87-97 Politics

Question 1

Political reasons for thatchers downfall

Answer 1

-tory mps feared defeat at the next election, lost eastbourne to the liberals in a by-election october 1990
-poll tax caused fall in opinion polls
-labours recovery under smith and kinnock
-geoffrey howe resigned, caused heseltines leadership challenge

Question 2

Major as leader

Answer 2

-wanted to unify the party
-jumped ahead in opinion polls, positive view by press
-hoped to find a middle way for britain in europe
-nov 1991 scrapped poll tax for council tax

Question 3

The 1992 election

Answer 3

-election called march 1992, labour 41% tories 29% in polls
-good campaign from major, soapbox politics, opinion swung back to him
-336 seats tory to 271 labour
-labour not ‘sufficiently, fundamentally changed’

Question 4

Cash for questions

Answer 4

-Neil hamilton accepted money for lobbying from harrods owner mohamed al-fayed
-refused to resign, defeated in 1997 by an independent candidate

Question 5

Other scandals

Answer 5

-David mellor and Tim Yeo sex scandals, both resigned
-Scott enquiry 1994 proved government ministers enabled arms company matrix churchill to supply weapons to iraq

Question 6

Political satire

Answer 6

-private eye adrian mole spoof of john major
-spitting image presented him as boring
-guardians steve bell caricatured him

Question 7

Citizens charter

Answer 7

-1991 attempt to give people power over the quality of services
-more testing in education, schools published results
-cones hotline, phone number motorists could call if lanes closed

Question 8

Mad cow disease

Answer 8

-emerged in 1980s
-threat to human health 1996, british beef banned in europe

Question 9

Ongoing issues in nothern ireland

Answer 9

-1988 3 IRA members killed by SAS in gibraltar
-mar 1988 off duty soldiers killed by IRA at a funeral
-feb 1991, three mortar shells fired at 10 downing st by IRA
-jan 1992, 8 protestand civilians killed by IRA at army base

Question 10

Moves towards an agreement in NI

Answer 10

-1993 government received secret messages hinting sinn fein ready to discuss a peace agreement
-hostility towards the british from republicans and unionists
-major good relationship with taoiseach albert reynolds

Question 11

The agreement

Answer 11

-1993 joint downing street declaration
-IRA ceasefire 1994
-took time for a final agreement, IRA impatient returned to violence

Question 12

Divisions under thatcher

Answer 12

-nigel lawson resigned as chancellor 1989
-howe alienated by thatcher moved to foreign office, resigned year later

Question 13

Changes to labour party under after 1987 defeat

Answer 13

-sought to reorganise party, moved policies more centrist
-presented more professionally, peter mandelson director of comms
-john smith shadow chancellor 1987, image of moderation + competence
-ditched most of 1983 manifesto by 1988

Question 14

Labours problems 87-92

Answer 14

-left of the labour party concerned with kinnocks centrist proposals
-1989 split with unions, no support for closed shop union agreements
-been greeted as a hero at a sheffield election rally days before election
-defeat in 1992 election

Question 15

John smith 1992-94

Answer 15

-suited to lead labour to victory, trusted with the economy
-introduced one member, one vote for candidates in 1993
-died age 55 from a heart attack in 1994

Question 16

Blairs remodelling of labour

Answer 16

-promoted new labour to end un-electable perception of the 80s
-persuaded labour to rewrite clause IV of the constitution
-wanted to embrace the modern capitalist economy
-ensured labour was no longer a ‘tax and spend’ party
-brown promised labour would follow tory spending plans

Question 17

The appearance of labour

Answer 17

-blair was attractive to young people and women
-appeared fresh compared to out of touch tories
-alastair campbell changed labours relationships with press and media

Question 18

Pledge card

Answer 18

-cut class sizes for 5,6,7 year olds to under 30
-fast track punishments for young offenders
-cut NHS waiting lists, treat 100,000 more patients
-get 250k u25 year olds off benefits and into work
-no rise in income tax, cut VAT on heating to 5%

Question 19

Referendum party

Answer 19

-set up by james goldsmith to fight 1997 election
-promised to hold a referendum over UKs eu membership
-won no seats

Question 20

1997 election

Answer 20

-most tories had already accepted defeat
-half of tory MPs lost seats including mellor, portillo, lamont
-tories got 166 seats labour 418, no tory seats in scotland