1979-1987 Flashcards
What university did Margret Thatcher study at?
Oxford.
What did Thatcher think of the post war consensus?
Saw it as the reasons for Britain’s problems.
Who was Thatcher the daughter of?
A green grocer.
What did Thatcher say at the peak of discontent with her policies in October 1980?
‘You turn if you want to, the ladies not for turning’.
What did Norman Tebbit say about the post war consensus?
‘Post war funk that gave birth to the permissive society’.
What traditional thinking was Thatcherism based around?
Conservative intellectuals and Enoch Powell.
What was Thatcherism based around?
‘New right wing think tanks and academics’.
What did Thatcherism reject?
Keynesian and support free market principles.
The conservatives won the 1979 G.E. but why wasn’t it a united Thatcherite government?
Split between
‘Wets’ (who disagreed with Thatcherism)
The ‘Dries’ (termed ‘one of us’ and supported Thatcherism especially within the economy).
Who are examples of dries?
Nigel Lawson.
Geoffrey Howe
John Biffen.
Peter Lilley.
Norman Tebbit.
Who are some examples of wets?
Antony Barber.
Edward Heath.
Kenneth Clark.
Michael Heseltine.
Who was the exception to the rule of dries in key posts of the economy?
Jim Prior who was employment minister.
However, he had a disagreement with Thatcher over anti-union legislation. Thatcher said Prior was too friendly with TU leaders so moved him to the Northern Ireland office in 1981 replacing him with Norman Tebbit.
What was the most serious challenge to Thatcher’s authority?
The Westland affair.
What was the result of the Westland affair?
Heseltine resigned from his position and stormed out of the meeting as he believed Thatcher was acting unconstitutionally.
Thatcher survived but became a focus of discontent for other conservatives unhappy with Thatcher’s rule. This climaxed in 1990.
Did Thatcher consolidate or weaken her position within the party in the 1983 election?
Consolidated.
Who was chancellor from 1979-1983?
Howe.
Who was chancellor from 1983-1989?
Lawson.
When did the SDP form?
Jan 1981.
What was the SDP nicknamed and who was in it?
‘The gang of four’.
Comprised of David Owen, Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgers.
What was the SDPs ‘Limehouse declaration’?
Formation of a council for social democracy.
Why was the SDP formed?
They felt forced out of Labour by extremists and 28 MPs followed them.
When was the snapping point for the gang of four to spit off from Labour?
The Wembley conference.
What was some of the SDPs political impact?
Won the ‘safe’ working class seat of Bermondsey in East London where Labour were defeated by the Liberals.
Jenkins won the Glasgow seat Match 1982.
Shirley Williams won election in conservative seat of Crosby in November 1981.
Broke the mould of the 2 party system.
When was the SDP-Liberal alliance?
Worked together in the 1983 and 1987 elections.
Who was there tense relations between in the SPD-Liberal alliance?
David Steel and David Owen.
Who was the SPD-Liberal alliance stronger than up until the 1987 election?
Labour.
Labour regarded unelectable.
When did Kinnock replace Foot dragging Labour back into the political mainstream?
1983.
Who did Kinnock oppose?
Militant tendency, Bennites and union leaders.
Who were militant tendency?
Socialists who were a big success in Liverpool.
‘Better to break the law than break the poor’.
When did Kinnock expel Militant tendency from the Labour party?
1986.
Although Kinnock expelled militant tendency from Labour who was it still perceived dominated Labour?
The left and trade unions.
When and why did Kinnock criticise Arthur Scargill?
1984 on refusing to hold a strike ballot during the 1984 miners strike.
When was Michael foot elected leader of Labour?
1980.
What did Foot support?
CND.
What did pundits say about Labour losing touch with the people they served?
Talked of ‘the fundamental realignment of British politics.
The formation of what party meant Labour lost a lost of support?
SDP.
True or false - the press were almost entirely hostile to Labour.
True.
What event transformed the political landscape in 1982?
Falklands war.
Politically what was the result of the Falklands war?
Gave Thatcher a new level of control over her party.
