21 - Internal Labour Divisions And The Formation Of The SDP Flashcards
What was the majority the Tories won in the 1983 election? What was the main factor that saw this success?
144 seats
“Falklands factor”
What opposition factor led to the big Tory win in 1983? How many votes did the Party lose?
Labour disarray
3 million votes
How much of the vote share did Labour lose in 1983? What further 2 elections would they lose?
10%
1987 and 1992
What political direction did Labour move to after the 1979 election defeat? Who succeeded Callaghan?
The left
Michael Foot
Who was Foot respected by? Who lacked confidence in Foot?
Supporters
Electorate
What kind of policies did Foot adopt? Who did this not appeal to?
Irrelevant policies
The electorate
What are 3 radical policies Foot adopted?
Nuclear disarmament
EEC withdrawal
Greater nationalisation
What did Labour MP Gerald Kaufman describe Labour’s 1983 manifesto as?
“The longest suicide note in history”
What unrest did many people remember that happened in the 1970s? What did the unrest culminate into?
Industrial unrest
Winter of Discontent
What Party did many people not trust anymore? What was the Party associated with?
Labour
Economic decline
How did Labour become more democratic in the 1980s? Who did this give more power to?
MPs had to seek re-selection by their local party before an election
Local activists
What kind of groups were gaining big influence at local level? What is an example of this?
Left-wing groups
Militant Tendency
Who did local left-wing groups scare off? What did the right of the Labour Party form in 1981?
Moderates
Social Democratic Party (SDP)
What were the leaders of the SDP nicknamed? Who did this consist of?
The “Gang Of 4”
Shirley Williams, Bill Rodgers, Roy Jenkins & David Owen
What kind of policies did the SDP adopt? What are 2 policies they supported?
Moderate, centrist policies
Welfare and equal opportunities
What did the SDP oppose that Labour now supported? Which Party was ideologically close with the SDP, which eventually merged with the SDP?
Greater nationalisation of industry
Liberal Party
What had the SDP originally enjoyed? What system worked against them in elections?
Electoral successes
First-past-the-post
When did the faults of FPTP first become exposed? How much of the vote did they win and how many seats did they win?
1983 election
25%, 22 seats
When did the SDP officially merge with the Liberals? What Party did this form?
1990
Liberal Democrats
When did Foot resign as Labour leader? Who succeeded him?
1983
Neil Kinnock
What did Kinnock understand about left-wing strategies? What did the Party need to do?
They were unpopular with voters
Reform
Who did Kinnock attack at Labour’s 1985 conference? What did he assert to his Party?
Militant Tendency
They needed to take the centre ground
What group was excluded from Labour membership? Where did the Party eventually move towards?
Militant Tendency
The centre
Who won the 1987 election? How big was their majority?
Thatcher
100 seats
How many seats did the Tories win in the 1979 election? How many in the 1983 election? How many in the 1987 election?
339
397
375
