36 - Domestic Policies Flashcards
How did the Blair government seem to manage the economy? What 2 economic factors remained low under Chancellor Brown?
Successfully
Inflation and unemployment
Who did Brown allow to set interest rates? What was reduced as a result of this?
Bank of England
Government interference
Whose spending plans did Brown keep up with?
Major’s government
What type of taxes remained low? What happened to other taxes?
Income tax
Increased
What Chapter did Blair’s ministry accept that Major refused? What 2 things were introduced from this?
Social Chapter
Minimum wage and higher pensions
In what 2 areas was spending maintained?
Healthcare
Education
Between what time period did the value of gold fall in international markets? How many ounces of gold did Brown sell?
1999-2002
13 million ounces
Why was Brown selling gold a mistake? How much in US$ did Britain lose by 2005?
Its value recovered
$3 billion
Who did Brown borrow heavily from to meet the shortfall in government spending? Why was this an issue in the late 2000s?
Banks
Banks demanded repayment
What difficulties were present in the first Blair administration?
Economic difficulties
What disease broke out in 1999? Who had little idea of how to deal with this?
Foot-and-mouth disease
Blair’s administration
What 2 ways did Blair try and tackle foot-and-mouth disease?
Wholesale slaughter of livestock
Closing off the countryside
What 2 groups of people faced hardship from Blair’s response to foot-and-mouth disease?
Farmers
Tourists
What did many suggest as a method to tackle foot-and-mouth disease?
Mass vaccination
When did the fuel crisis take place? What 2 groups made an alliance to protest against petrol taxes?
2000
Farmers and lorry drivers
