5. Affluence & Consensus (1951-1964)

Question 1

Who was the first Conservative Prime Minister in this conservative era (1951-1964)?

Answer 1

Winston Churchill (1951-1955)

Question 2

Who were the Prime Ministers during the Conservative era from 1951 to 1964?

Answer 2

Churchill (1951-1955), Eden (1955-1957), Macmillan (1957-1963), Douglas-Home (1963-1964)

Question 3

What was the political consensus in Britain after 1945?

Answer 3

An agreement between parties on welfare, full employment, and economic stability, influenced by the international situation.

Question 4

Why did Conservatives continue with Labour’s reforms after winning in 1951?

Answer 4

Their narrow election victory made it safer to adopt moderate, popular policies.

Question 5

What were Churchill’s main policies during his second term as Prime Minister (1951-1955)?

Answer 5

He maintained welfare, full employment, a mixed economy, and followed Keynesian economic policies.

Question 6

Who was Labour’s left-wing leader who resigned over NHS charges in 1951?

Answer 6

Aneurin Bevan

Question 7

What major international crisis defined Anthony Eden’s term as Prime Minister?

Answer 7

The Suez Crisis (1956)

Question 8

Why did Britain and France intervene in the Suez Canal in 1956?

Answer 8

To regain control after Egypt nationalized the canal, a key asset shared by British and French stakeholders.

Question 9

How did the U.S. respond to Britain and France’s Suez intervention?

Answer 9

The U.S. strongly disapproved and pressured Britain economically to withdraw.

Question 10

What were the effects of the Suez Crisis on British power and Eden’s career?

Answer 10

Britain’s international influence declined, and Eden resigned, marking the end of his political career.

Question 11

Who succeeded Eden and led Britain through a period of “affluence”?

Answer 11

Harold Macmillan (1957-1963)

Question 12

What famous phrase did Macmillan say about Britain’s prosperity in 1957?

Answer 12

“Most of our people never had it so good.”

Question 13

What internal conflict divided the Labour Party in the late 1950s?

Answer 13

Tensions between the revisionist right (Gaitskell) and socialist left (Bevan).

Question 14

What event in 1962 showed a crisis in Conservative leadership under Macmillan?

Answer 14

“The Night of the Long Knives” – Macmillan’s dismissal of several ministers.

Question 15

What scandal weakened public confidence in the Conservative government in the early 1960s?

Answer 15

The Profumo Affair, involving a British minister’s affair with a woman linked to Soviet intelligence.

Question 16

What foreign policy effort did Macmillan pursue to reduce Cold War tensions?

Answer 16

The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963) promoting nuclear arms limitation.

Question 17

What wave of change affected Britain’s global role in the early 1960s?

Answer 17

Decolonization, leading to the independence of several former colonies like Kenya and Uganda.

Question 18

Who briefly replaced Macmillan as Prime Minister in 1963?

Answer 18

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Question 19

What significant social shift happened in Britain from 1951 to 1964?

Answer 19

Increasing immigration led to Britain becoming a more multi-racial society.

Question 20

What immigration legislation was passed in 1962?

Answer 20

The Commonwealth Immigration Act, to control immigration.

Question 21

What year did Elizabeth II become queen?

Answer 21

1952

Question 22

What impact did the Suez Crisis have on Britain’s relationship with the U.S.?

Answer 22

It damaged Anglo-American relations, with the U.S. pressuring Britain economically.

Question 23

What was the significance of the Commonwealth for Britain post-decolonization?

Answer 23

It became a cooperative link with former colonies, helping maintain British influence flexibly.