A changing political environment Flashcards
1
Q
How much debt was Britain in after WWI
A
£3.2 billion
2
Q
What did the Labour party emerge from
A
The trade union congress
3
Q
What did the liberal party believe in?
A
Free trade and a limited role for government.
They were a party of social reform.
4
Q
What social reforms did the liberal party implement from 1906 onwards
A
-1906 free school meals
-1907 school medical inspections
-1908 Children’s charter
-1908 Introduced pensions
-1909 Labour exchanges set up
-1911 National Insurance Act is passed
5
Q
Who became PM in 1908
A
Herbert Asquith
6
Q
Why did the liberal party experience growing unrest pre war?
A
-The issue of Home Rule in Ireland
-The women’s suffrage movement
-An increasingly militant trade union movement
All three were paired with the outbreak of world war
7
Q
Why did WWI divide the liberals
A
-Many opposed the growth in the power of the state, particularly with conscription
-Resulted in a coalition between conservatives and liberals 1915 onwards. Many believed Lloyd George had abandoned the principles of the party and become too conservative
-In the 1918 GE Lloyd George campaigned against liberal members who stood in independent opposition to him, splitting the party’s votes
8
Q
Who became PM in 1916
A
David Lloyd George
9
Q
Why did it become easier for working class politicians to be elected to parliament after 1911?
A
-Liberal government allowed for wages for Mps
-This meant that politics was no longer solely an activity for people who were already independently wealthy
10
Q
What was the Representation of the People Act 1918
A
-Allowed British adult men over age 21 to vote
-Women over the age of 30 given the vote if they owned property or member of a local government register or their husband was
11
Q
When was the Representation of the People Act introduced?
A
1918
12
Q
Which parties formed a coalition 1915-1918
A
-Liberal and conservative
13
Q
Where did a large portion of conservative votes come from after 1918
A
-Newly enfranchised, property owning women
14
Q
Who won the 1918 post war general election
A
-David Lloyd George’s coalition
15
Q
Why did the liberal party decline
A
-Scandals- DLG sold knighthoods, including to people with criminal record
-Rise of the labour party
-Appeal of the conservative party
-Split of the coalition parties
16
Q
How many knighthoods did Lloyd George sell
A
1500
17
Q
Which party won the 1924 General Election and who led it?
A
-Labour party (first labour gov)
-Ramsay MacDonald
(minority government)
18
Q
What was the 1924 labour government committed to?
A
-Parliamentary democracy and went to great lengths to demonstrate how moderate it was
19
Q
What was one of the main problems MacDonalds first Labour government faced
A
Strained relations with the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party
20
Q
Why did MacDonalds first labour government face strained relations with the National Executive Committee of the Labour party
A
MacDonald was forced to make harsh economic choices that effected the poorest voters and had to manage the threat of industrial action.
As PM he had to compromise
However the party criticised him for not being more radical
He was dependent on liberal support so being more radical would have caused decline in votes
21
Q
Housing Act 1924
A
Increased amount of money available to local authorities to build homes for low income workers
22
Q
How long did MacDonald’s first Gov last
A
9months
23
Q
Why did MacDonald’s first Gov collapse
A
-A motion of no confidence, which was brought about due to allegations of him having secret communist sympathies, which he narrowly won. This was coincided with his attempts to normalise relations with the Soviet Union
-A second motion was passed, calling for an enquiry into the withdrawal charges of a communist. He was then forced to resign
24
Q
Which party won the October 1924 election and who led it
A
-The conservatives under Stanley Baldwin
25
How many seats did conservative gain compared to labour, October 1924 GE
-C= 412
-L=151
26
How did Stanley Baldwin's 1924 conservative gov present itself
-An alternative to the labour government and the threat of socialism in Britain
27
How did Baldwin want to be seen and what did he discourage
-A moderate politician who could appeal to all social classes
-He discouraged the conservative party from attacking the labour party as secret agents of the USSR
28
Why did Baldwin oppose the Private Members Bill 1925?
-It prevented the Labour party from receiving a political levy (funding) from trade unions. Many conservative members believed they should weaken the labour party.
