70-79 Politics Flashcards
Heath as leader
-had been tory leader for 5 years pre election
-had been chief eec negotiator 1961-63
-well prepared policies for economy/industry
-first tory leader state school educated
Heaths manifesto
-tax reform
-improved law and order
-trade union reforms
-immigration controls
-no public subsidy of lame duck industries
Heaths reforms
-school leaving age raised to 16
-local government reorganised
-british currency went decimal
1974 election
-called 28th feb 1974, asked who governs britain?
-labour 301 seats to tories 297
-labour form minority government
Paramilitary organisations
-IRA, Republican
-Irish National Liberation Army, Republican
-Ulster Defence Association, Loyalist
-Ulster Volunteer Force, Loyalist
Internment
-heath backed uup leader brian faulkner
-went along with policies of internment (1971)
-alienated nationalist communities, 95% of those interned 1971-75 were catholics
Bloody Sunday
-Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association marching against internment, 30th jan 1972
-british soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians, 13 killed
Bloodiest year of the troubles
-1972
-1382 explosions
-10,628 shooting incidents
-480 killed
Heaths reaction to IRA trouble
-suspended stormont parliament march 1972
-brought in direct westminster rule
-willie whitelaw made secretary of state
Sunningdale agreement
-negotiated 1973 in a hotel in berkshire
-power sharing executive of nationalists and unionists
-new northern ireland assembly elected under proportional representation
-council of ireland, had some input from ROI
Reaction to sunningdale
-extremists denounced sunningdale as a sell-out
-UUP voted to pull out jan 1974
-brian faulkner replaced as UUP leader by harry west
-11/12 constituencies candidates were against it
Issues when Wilson retook power
-inflation 15%, £3 billion balance of payments deficit
-labour party less united
-northern ireland precarious
-trade unions needed dealing with
Oct 1974 general election
-wilson won a small overall minority of 3 seats
-labour gained 18 seats to 319, tories lost 21 to 277
Lib-Lab pact
-1977 labours house of commons majority disappeared
-formed lib-lab pact + won vote of no confidence
-12 liberal mps voted with labour in parliament
-in return devolution for wales and scotland
Devolution discussion in parliament
-many tory and some labour mps against devolution
-1978 devolution acts passed, referendums allowed
-labour mp inserted a clause, 40% of electorate must approve for it to pass