ADV INFO - Conservatism and the Establishment Flashcards
what is the establishment
those groups who had traditionally possessed significant influence in Britain, including politicians, senior civil servants, bishops of the Church of England, the aristocracy, leading financiers, and Oxford and Cambridge academics
what did Henry Fairlie define the establishment as in 1955
‘not only… the centres of official power - though they are certainly part of it - but rather the whole matrix of official and social relations within which power is exercised’
what is an example of the close links between the party and the establishment
the ties between the public school system and the party. Eden, Macmillan their successor, Alec-Douglas Home, was educated at Eton College, as were nice members of Macmillan’s 1957 cabinet
what is an example of the conservatives being connected to the aristocracy
Macmillan was married to Lady Dorothy Cavendish, daughter of the Duke of Devonshire
what was the method of choosing a conservative leader
party grandees took soundings from leading figures in order to find the most suitable candidate
who did Macmillan want to succeed him
Lord Alec Douglas-Home, Foreign Secretary
what did Viscount Dilhorne wrongly do
he wrongly claimed that an overwhelming majority of the party also favoured Home
what is believed about the preferred candidate of the conservative cabinet
at least 9 of 20 cabinet members favoured Rab Butler
what angered many conservatives
the old fashioned method of selection, the misrepresentation of the party’s views and the decision to sideline Butler
what did Home do to become Prime Minister
he renounced his peerage
Who exploited the out of date way of selecting the PM
Harold Wilson
what did Wilson do
he claimed that Home’s lack of commons experience, plus his inability to empathize with the experiences of ordinary working people would make him a bad Prime Minister.
how long did Home remain as PM
363 days
what culture remained towards those in authority
deference
what is deference
showing respect to, and accepting the wishes of, those in authority; respecting the established institutions of society
what idea remained powerful at the time
the idea that the establishment knew what was right for the rest of society
What did Labour politician Douglas Jay say in 1937
‘in the case of nutrition and health… the gentleman in Whitehall really does know better what is good for people than the people knew themselves’
what questioned deference
the development of youth culture
what helped to disperse power
the growth of consumerism
what contributed to the decline of traditional values
the growth of satire, particularly the TV show That was the week that was
What showed that the Conservatives had accepted the changes in attitude towards the establishment
Home’s successor, Edward Heath had attended a state grammar school