-He was more concerned with political stability than conflict between parties
29
Why did Baldwin's concillatory approach to politics fail
-The General Strike caused him to yield to pressure from other members to introduce laws reducing labour's funding from Unions
1927 Ammendment to the 1906 trade disputes Act
30
What was the 1927 Ammendment to the 1906 trade disputes Act
-The political levy on union members could no longer be automatically be deducted from their union membership and passed to the labour party.
Members had to agree to pay it.
-Over 1/3 chose to opt out causing labours finances to decrease by 35%
31
How long did Stanley Baldwins Conservative government last?
October 1924-29
32
What were the results of the 1929 General Election?
-Conservatives won the largest share of popular votes however it did not translate to an overall majority of seats
-MacDonald returned to power under the labour government
33
Housing Act 1930
-Cleared 3/4 of 1 million slum houses and replaced them with modern homes by 1939
34
The Coal Mines Act 1930
Attempted to ensure better pay for workers and more efficient pits but the weakness of the legislation ensured that mine owners could ignore it
35
Ammendment of the Unemployment Insurance Act (Under MacDonald)
-Gave the Government powers to create public works schemes to alleviate unemployment.
Was funded by £25 million of government money
36
Why was MacDonald's government limited in the social reforms it could achieve (1929-31)
The economic crisis
(depression)
37
What measure did MacDonald's government implement to help stabilise finances (1929-31) and what was its impact?
-Implemented 10% cut in unemployment assistance, which helped to stabilise the value of the pound
However caused hardship for Britain's poorest and caused division within his cabinet as many disagreed with introducing it. Snowden and MacDonald were then expelled from the labour party
38
When did MacDonald's second government resign
1931 August
39
What problems did Ramsay's government face between 1929-31
-Rise of facism
-Strikes
-Wall Street Crash
-The Great Depression
40
What did Snowden and MacDonald form after being expelled from the labour party
-National Labour Committee
was designed to sponsor labour parliamentary candidates who supported the National government
41
Who won the October 1931 General election
-The National Government
Won by a huge majority
42
Who led the National Government between 1931-35
Ramsay MacDonald
43
44
Why did votes for the labour party slump at the October 1931 General election?
-Many voters believed the party was putting its own interests and those of the unions before the national interest.
They only got 46 seats
45
What problems did the National Government face between 1931-35
-Economic Crisis
-Attempts to rearm due to the rise of fascism in Europe
-Threat of fascism at home
-Implementing spending cuts
46
What was the National Governments economic policy implemented to deal with the economic crisis 1931-35
-Implemented spending cuts (caused previous govs downfall)
-Public sector pay cuts of 10% (so harsh it lead to a mutiny in the Royal Navy)
-Removed Gold standard and introduced tariffs to help boost the economy
47
What was the result of the National Governments economic policy
-Economy recovered from the economic crisis and the National Governments popularity increased, however MacDonald became increasingly isolated within the government
48
Who was the National Governments official opposition during the 1930s
The Labour Party
49
What did the Labour party focus on doing during the first half of the 1930s?
-Reorganising itself, leading it to become the National Governments official opposition
50
Who became leader of the labour party in 1935?
