1A - A Changing Political Landscape 1918-1945 Flashcards
How much did GB owe in war debts and who to?
£3.2 billion owed to the USA
What did the Liberal Party stand for in 1918?
Believed in free trade and a limited role for government
Party of social reform
E.G 1906: implemented state pensions, unemployment relief and the beginnings of state provided healthcare
Which party had dominated politics prior to WW1 and what issues did they face?
The liberal party and they faced issues over the Home Rule, the women’s suffrage movement and a militant TU movement
Why were the Liberals divided after WW1?
Disagreement over state intervention and the issue of conscription
Liberal DLG headed the Conservative Coalition and they felt he was more like a Conservative
1918 election, independent Liberals stood against DLG
What did the Labour Party stand for in 1918?
Closely tied to unions as they evolved from TUC
Unions thought could advance working men’s pay and conditions via getting union backed MPs into parliament
How had the Labour Party grown between 1906-1918?
1906: 1,000,000 members, 29 MPs in parliament
1910: 40 MPs
1918: Increase in members
Why did the Labour Party grow between 1906-1918?
1911 easier for WC politicians to be elected as they were allowed wages for MPs
ROTP 1918 allowed the electorate to X3 from 7.7 million voters to 21.4 million
What did the Conservative Party stand for in 1918?
Associated with the landed gentry
Electoral reform forced the party to change and attract new supporters
Party of the MC and of the WC who wanted to better themselves through property ownership
How did DLG cause immediate decline
June 1922 - Scandal - DLG sold 1500 knighthoods and 100 peerages. Some sold to newspaper reporters so they wouldn’t cover the story.
Decided to go to war with Turkey
How was DLG seen after WW1?
A national hero, known as the man who won the war. Humble background: grew up in North Wales and was an enemy of privilege and no friend of the House of Lords.
How did the Liberal/Conservative coalition do in the 1918 election?
Won by a landslide victory but Tories were more popular: won 3X as many votes.
When was the first Labour government and was it a minority or a majority?
The first Labour government was in 1924 led by Ramsay MacDonald. It was a minority government.
How did Tory newspapers try and blacken the name of labour in the 1920s?
By comparing Labour with the Soviets suggesting that they had Soviet sympathisers in cabinet.
What was Labour’s biggest issue?
Strained relations with the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party due to the economic climate forcing RMD to make harsh decisions
Did RMD impose reforms in his 1924 gov?
Passed acts like the Housing Act 1924: increased the money available to build homes for low income earners.
Why didn’t RMD impose many reforms?
Minority gov, only lasted for 9 months, poor economic climate
Why did the RMD gov collapse?
motion of no confidence - forced to resign
RMD accused of communist sympathies due to not charging a newspaper writer - John Ross Campbell for producing communist propaganda
How did the Daily Mail damage Labour’s election campaign for the GE in 1924?
By publishing a forged letter to the British Communist Party
How did the Liberals do in the 1924 election?
The Liberals saw a 12% decline in their votes and a loss of 118 seats
Why did the Conservatives do well in the 1924 election?
Disappointed first time Labour voters voted Tory as did Liberal voters as they lost faith in their party.
How did SB present the Conservatives in 1924-1929?
Alternative to the Labour party and the threat of socialism in GB
Appeal to all social classes and appear moderate
Believed a class war occurred under MacDonald
Discouraged the Conservatives from attacking Labour as agents of the USSR
Why did RMD return to power in 1929?
SB held a GE and had the largest share of the votes but not a majority
Why was RMD more able to pass social reforms in his 1929 term still without a majority?
He was dependent on the Liberals whom he had a good relationship with
What reforms did RMD pass in his 1929 term?
1930 Housing Act - cleared ¾ of slum houses and replaced them with modern houses by 1939
Coal Mines Act 1930 - better pay for workers and more efficienct pits, but mine owners could ignore it
Unemployment Insurance Act - created public work schemes to alleviate unemployment