Only some opposition and unleashed massed patriotism and had support of most of the press.
However, was not the only factor in 1983 electoral success.
What was the Anti Conservative vote in the 1983 election?
16 million which was 3 million more than the pro conservative vote.
Alliance only had half a million fewer votes but 186 fewer seats in parliament.
How many seats did the conservatives have as a majority in the 1983 election?
144.
What was the problem with Michael Foot in the 1983 election?
Failed to deal with divisions and performed poorly on television.
Why was the Labour parties manifesto poor in the 1983 election?
Had CND, withdrawal from EEC and abolition of fox hunting.
What did a Labour MP name Labour’s 1983 manifesto?
‘The longest suicide note in history’.
True or false - By 1987 Kinnock had made little change to labour and so they suffered another heavy defeat.
False - Although Labour did suffer another heavy defeat, Kinnock had made big improvements to the party.
What were the strengths of the conservatives in the 1987 election?
Growing economy and promised lower taxes.
Had the support of the press.
Why did the SDP suffer in the 1987 election?
Differences in ideologies with the two Davids.
SDP began to shrink as Labour gained back vote.
When did the Liberals and SDP formally join to become the Liberal Democrats?
1988.
What percent of the vote did the alliance get in the 1987 election?
24% which was no where near the 40% it had polled prior to the Falklands war.
What was the result of the formation of the Liberal Democrats?
David Owen resigned.
Many MPs switched back to Labour.
They remained a force in politics especially in by-elections and local elections.
When was the Grand Hotel bomb in Brighton and what was the result?
In October 1984 at a conservative party conference.
The target was Thatcher but she was not hurt. But 5 were killed.
National outrage in Britain.
When was the Hillsborough Anglo-Irish agreement?
November 1985.
What did the Hillsborough Anglo-Irish agreement set out to do?
Included intergovernmental cooperation between the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Hoped it would bring security and cooperation.
Hoped to strengthen moderate nationalists against Sinn Fein.
Was supported by SDLP and the Alliance.
Republicans opposed it as it confirmed Northern Ireland to be a part of the UK.
What was the response to the Hillsborough Anglo-Irish agreement?
Big unionist and loyalist backlash with 200,000 protesting in Belfast.
Leader of the DUP Iain Paisley addressed the crowd with the ‘we say never never never’ speech.
New Unionist paramilitary organisation Ulster Resistance set up 1986.
Thatcher had strong _______ sympathies and would not give in to terrorism.
Unionist.
Where was the crisis for special category status by thew IRA?
H-Block in the Maze prison Belfast.
What did the prisoners want to be categorised as?
Political prisoners.
When did the hunger strikes start and who led them?
1980 by Bobby Sands where he gained a lot of traction and support.
The death of a Republican MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Allowed what to happen?
Gave Sinn Fein and Bobby sands the opportunity to stand in the by-elections as the anti-H Block candidate and he won the seat.
What happened after Bobby Sands became MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone?
A few weeks later Bobby Sands died and 9 more died before the protest was called off in October 1981.
Thatcher saw this as a defeat for the IRA as they did not get special category status. However had a big impact as she became hated by republicans in Northern Ireland and Bobby Sands and others became heroes.
Led to Unionists and Republicans hardening their stances.
What is the principle of monetarism?
Cut the money supply reducing inflation and lead to economic growth.
When and what was the local government act?
Abolished the big metropolitan local authorities established by Heath’s government.
This increased the central governments power at the expense of the local governments.
Short term victory against the looney left however in the longer term damaged local accountability.
Introduced rate capping.
What was rate capping and what was the reaction to it?
Rate capping limited the amount of money local councils could raise taxation.
1985 multiple authorities such as Sheffield and Liverpool rebelled against the cap. However had to back down as they were threatened by bankruptcy.
What was the state of the economy by 1980 prior to Thatcher being able to make major change?
Inflation was about 15%.
Unemployment was at 2 million and rising.
Stagflation was back.
There would have been a run on the pound and balance of payments crisis if it wasn’t for north sea oil.
When did Lawson abandon monaterism?
