at miss world competition in 1970, beauty contest of women were all the judges were men
-1971 erin pizzey founded a refuge for women in west london
1970 equal pay act and 1975 sex discrimination act
-1970 act: came about from dagenham strike, as britain had entered EEC and the treaty of rome guaranteed equal pay for equal work/work of equal value, so companies could get around equal pay
-1975 act: protected men and women from discrimination on the grounds of gender or marital status in education or work
environmentalist pressure groups
-council for protection of rural england supported green belts and national parks
-friends of the earth (founded in US) concentrated on nuclear energy, transport and waste
-greenpeace focus on biodiversity, non-violent direct action
-all groups believed the effects of western agriculture, industry, and urbanisation need to be taken into account for future decision making
government response to environmentalism
-not considered a priority by voters or politicians
-under heath the ministry of housing and local government was replaced by the department of the environment
-wilson established royal commission on environmental pollution in 1970
-1974 water (control and prevention of pollution) act
-1976 endangered species (import and export) act
environmentalism in the media
-1962 publication of silent spring brought attention to effects of pesticides
-media coverage tended to be infrequent hampered by the fact that it was not considered important enough an issue to be reported on
prog rock and glam rock
-groups such as beatles and the kinks, pink floyd
-emphasis on theatrical side of performance e.g. adoption of stage name david bowie (ziggy stardust)
punks
-simplification of music containing repeated lyrics, dubbed ‘dole-queue’ rock
-sex pistols ‘god save the queen’ sneering at the monarchy
youth fashion
-punk: associated with torn clothes, head largely shaved and sometime mohicans
-hippies: anti-establishment style of living
-skinheads: doc martens and braces
attitudes and responses to youth culture
-‘moral panic’ all drug taking frowned upon
effects, attitudes and tensions surrounding immigration
-due to the different attitudes, accents and behaviours of immigrants a level of anxiety was felt surrounding britain’s future
national front
-adopted right wing nationalist policies
-said that the presence of immigrants caused more crime and unemployment
-wanted to repatriate immigrants
-membership grew, had a working class base
-achieved double figures in some by-elections (16.2% west bromwich)
anti-nazi league
-founded in opposition to right wing groups like the national front
-had the support of various MPs, trade unions and pop groups
government legislation for race and immigration
-1968 commonwealth immigrants act: reducing commonwealth citizen’s rights of entry, had to have at least one parent or grandparent born in the uk, further restrictions from 1971 immigration act
-1965 race relations act
-1968 and 1976 race relations acts
