1970-79 Flashcards

1
Q

What was the Conservative majority in the 1970 election?

A

31 seats

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2
Q

How was Heath labelled?

A

Selsdon Man

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3
Q

What did the 1971 Industrial Relations Act do? (3)

A

Concept of ‘unfair industrial practice’ introduced
NIRC set up
Unions required to put themselves onto gov register for strike to = legal

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4
Q

What was created that represents Heath’s NR vision?

Who headed it?

A

The Department of Trade and Industry

Headed by John Davies

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5
Q

Who did Heath state he wouldn’t help?

A

‘Lame Ducks’

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6
Q

What did Anthony Barber introduce?

A

Income tax cuts
Reductions in gov spending
Scrapping Prices and Incomes board

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7
Q

What government expenditure cut was particularly unpopular?

A

1971 withdrawal of free school milk

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8
Q

What made the gov U-Turn on the NR? (2)

A

Inflation rose to 15% by 1971

Declining industrial output

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9
Q

What businesses did the government bail out?

A

Rolls Royce

Upper Clyde Shipbuilders

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10
Q

Who were the gov afraid of that led to bail out of UCSB?

How much did was the company given?

A

Unionist Jimmy Reid

£34 mil

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11
Q

What was the response to the 1971 IRA from the unions?

A

TUC resisted by voting not to cooperate

No unions registered

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12
Q

How many working days were lost under Heath’s gov?

A

60 mil

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13
Q

What happened at 1971 Battle of Saltley Gate?

A

Flying pickets were used - 15,000 car workers came to join miners

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14
Q

What was introduced in 1973 by the gov?

How did Unions respond?

A

6 month pay freeze

‘Work to rule’ policy.

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15
Q

How many working days were lost in 1972?

1974?

A

24 mi

14.75 mil

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16
Q

What happened in the 3 day week?

A

Industrial and commercial premises limited to use of electricity to 3 days / week

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17
Q

How was the 3 day week resolved?

A

NUM gained 21% wage increase - almost 3 x amount employers originally offered

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18
Q

What was one of the harsh demands placed on Britain when they joined the EEC?

A

Commonwealth food and goods could no longer enter Britain on preferential terms - they now had to have European tariff placed on them.

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19
Q

What were 3 advantages to joining the EEC?

A

Gained access to European markets
British regions entitled to European development grants
British workers could work in EEC countries

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20
Q

How was Britain defined in the EEC?

What did this mean?

A

An advanced industrial economy

Paid 20% of revenue raised by EEC, and only received 8%

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21
Q

What was Britain a victim of when they entered the EEC?

What did this cause?

A

CAP’s dear food policy

Caused inflation - by 1980 estimated to be £1000 on average / family

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22
Q

What did Britain have to impose onto their products?

At what rate?

A

VAT
1873: 8%
Doubled to 17.5%

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23
Q

What policy affected Britain’s fishing rights?

A

The Common Fisheries policy

24
Q

What crisis happened in 1973?

What did it cause?

A

International Oil Price Crisis

Prices of a barrel increased from $2 to $35

25
Q

What were the economic effects of the Oil Price crisis?

A

Balance of payments deficit increased to £1 bil
Annual inflation increased to 16%
Value of sterling dropped $2 to $1.57

26
Q

How did Britain change their relationship to China?

Who was annoyed by this?

A

1972, switched diplomatic relations to Taiwan and China under ‘One China.’
The US

27
Q

What controversial policy did Heath introduce into NI?

A

Internment

28
Q

What happened in 1972 Bloody Sunday?

A

28 unarmed civilians shot

6 of those just under 17 years old

29
Q

What report was conducted into Bloody Sunday?
What did it state?
How was it described?

A

Widgery report
Protestors shot first
‘Instead of justice we got Widgery?

30
Q

What 1974 bombing took place by the IRA?

What was the result of it?

A

1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings

Killed 21 people

31
Q

What minister formed the Sunningdale Agreement?

A

Winnie Whitelaw - the NI Minister

32
Q

What was the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement?

A

Power sharing experiment

First time Catholics had share of government

33
Q

What was controversially set up in NI 1972?

Why were they controversial?

A

Diplock Courts

Heard cases without a jury. Catholics claimed they were titled against them.

34
Q

What film encapsulated the British zeitgeist of fear?

How was it described?

A

A Clockwork Orange

Daily Mail stated Britain had become a ‘Clockwork orange society’

35
Q

What was unique about the 1974 election?

A

Both parties lost votes.

Labour, who won, had their popular vote decrease by 6%

36
Q

What was the height of Labour’s majority following the 1974 election?

A

3 seats

37
Q

What was formed to support Labour?

Who was it made by?

A

1977 Lib-Lab pact

Callaghan and David Steel

38
Q

Who resigned in 1976?

What did this mean?

A

Harold Wilson

Callaghan was more of a moderate, and he had to take on the left

39
Q

What divided the Labour party? (3)

A

EEC Membership
IMF
Approach to Unions

40
Q

Why did Labour lose their majority in 1978?

A

Lib-Lab pact lapsed
By-election cancelled out their majority
SNP withdrew their support over lack of Devolution

41
Q

What crisis happened in 1973?

What impact did it have?

A

Oil Price Crisis
Inflation peaks at 16.5%
For the first time, the pound fell below $2

42
Q

What did the government loan in 1976?

What did this mean?

A

£3 billion from IMF

Government spending had to be cut

43
Q

Were the requirements of the 1976 government loan met?

A

Yes - 1979, spending is cut by £3 billion

44
Q

Why was the 1976 financial loan controversial to left of the party?

A

Left argued there wouldn’t be a need for the cuts if the gov pursued policies e.g. nuclear disarmament
Government spending cuts came at cost of unemployment, which reached 1.6 mil 1978

45
Q

What agreement was made 1972?

A

Wilson made agreement with Vic Feather - the New Social Contract
Stated when Lab returned to power the gov would pay for benefits if Unions didn’t increase wage demands

46
Q

How many working days were lost:
1974?
1979?

A

1974: 14.7 mil
1979: 29.5 mil

47
Q

What were two significant 1977 strikes?

A

Fireman’s strike - led PM to declare a state of emergency

Workers from ‘Grunwick Photographic Works’ clashed violently with police

48
Q

What happened to start the winter of discontent?

A

22nd Jan 1979, 1.5 mil public sector workers went on strike

49
Q

Who went on strike?

What happened to popular London area?

A

Bin men, grave diggers, and fuel truck drivers

Leicester Square became rubbish dump

50
Q

What resolved the Liverpool Grave Digger’s strike?

A

They went back to work only after achieving their 9% pay rise

51
Q

What Sun Headline was published in response to Callaghan on a foreign trip?

A

‘Crisis? What Crisis?’

52
Q

What did Wilson call in 1975?

A

A referendum on Europe

53
Q

Why did the 1975 EEC referendum expose Labour divisions?

A

Majority of labour and conservative MPs were for staying in, but majority of Labour MPs wanted to leave

54
Q

Who were Labour Pro Europeans?

Anti?

A

Pro:
Roy Jenkins + Shirley Williams
Anti:
Tony Benn + Michael Foot

55
Q

What was the result of the 1975 EEC referendum?

A
  1. 5% voted yes

35. 5% voted no

56
Q

When should Callaghan have called an election?

A

Autumn 1978 when opinion polls were higher