Was abandoned by Thatcher’s second term. Lawson abandoned the spending targets in the 1986 budget.
What was in Thatcher’s 1981 budget?
Further monetarist principles.
What further monetarist principles did the 1981 budget contain.
Decreased government borrowing.
Grants to local councils cut and benefits frozen.
Howe called it ‘the most unpopular budget in history’.
What was a major reason Thatcher cut public spending?
Believed that people spent their money better than local governments did.
Thatcher moved away from direct taxation and used what instead, what impact did this have?
Indirect taxation such as VAT which taxed goods and services rather than incomes.
The top rate of income tax fell from 83% to 40% by 1988 and standard tax fell from 33% to 25%
Taxes on cigarettes and alcohol went up in almost every single budget from 1979 to 1987.
Critics argued moving taxation from direct to indirect hit the poorer harder.
When did Thatcher abolish the Greater London Council?
Margaret Thatcher abolished the Greater London Council (GLC) in 1986, targeting Ken Livingstone’s left-wing administration, which she accused of extremist policies, contributing to media allegations of the “loony left.”
Despite controlling ______ ________ Thatcher never managed to cut it in real terms.
Public spending.
What was Thatcher’s belief behind privatisation/Denationalisation?
She believed the private sector was more efficient than the public.
This encouraged business competition and innovation.
What did the increase in outsourcing mean?
Private companies taking on contracts to deliver goods rather than the state.
For example refuse collection. However this did decrease job security for some.
What companies were privatised under Thatcher in her first term?
BP (British Petroleum) in 1979.
British Aerospace in 1980.
There was a momentum of privatisation after the sale of what in 1984?
British telecom.
After the sale of British telecom in 1984 sales of who followed?
Sale of British gas in 1986 with the biggest share offer in history.
High profile advertising campaigns for regular people to buy shares.
Between 1979 and 1990 the number of people owning shares Increased how much?
From 3 million in 1979 to 9 million in 1990.
Privatisation brought big government revenue. What did the critics argue?
Argued that enterprises were sold off cheaply to ensure shares were held up.
Who did radical Thatcherites suggest the nationalisation of that was not pursued until the 1990s
Coal and Railways.
What did privatisation signify?
A shift in the British economy and the end of the post war consensus.
What was Deregulation?
The government would interfere as little and possible ‘removing red tape’,
Made it easier for businesses to trade and grow encouraging wealth creation.
When did the loan guarantee schemes start and what did they do?
Started in 1981.
Helped get small businesses off the ground.
Gave £40 a week for up to a year.
Who emerged in the new London taking big risks and fortunes competing with wall street?
The Yuppies.
Deregulation freed London up from what?
Tight bank of England controls.
What did deregulation lead to?
The ‘Big Bang’ in Oct 1986. Deregulated London stick exchange replacing the ‘old boys network’ with free competition.
There was no doubt that the economy grew under Thatcher’s premiership however…
Productivity did not increase.
Growth rates were at 2.2% which was no better than in the 70s.
However due to growth in the second half of the decade this balanced the underperformance in the first half.
In 1979 what was used to control inflation?
Interest rates. These were raised to 17% in 1979.
What did the increase in interest rates mean and what did it lead to?
Meant it was difficult for businesses to borrow and increased value of the pound made it more difficult to export.
Led to a decline in output and demand in the early 1980s. There was economic recession and businesses were going bankrupt leading to unemployment.
Inflation peaked at 22% in 1980. However reached a low of 2.5% in 1986.
What did attempts to control inflation later in the 1980s lead to?
Further recession and including high interest rates, led to an overvalued pound, rising unemployment, and ultimately contributed to the early 1990s recession. By 1990 inflation had reached double figures again.
What policies were introduced to combat unemployment?
National insurance rates were decreased for lower paid jobs.
Youth employment schemes.
Why was low unemployment no longer primary aim?
Inflation was a bigger concern,
What did the increasing competition in industry lead to?
Increased unemployment.
What places were hit the worst by unemployment?
Midlands, the north, Scotland and Whales.
Many __________ ______ were closed down permanently.