-Clement Atlee
51
How many seats did Labour gain at the 1935 General Election
154
52
Why did membership of communist and fascist parties increase in the 1930s
-More people became convinced that liberal democracy no longer had the answers to the economic crisis
-For example, Fabians like Sidney and Beatrice Webb visited the USSR, believing communism to be an economic success
53
How many members did the British Union of Fascists have by 1934
50,000
54
How many members did the Communist party of Great Britain have by 1934
9,000
55
What did the communist party of Great Britain organise in the 1930s
-The National Unemployed Workers Movement
Represented hundreds of thousands if unemployed men
56
What party was Oswald Mosley originally part of
Labour
57
What did Mosley set up after resigning from the labour party
Set up the New Party March 1931
In 1932 he then drew all British Fascist organisations together with the New Party to form The BUF
58
Who was Mosley inspired by when setting up the New Party
-The seemingly dynamic economic policies of Mussolini's Italy
59
What was the Public Order Act and when was it passed
-1936
-Banned groups from wearing uniforms and they required permission for marches and demonstrations
The BUF never became a threat to the Government and began to decline after 1936
60
What were the reasons for rearmament in the 1930s
-Fear of fascism and the rise of Hitler
-The Peace Ballot 1934
-The failure of the World Disarmament conference when Germany withdrew 1933
61
Reasons for disarmament and peace during 1930s
-Many attracted to this after the traumatic experiences of WWI
-League of Nations offered peaceful solutions to world conflict
-By this time the Treaty of Versailles was overturned by Hitler and the idea that Germany was solely responsible for WWI was rejected
-The World Disarmament Conference 1932-1934
62
What was the World Peace Ballot 1934
-Organised by the League of Nations and asked opinions on war and security
-11million people agreed to the idea of collective security
63
When did Britain begin rearm
1934 onwards
64
How did Britain begin to rearm
-RAF was increased in size to 40 squadrons (Air power important for future conflict)
-The British Army was reorganised
-The Royal Navy was expanded
-The munitions industry was developed in partnership with private capital
65
When did Ramsay MacDonald resign and who replaced him (National gov)
-1935 due to ill health
-Stanley Baldwin
66
Who became PM in 1935
-Stanley Baldwin
67
Why did the Labour party remain divided on the question of peace and security during Baldwin and Chamberlain's Leadership
-Left- Rearmament made war more likely not less
-Centre- Led by Atlee. Collective security would make war impossible so rearmament was unnecessary
-Right- Many had left and moved towards supporting other parties
68
World events that made collective security more difficult
-1935: Abyssinian Crisis
-!936: German reoccupation of the Rhineland
-1936: Outbreak of the Spanish Civil war
-1937: Manchurian Crisis
-1938: Sudetenland Crisis and annexation of Austria (anschluss)
69
How did Hitler fully overturn the Treaty of Versailles in 1936
-Germany re-occupied the Rhineland
70
How did the National Government react to Germany's reoccupation of the Rhineland?
-Divided between taking action and backing down .
-Resulted in them not imposing economic sanctions but Baldwin continued to rearm
71
How long was Stanley Baldwin PM for
1935-37
72
Who became PM in 1937
Neville Chamberlain, former chancellor
73
How long was Chamberlain PM for
1937-40
74
What foreign policy did Neville Chamberlain follow particularly with Nazi Germany and why?
-Policy of appeasement
Wanted to prevent war by any means possible
France also followed this policy
75
What international problem was there between 1935-40
The breakdown of international order made war increasingly likely
The League of Nations failed to find peaceful resolution to conflict
76
What made rearmament more difficult in Britain
The anti war movement in Britain was growing in strength
77
When was it clear that Chamberlain's policy of appeasement failed?
When Hitler broke the Munich agreement and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
78
When did Germany invade Poland
1st September 1939
79
When did France and Britain declare war on Germany
3rd September 1939
Lasted 7 months
80
What happened in the Norway debate in Parliament 7th May 1940
-Chamberlain was criticised for 'incompetently' handling the war.
-He narrowly won a motion of no confidence but recognised it in real terms as a defeat
81
What did Chamberlain do 9th May 1940
-Attempted to form a new coalition government but the labour party refused to serve under him, leaving either Lord Halifax or Winston Churchill to fill the position
82
When did Churchill become PM
-10th May 1940
The day of Germany's invasion of France
83
What did Stanley Baldwin think about disarmament
-Argued not for disarmament but agreements limiting arms so that nations could have parity
84
Why was politics described as 'consensus' between 1945-79
There was a broad agreement between both parties on the running of the economy and the development of the Welfare state
85
What did the labour and conservative party both believe in during consensus politics 1945-79
-Attempting to achieve full employment (even though this might allow a degree of inflation)
-A mixed economy with heavy industry, railways and other parts of the national infrastructure in state ownership
-A welfare state and a NHS
-Co-operation between the government and the trade unions in managing wages and prices
86
When did the labour party signal it's intention to withdraw from the coalition?
May 1945, following WW2
87
Which party won the July 1945 general election, how many seats?
