3.16 The 1979 Election Flashcards
Who became leader of the Conservatives in 1975?
Thatcher
What was the slogan some Conservatives used when voting against Heath?
‘Anyone but Ted’
How did nationalist parties fare in the election?
They suffered severely
How did the SNP do in the 1979 election?
Lost 9 of their 11 seats
How did the Welsh nationalists do in the 1979 election?
Lost 1 of their 3 seats
In southern England, how high could the swing from Labour to Conservative have been?
Up to 7%
In Scotland, how far was the swing from Labour to Conservative?
Less than 1% with a national average of 5.2%
How many seats did the Conservative Party gain in the 1979 election?
339 (43.9%)
How many seats did the Labour Party gain in the 1979 election?
269 (36.9%)
How many seats did the Liberals gain in the 1979 election?
11
What style of leadership did Thatcher have?
Confrontational and dictatorial
Why did lots of women vote for Thatcher?
In the hope that a woman prime minister ‘might make a difference’
Which firm did Thatcher use to help her public image?
Saatchi and Saatchi
What was Willie Whitelaw’s main concern?
Party unity
What were the two main factions against Thatcher?
Upper-class traditionalists (grandees)
One Nation Conservatives (like Heath and Heseltine)
What were two opposing groups named in the Conservative Party?
Dries and the wets
Who were the ‘dries’?
‘hard nosed’ figures like Thatcher who thought uncompromising measures were necessary for Britain to recover its economic position and moral fibre
Who were the ‘wets’?
Preferred Keynesian style policies of Macmillan and Heath.
Not prepared to instigate tough measures if it meant unemployment or social disadvantage
Who influenced Thatcher’s policies?
Sir Keith Joseph and Enoch Powell
What did Thatcher’s policies promote?
Promoted an end to restrictive incomes policies
Trade union reform
Control of inflation
Tax cuts
Firm handling of immigration
What did both side’s propaganda emphasise?
The other side’s failings (e.g. Three Day Week vs Unemployment figures)
What had the Labour Party suffered with?
Falling membership and lack of organisation
How many election agents did the Conservatives have?
300
How many election agents did Labour have?
70
What event was Thatcher able to exploit?
Winter of Discontent
What images were the Conservatives able to use in their campaign?
Images of empty graves, rotting rubbish, and rowdy picket lines
What was one of the main platforms of the Conservative manifesto?
Trade union reforms
What did the Labour Party emphasise in their election campaign?
More help for housing, higher pensions, an improved health service, and reintroduction of free prescriptions
What is Labour’s National Executive?
It’s made up of representatives from each section of the party e.g. the cabinet, MPs, councillors, trade unions etc.
Was the Labour Party manifesto as left wing as the Labour’s National Executive would have liked?
No
What policies had the Liberals put forward?
Proportional representation, support for the EEC and a transfer from direct to indirect taxation
Who likely benefitted because of the Liberals weaker campaign?
The Conservatives
Who saw their incomes diminishing in real terms?
Professionals and the self-employed
Who did professionals and the self-employed blame for their incomes diminishing in real terms?
Labour
Why were Labour blamed for some people’s wages being diminished in real terms?
The party had built comprehensive schools and polytechnics, raised higher tax levels, and entered into a dialogue with trade unions.
Labour had let the ‘wrong kind of people’ into authority
Who did the middle classes primarily vote for?
Conservatives
The reason for the Conservative victory was seen as the country having an appetite for change. When else had Britain seen this?
1906, 1945, and 1951