Industrial plants.
What did many commentators call the closing of many industrial plants?
The de-industrialisation of Britain.
What was further evidence of the de-industrialisation of Britain?
Steel production was cut by 30%.
Manufacturing output fell by 15% in 2 years and by a quarter in the west midlands.
How high was unemployment in 1983?
Unemployment was at 3 million in 1983 and did not fall below this number until 1987.
This was 13.5% of the total work force.
What was the unemployment rate of Liverpool?
25%.
Why were workers finding themselves unemployed?
Workers found their traditional skills were not in demand.
Economic realignment towards service industry meant men were hit harder than women. Many women became the main bread winners.
Areas that only had coal mines, ship workers and steel works suffered. What did this do?
Sharpened the North/South divide.
Left behind derelict areas in the midlands, the north, Scotland and Whales.
West midlands had 301,000 job losses. 1979 to 1986 - 15.5% unemployed.
As economic activity moved towards London, what did Howe suggest they could do with cities such as Liverpool?
Could be left to ‘managed decline’.
There was increased depression, ill health, drug use and alcoholism and many were forced to move away.
Where were there riots in 1881?
Brixton, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds.
What was the Sus law and what was the reaction to it?
The Sus law gave officers permission to stop and search if they though someone had committed a crime.
Black and Asians felt that they had been unfairly targeted by this.
What was the Scarman report in 1981 and what did it find?
Investigated the causes of the 1981 Brixton riots, attributing them to racial disadvantage, economic inequality (areas had high unemployment and deprivation), and excessive policing, and recommended reforms to improve community relations.
Despite the Scarman report and policing policy changing the sus law when were there more riots?
1985.
What positives did economic realignment lead to?
Heseltine led redevelopment projects in London and Liverpool which showed a shift to service industries.
The Canary Warf development of old docks became the second most important financial district.
What was right to buy?
People received 33-50% discount on council homes for purchase depending on how long they had lived in their house.
Labour initially opposed but dropped opposition later.
Was a symbol of success in Thatcherism.
By 1988 2 million new home owners had taken advantage of the scheme.
What were the negatives of right to buy?
Was predominantly in better off areas and didn’t impact on less desirable estates.
Councils had to use money on decreasing debts rather than building new council homes. The number and quality of houses available to rent rapidly decreased.
Many had to be housed in emergency B&B housing which was expensive for council and inconvenient for families.
What happened with the confederation of health service employees and the national union of public employees?
Became more militant.
When was secondary picketing outlawed?
1980.
When were unions put under pressure to hold ballots before strike action was called?
1984.
When did the National coal board warn the need to close 23 pits and what happened?
1981 but with the government not wanting a repeat of the 1973-1974 events the government compromised decreasing imports preventing closures.
Who tried to reduce power of print unions leading to a major confrontation at the Wapping plant in January 1986 which failed and collapsed after 13 months?
Rupert Murdock.
The Wapping dispute.
How was the police a key factor in the reluctance to strike?
Thatcher criticised of her politicisation of police.
New equipment and tactics for riots.
Famous confrontation at the battle of Orgreave.
Police were used to defeat miners rather than to protect law and order.
Why was the national coal board more confident in 1984 when it announced the need to close 20 pits?
Stronger party and new north sea oil.
Scargill the leader of the NUM claimed he saw a plan to close how many pits which the leader of the NCB rejected but turned out to be true in 2014?
70 pits.
When were the miners strikes?
1984-1985.
Were the strikes successful?
Ultimately no and were demoralising as the miners went back to work.
How was Arthur Scargill a key factor in the defeat of the miners?
He never got Labour’s support and he made it easy for Thatcher to demonise him in the press as dangerous.
Kinnock said ‘the miners didn’t deserve him, they deserved much better, my view is, Margret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill deserved each other. But no one else did.’
Why was the 1984-1985 miners strikes an utter failure?
1979 - 200,000 employed in mines with 1990 - 60,000.
By 1990 total union ship only 2/3 of 1979.
Unions lost the ability to intimidate the government.