-Labour Party
393 seats whereas conservatives got 210
88
Why did conservative votes decline at the 1945 General election
-Churchill believed he would be rewarded by a grateful British public for his wartime service
-There were bitter memories of the conservative pre-war governments economic hardship (debts after war)
-Made crass claims that a post war labour government would rely on a 'gestapo' in order to police its planned social reforms
-Labour's manifesto resulted in a landslide victory
89
What was the labour party's manifesto and what did it promise (post war)
'Let us face the future'
Promised action on:
-Housing
-Jobs
-Social security
-The NHS
This resulted in a landslide victory
90
What were the main social reforms passed by the labour government 1945-51
-Establishment of NHS 1948
-The National Insurance Act 1946
-The Housing Act 1949 ( extended local authorities ability to build housing)
-The Implementation of the Education Act 1944
91
Who was PM 1945-51
Clement Atlee
92
Which party won the 1950 General Election
-Labour
-Majority was slashed to just five seats, however still polled 1.5 million more votes than conservatives
93
Reasons for labour's decline in votes at the 1950 General election
-1949 House of Commons (Redistribution of seats) Act
-Decline of their popularity with the middle class voters
-The working class population was shrinking
-Rationing
-Austerity
-Taxation
-Conservatives offered to preserve the main features of the Welfare state
94
What was the 1949 House of Commons Act?
(Redistribution of seats)
-Reduced the number of labour safe seats by redrawing constituency boundaries
95
Why was the shrinking size of the working class a reason for decline in votes for the Labour party in 1950
-78% of British people identified themselves as working in 1931.
In 1951, this changed to 72%
-This meant more felt less inclined to vote for them or be part of a trade union
96
Why was rationing why labour declined in votes in 1950
-Wartime food and fuel rationing continued after the war and some items during war that were not restricted like bread were now rationed
97
Why was austerity why labour declined in votes in 1950
-The labour party seemed unable to revive Britain's struggling economy in the immediate post war years
98
Why was taxation why labour declined in votes in 1950
-The standard rate of taxation in 1949 was 9 shillings in every £1 (45 per cent)
-The top rate of Marginal tax for high earners was 90 per cent
99
What war did Britain become involved in 1950
The Korean war
Joined to protect South Korea as part of the United Nations force
100
What impact did Britain joining the Korean War in 1950 have on the economy
-Resulted in a huge increase in military spending and the new chancellor Hugh Gaitskell announced an 'austerity budget' in 1951
(included introduction of prescription charges for glasses and dentistry)
101
How much debt did Britain accumulate from WW2
£21 Billion
102
What party won the 1951 General Election and who led it?
-Conservatives under Winston Churchill
103
How long was Churchill PM for during his second ministry?
1951-55
104
Who replaced Churchill in 1955
Anthony Eden
-Was previously Churchill's foreign minister
105
When did India become independent
1947
106
What was the Suez canal used for by Britain, Europe and America after 1947?
-To ship oil to Britain, Europe and America
107
What was the 1956 Suez Crisis?
-President Nasser of Egypt stated the Suez Canal should be in Egyptian hands and that he would pay British shareholders a fair price. Nasser then occupied the Canal zone July 26 1956. His close relationship with the USSR convinced the British that it would soon be in Soviet hands.
-France and Israel invited Britain to take part in an invasion of the Suez Canal Zone. Eden agreed in secret and did not inform President Eisenhower. His standing in the party depended on presenting a strong image as an international statesman. The invasion took place 5th November 1956.
108
How did President Eisenhower respond to Britain, France and Israel's invasion of the Suez zone 1956
-Felt angry and deceived as he had not been informed of Britain's intentions.
-He threatened to sell America's reserves of British currency and collapse the value of the pound. Faced with a possible economic crisis, Britain withdrew and Eden resigned January 1957
109
When did Anthony Eden resign
January 1957, following the withdrawal of Britain from the invasion of the Suez zone
110
Who replaced Anthony Eden in 1957
-His chancellor of the exchequer, Harold MacMillan
111
What made MacMillan's government very popular between 1957-63
-A mixed economy, rising living standards, low unemployment, declining social inequality
(in 1957 British wages and living standards were at their most equal between the rich and poor)
112
Which 3 members of MacMillan's government resigned in 1959, why?
