1970-79 Flashcards
What was the Conservative majority in the 1970 election?
31 seats
How was Heath labelled?
Selsdon Man
What did the 1971 Industrial Relations Act do? (3)
Concept of ‘unfair industrial practice’ introduced
NIRC set up
Unions required to put themselves onto gov register for strike to = legal
What was created that represents Heath’s NR vision?
Who headed it?
The Department of Trade and Industry
Headed by John Davies
Who did Heath state he wouldn’t help?
‘Lame Ducks’
What did Anthony Barber introduce?
Income tax cuts
Reductions in gov spending
Scrapping Prices and Incomes board
What government expenditure cut was particularly unpopular?
1971 withdrawal of free school milk
What made the gov U-Turn on the NR? (2)
Inflation rose to 15% by 1971
Declining industrial output
What businesses did the government bail out?
Rolls Royce
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
Who were the gov afraid of that led to bail out of UCSB?
How much did was the company given?
Unionist Jimmy Reid
£34 mil
What was the response to the 1971 IRA from the unions?
TUC resisted by voting not to cooperate
No unions registered
How many working days were lost under Heath’s gov?
60 mil
What happened at 1971 Battle of Saltley Gate?
Flying pickets were used - 15,000 car workers came to join miners
What was introduced in 1973 by the gov?
How did Unions respond?
6 month pay freeze
‘Work to rule’ policy.
How many working days were lost in 1972?
1974?
24 mi
14.75 mil
What happened in the 3 day week?
Industrial and commercial premises limited to use of electricity to 3 days / week
How was the 3 day week resolved?
NUM gained 21% wage increase - almost 3 x amount employers originally offered
What was one of the harsh demands placed on Britain when they joined the EEC?
Commonwealth food and goods could no longer enter Britain on preferential terms - they now had to have European tariff placed on them.
What were 3 advantages to joining the EEC?
Gained access to European markets
British regions entitled to European development grants
British workers could work in EEC countries
How was Britain defined in the EEC?
What did this mean?
An advanced industrial economy
Paid 20% of revenue raised by EEC, and only received 8%
What was Britain a victim of when they entered the EEC?
What did this cause?
CAP’s dear food policy
Caused inflation - by 1980 estimated to be £1000 on average / family
What did Britain have to impose onto their products?
At what rate?
VAT
1873: 8%
Doubled to 17.5%
What policy affected Britain’s fishing rights?
The Common Fisheries policy
What crisis happened in 1973?
What did it cause?
International Oil Price Crisis
Prices of a barrel increased from $2 to $35
What were the economic effects of the Oil Price crisis?
Balance of payments deficit increased to £1 bil
Annual inflation increased to 16%
Value of sterling dropped $2 to $1.57
How did Britain change their relationship to China?
Who was annoyed by this?
1972, switched diplomatic relations to Taiwan and China under ‘One China.’
The US
What controversial policy did Heath introduce into NI?
Internment
What happened in 1972 Bloody Sunday?
28 unarmed civilians shot
6 of those just under 17 years old
What report was conducted into Bloody Sunday?
What did it state?
How was it described?
Widgery report
Protestors shot first
‘Instead of justice we got Widgery?
What 1974 bombing took place by the IRA?
What was the result of it?
1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings
Killed 21 people
What minister formed the Sunningdale Agreement?
Winnie Whitelaw - the NI Minister
What was the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement?
Power sharing experiment
First time Catholics had share of government
What was controversially set up in NI 1972?
Why were they controversial?
Diplock Courts
Heard cases without a jury. Catholics claimed they were titled against them.
What film encapsulated the British zeitgeist of fear?
How was it described?
A Clockwork Orange
Daily Mail stated Britain had become a ‘Clockwork orange society’
What was unique about the 1974 election?
Both parties lost votes.
Labour, who won, had their popular vote decrease by 6%
What was the height of Labour’s majority following the 1974 election?
3 seats
What was formed to support Labour?
Who was it made by?
1977 Lib-Lab pact
Callaghan and David Steel
Who resigned in 1976?
What did this mean?
Harold Wilson
Callaghan was more of a moderate, and he had to take on the left
What divided the Labour party? (3)
EEC Membership
IMF
Approach to Unions
Why did Labour lose their majority in 1978?
Lib-Lab pact lapsed
By-election cancelled out their majority
SNP withdrew their support over lack of Devolution
What crisis happened in 1973?
What impact did it have?
Oil Price Crisis
Inflation peaks at 16.5%
For the first time, the pound fell below $2
What did the government loan in 1976?
What did this mean?
£3 billion from IMF
Government spending had to be cut
Were the requirements of the 1976 government loan met?
Yes - 1979, spending is cut by £3 billion
Why was the 1976 financial loan controversial to left of the party?
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
What agreement was made 1972?
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
How many working days were lost:
1974?
1979?
1974: 14.7 mil
1979: 29.5 mil
What were two significant 1977 strikes?
Fireman’s strike - led PM to declare a state of emergency
Workers from ‘Grunwick Photographic Works’ clashed violently with police
What happened to start the winter of discontent?
22nd Jan 1979, 1.5 mil public sector workers went on strike
Who went on strike?
What happened to popular London area?
Bin men, grave diggers, and fuel truck drivers
Leicester Square became rubbish dump
What resolved the Liverpool Grave Digger’s strike?
They went back to work only after achieving their 9% pay rise
What Sun Headline was published in response to Callaghan on a foreign trip?
‘Crisis? What Crisis?’
What did Wilson call in 1975?
A referendum on Europe
Why did the 1975 EEC referendum expose Labour divisions?
Majority of labour and conservative MPs were for staying in, but majority of Labour MPs wanted to leave
Who were Labour Pro Europeans?
Anti?
Pro:
Roy Jenkins + Shirley Williams
Anti:
Tony Benn + Michael Foot
What was the result of the 1975 EEC referendum?
- 5% voted yes
35. 5% voted no
When should Callaghan have called an election?
Autumn 1978 when opinion polls were higher