British steal and British Airways reorganised with massive job losses.
Thatcher was quick to draw on her bold actions compared to Heath 1973-1974 or Callaghan with the winter of discontent.
When was the Poll tax introduced in Scotland?
1989 and was very unpopular damaging the conservatives.
When was the poll tax introduced in England and Whales?
- Highlighted the government failure to connect with the people.
Why was the poll tax hard to justify?
Hard to justify why poor pensioners would pay the same as a millionaire.
Was thought if everyone contributed it would be fairer.
What was the purpose of the poll tax?
To make local councils more efficient.
Anti-poll tax unions were set up all over the UK in some areas what percentage of people were non-payers?
30%.
Police, court and council unable to enforce this.
When was the anti poll tax demonstration march and how many turned up?
1990 and 200,000 turned up.
What was the result of the anti-poll tax march?
Turned into a riot.
5000 injured, fires, looting, over 300 arrests.
Police lost control and had comparisons to the battle of Orgreave.
Further criticisms of politicisation of the police.
What did Oxford university vote against giving Thatcher?
An honorary decree.
Why was the artist establishment Anti-Thatcher?
Because of cuts in public spending in art.
What play writes made satire on Thatcherism?
Caryl Churchill.
David Hare.
Alan Ayckbourn.
What band campaigned against Thatcher in the 1980s?
Madness.
What comedian campaigned against Thatcher?
Ben Elton.
What is an example of a TV show that showed the consequence of Thatcherite policies?
‘Boys from the Blackstuff’. 1982.
When did the church publish the ‘Faith in the city’ report calling for the government to help deprived areas?
1985.
Which bishops outspoke against Thatcherite policies?
David Jenkins and David Shephard.
What charity campaigned against increasing homelessness and pensioner poverty?
Shelter.
How was CND given a new lease of life?
Thatcher’s continued backing for policy of deterrence in the arms race against the USSR.
Where and when was the focal point for pacifism and feminism?
Greenham common in 1981.
Was a base where missiles were to be stationed.
The camp stayed in place for 19 years.
When was the Greenham common camp demolished and the women evicted by the Newbury council?
- The women rebuilt.
Remained a powerful symbol in the 1980s.
Wasn’t formerly closed until 2000.
When was the decision made to station American missiles in Britain leading to mass CND marches in Aldermaston?
1979.
There was an increasing concern for environmentalism in the 1980s due to a series of incidents. What were these?
1884 Bhopal gas leak in India. Leak at a pesticide factory killing 3000. Thousands more died suffering effects.
Chernobyl nuclear incident in Russia 1986.
What environmental organisations grew in strength?
Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
What was there an increased understanding of damage done to by acid rain?
Limestone and freshwater.
There was an increased understanding of the long term effects of pollution. What was an example of this?
1985, discovering of the Arctic Ozone hole caused by CFCs.
Why did General Galtieri send an invasion force to occupy the Falklands?
Took Britain’s withdraw of the HMS endurance removing all military presence from the South Atlantic as a hint that Britain was willing to let the Islands go.
When had Britain considered handing the islands over to Argentina but the islanders stated they wanted to remain British.
The 1970s.
The colony 300 miles off the South American coast had been British since 1833.
What was Thatcher’s reaction to the Argentinian invasion?
Thatcher immediately sent a naval task force to remove Argentinian forces and assert the right of the Falkland islanders to self determination.
This made Thatcher’s prior unpopular government soar in the opinion polls. It was risky as could have ended up like another Suez crisis.
What was the headline in the American magazine Newsweek?
‘The empire strikes back’.
What did the US gift Britain in order to invade the Falklands?
The ascension islands. Needed as the Falklands were 8000 miles away. Demonstrated Thatcher and Reagan’s close relationship.
American diplomatic intervention was crucial in preventing the Argentines in obtaining enough missiles.
When did the Argentinians surrender?
14th of June 1982.
The sinking of what ship on the 2nd of may ended any chance of diplomacy between Argentina and Britain.
The General Belgrano.
What was the headline following the sinking of the General Belgrano?