Chancellor Thorneycroft, Treasury Minister and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury all resigned
-They believed the government was spending too much and storing up economic problems for the future. They were convinced that inflation not unemployment , posed the biggest threat to the economy; they proposed spending cuts, tax rises, an end to subsidies to nationalised industries and other measures to take the excess money out of the economy that they claimed was the cause of inflation.
-These views were different to the ones of the other politicians at the time
113
What was the Knight of the Long Knives 1962
-Many people began to believe the conservative party to be out of touch due to MacMillan's privileged background and his cabinet was dominated by members of the upper class
-The labour party argued that privileged aristocratic conservatives who had risen due to their connections not ability were holding Britain back.
-To demonstrate he was under control of his government, he sacked 7 ministers of his cabinet and replaced them with younger men so they could be seen as young and meritocratic
114
Why did the Knight of the Long Knives 1962 cause conservative decline
-Although it may have made him more popular to some, demonstrating he could take action and control, however, he sacked members who were popular to some of the middle class voters and so votes for conservatives decreased
115
What scandals occurred 1951-63
-John Profumo: Secretary of State for War
Admitted to having an affair with a model, Christine Keeler, a model, despite having previously denied the affair to Macmillan who had believed him. However it later was revealed that she had a relationship with Russian attache, Yevgeny Ivanov. There was rumours that she was passing information to him.
-Harold 'KIm' Philby: Head of British Counter intelligence
January 1963, he defected to the USSR. He had been under suspicion for spying for them since the early 1950s, and as foreign secretary in 1955, Macmillan had announced that he had investigated him and exonerated him. When he defected to the USSR it was hugely embarrassing for him. However, due to the Official Secrets Act, it was not revealed until 1968 that he was important within the MI6
-John Vassal: Naval attache
Blackmailed between 1952-62 by the KGB. He passed on large quantities of top secret information on the Royal Navy. he was caught when Soviet spies defected to the West and gave MI6 Vassal's name
-
116
Why was the impact of the spy scandals that occured between 1951-63
-Happened during the height of the Cold-war so people were already weary
-Conservatives were mistrusted with national security
-Revealed the instability within the government an British intelligence as very high ranking people had betrayed Britain
117
When did Macmillan resign and who replaced him?
Resigned October 1963, replaced by Sir Alec Douglas-Home
118
Why did Sir Alec Douglas Home suffer from an image problem
-Although he was regarded by many to be a skilled administrator and astute politician, he suffered from an image problem that dampened the conservative party's chances of winning the 1964 General Election
-He was a member of the House of Lords and had the title of Earl, which he renounced when becoming PM)
Satirists on television and in magazines like Private Eye, ridiculed him for his aristocratic manners
119
What did the 1969 Representation of the People Act do
-Lowered the voting age to 18
120
Who was leader of the labour party 1951-63
-Hugh Gaitskell
121
Which party won the 1964 General Election and who led the new government
The labour party under Harold Wilson
122
How many seats did labour get compared to the conservatives in 1964
L= 317
C=303
They won by a slender majority of 4 seats
123
What methods did the labour party use to win the 1964 General Election
-Wilson presented the party as meritocratic and classless, comparing it to public perceptions of the conservatives
-Used new technology to spread propaganda, for example, he used the TV to present himself as the face of modern Britain
124
What problems did Wilson face in his ministry
-The previous Chancellor exchequer, Maudling, had delivered generous tax cuts and spending promises in the conservatives last budget and left the country with an £800million budget deficit.
This was a problem as Wilson had promised to improve pensions and build half a million homes a year. He was also determined to improve Britain's military presence overseas, which accounted for over 1/5 of all Britain's spending in the 1960s
-His party also won with a slender majority meaning that if he wished to bring about major policy changes, a new election would have to be called
125
How did Wilson attempt to solve the problem of the budget deficit
-Wilson did not want to abandon his commitments to either social reform or Britain's prestige, the only other option to lessen the pressure on the economy was to devalue the pound, allowing the government to pay off debts more easily and aided exports but Wilson did not want to do this as he did not want the labour party to be seen as the party of devaluation
-However, 1967, he was forced to devalue the pound anyway, which caused embarrassment for the government and led to the resignation of Chancellor Callaghan
126
When did Wilson hold a second general election and what was the outcome
-1966
He managed to get the majority that he needed to bring about major social policy reforms.