‘GOTCHA’. Whilst controversial it was successful.
what did Thatcher critics think of the Falklands war?
Unnecessary war.
What was the phycological impact of the Falklands war?
Restored national pride in Britain.
When did diplomatic relations return with Argentina?
1989.
What did the Falklands do in terms of Gibraltar?
Meant they would be much less likely in accepting being handed over to Spain.
What difficulties was there with the special relationship in 1983?
US invaded Grenada despite Thatcher advising against it.
True or false - Thatcher and Reagan had very different ideologies.
False - They shared very similar ideologies.
What did Thatcher say in her Eulogy at Reagan’s funeral?
‘I have lost a dear friend’.
What are examples of Thatcher and Reagan holding a strong relationship in the 1980s?
The Falklands.
Development of US cruise missiles in Britain.
Being tough with the USSR.
1986 Thatcher gave Reagan permission to use British air bases despite being an unpopular decision in Britain.
What did nobody know about the soviet union in the period?
How weak it was.
What popular culture was the threat for nuclear war seen in?
Pop songs by Kate Bush, Frankie goes to Hollywood and Sting.
Where the wind blows - a book published in 1986 - About an elderly couple preparing for nuclear conflict.
A Tv drama - Threads - about the aftermath of nuclear war in Britain.
In 1983 how many marched in demonstration of CND in London and in west Germany?
200,000 in London.
600,000 in West Germany.
Thatcher encouraged Reagan to negotiate with who?
Gorbachev.
Where did Gorbachev and Reagan discover they were both willing to make compromises?
The Reykjavik summit.
Meeting came without an agreement but showed progress.
When was the Intermediate range nuclear forces treaty signed and where?
1987 in Washington.
What did the Intermediate range nuclear forces treaty do?
Began neutral disarmament of nukes.
What were the three pillars of Thatcher’s contribution to the end of the cold war?
Her combative style.
Determination to confront the USSR.
In the 1980s her willingness to negotiate with Gorbachev (the new communist leader from 1985).
What was Gorbachev’s slogan for the ending of the cold war?
If not us, who? If not now, when?
What did Thatcher say about Gorbachev?
‘I like Mr Gorbachev’ she said ‘He and I can do business together’.
Above all who was Britain’s foreign policy based around under Thatcher?
The US.
What was Thatcher’s handbag diplomacy?
Used to describe her abrasive style of negotiation.
European leaders were not used to this.
When did Thatcher become enthusiastic for the Single European Act?
1985-1986.
When did the single European act pass with Thatcher’s supprt?
1987.
What did the Single European Act do?
Changed the assembly into European parliament and mentioned the possibility of a European monetary union.
What would the European Monetary Union be?
Shared currency across Europe.
For Thatcher supporters it would make free market a reality.
With hindsight did surrender some elements of sovereignty.
When did Thatcher obtain a better deal in the EEC with the rebate?
1984.
Thatcher formed good relations with the French president what was his name and what project did they work on together?
François Mitterrand (1981–1995).
Worked on the Channel Tunnel project together. Showed that Thatcher was not Anti-Europe.
True or false - By 1987 it was clear the conservatives were broadly a Pro-European party and Britain future was clearly within the EEC.
True.
What was an example of divisions within the party over Europe?
The Westland affair.
Heseltine favoured a take over of a European consortium where as Thatcher favoured no intervention even if that meant Sikorsky (a US company) took over. Heseltine resigned over the issue. Thatcher later admitted it was the closest she ever came to resigning.
Very few opposed the single European act except for a few backbenchers such as?
Enoch Powell.
True or false those who later became Euro-sceptics did not vote for the Single European Act to go through?
False - even some MPs who later became Eurosceptics in the 1990s voted for it without complaint.
However the seeds were sewn for later disagreement.
What did supporters say about Thatcher and the Special relationship?
They pointed at her revival of it.
What did critics say about Thatcher and the Special relationship?
Criticised her for not standing up to Reagan calling her Reagan’s poodle.
Thatcher gained respect as a stateswomen by 1987. What nickname did the soviets give her?
‘The Iron Women’.