127
What social and educational reforms did Harold Wilson introduce 1964-70
-A series of new universities and polytechnics were built
-The Open University was established
-The Laws on abortion and the death penalty were liberalised
(E.G 1967 Family Planning Act)
128
Why did Harold Wilson's government begin to decline in popularity
-Unemployment began to steadily grow
-The number of days lost to strikes increased
-Began to mistrust his ministers, who were popular in the party with trade unions, believing they may replace him
-His mistrust resulted in a decline in morale in Wilson's cabinet:
In 1969 legislation to curb the numbers of unofficial strikes was proposed by one of his ministers. Wilson feared that Callaghan, a union loyalist, might use the confrontation that would ensue to replace him and so the legislation was never implemented and so Britain endured a decade of rising strikes and union unrest.
129
Which party won the General election and who was now the PM 1970
Conservatives, under Edward Heath
130
What did Edward Heath mean by a 'Quiet revolution'
-Referred to the change in direction that he wanted the country to take. He wanted to remove the state from people's lives so that they would become more enterprising
131
When was the Barber Budget introduced and what did it feature
-1972, by Chancellor Barber
-Featured tax cuts and government spending cuts
132
What steps did Heath and his government take in order to attempt a 'quiet revolution'
-The Barber Budget
-Ended Wilson's incomes policy, believing wages should be set by the market not the government
133
Why was Heath forced to take a U-turn in policy and increase government intervention
-The Barber Budget ( Barber Boom) failed to cure Britain's growing economic problems and it fuelled inflation and so within 18months was forced to increase government intervention in the economy
134
What was Heath's government's biggest problem
-Relationship with trade unions
By 1974, Heath's government had endured two miners strikes and he faced opposition from both the opposition and his own party.
Wilson had accused him of stripping away the rights of the Union
135
How did the right of the conservative party criticise Heath
-They saw him as a traitor as he betrayed the promises he made in 1970 at the Selsdon Park meeting
136
What did the second miners strike over the winter of 1973-74 result in
-Resulted in Heath declaring a stat of emergency and a 3 day week
137
Why did Heath's government decline
-Lack of confidence in his ability to manage the unions
-Inflation and economic decline
-Attempted to remove the state from people's lives
-Miners strikes
-Strained relations with trade unions and ministers to the right of his party
138
Which party came into power in 1974 and who led it
The Labour Party, under Harold Wilson again
Labour only won with a slender majority and so was a minority government dependent on liberal support
139
How many seats did Labour gain compared to the conservatives in 1974
L= 301
C=297
140
What was the first priority of Wilson's third government and what did it focus on instead
-End union unrest by reappealing the Industrial Relations act
-Instead, it attempted to return the corporatism of the mid 1960s by developing a policy called the 'social contract'
141
What was the 'social contract'
- A policy introduced by Wilson's government to return to the corporatism of the mid 1960. Wilson wanted to present his government to be concillatory towards to unions, unlike Heath
In return for the unions agreeing not to pursue excessive wage claims, the government would offer subsidies to the cost of living
However, it did nothing to deal with the underlying cause of the strikes; inflation
142
Who replaced Wilson after his resignation in 1976
James Callaghan
143
why did Callaghan begin to abandon key aspects of the post war economic consensus
He was a pragmatist and did not follow policies out of ideological reasons. This caused him to clash with Tony Benn at cabinet meetings as the party was divided
144
What did tony Benn propose to Callaghan
-Leaving the EEC and believed Britain should effectively cut itself off from the global economy
-A 'Siege Economy' to protect state spending on welfare from the influence of international banks and currency traders
145
Why did Tony Benn propose a siege economy
to protect state spending on welfare from the influence of international banks and currency traders
146
Why did Callaghan believe Britain must 'pay its way' in the world
-No longer believed that the British government could continue to spend its way out of difficulties
-He thought that Britain had used borrowing to live beyond its means for decades, resulting in a loss of confidence in Britain and the pound on the international currency markets
