ADV INFO - The Post War Consensus Flashcards
What is a consensus
when there is a broad agreement between the two political parties on the key aspects of social, economic and industrial policy
What did historian Paul Affison argue in ‘The Road to 1945’
the most significant political development of the war years was the coalition and cooperation between the Conservative and Labour parties.
which historians have argued that there wasn’t actually a period of consensus
revisionists like John Barnes and Kevin Jeffrys
What did Kevin Jeffrys argue in ‘Retreat from Jerusalem’
the social democratic achievements in the post-war years were overstated and instead of providing welfare for all simply facilitated a consumer boom
How long did the consensus last for
from the election of Clement Attlee in 1945 to the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979
What was crucially important in determining the nature of the post-war consensus
the experience of the second world war
What is essential during wartime
national unity
What happened under the Conservatives in the 1950s
pensions and national assistance benefits continued to rise
what do the rise in pensions and NI under the Conservatives suggest
it shows the uncontroversial nature of the NHS during this period that the Minister of Health did not sit in the Cabinet between 1952 and 62
What did the conservatives accept the NHS as
a long term commitment
What did both parties implement to their manifestos in 1945
the Beveridge report
What did the Conservatives strongly oppose
the detail of the National Health Act and compromises had to be made
What is a good example of the consensus coming under strain
secondary school education.
what was passed in 1944 that drew increased criticism during the 1950s
the 1944 education act (creation of the tripartite system).
in Feb 1954, which magazine coined a new word and what was it about
the Economist invented ‘butskellism’. it was created as the policies of Chancellor R.A.Butler were so similar to his Labour predecessor Hugh Gaitskell
What was announced in 1947 showed economic consensus
the Conservative ‘industrial charter’ announcing the party’s commitment to a ‘mixed economy’
What labour policy did the Conservatives follow
the policy of maintaining full employment and tried to break their association with the 1930s when they were labelled ‘the party of mass unemployment’
What did the 1944 Conservative Government white paper say
“The government accepts as one of a high and stable level employment”
What did the Conservatives surprisingly accept
the nationalisation of coal, railways and the Bank of England although they opposed the nationalisation of transport and steel and denationalised them after 1951
What was the post-war economic consensus-based off of
Keynesian economic principles
what economic issues remained
there was a continuous balance of payments crisis, fuelled by the encouragement of imports, a fall in exports and a decline in Britain’s share of the world trade
What did the Labour party not do economically
they had done nothing to change the distribution of wealth or income within Great Britain and had accepted private enterprise and the capitalist system
What changes did the Conservatives introduce
some changes in the 1950s such as abolishing ID cards in 1952 and finally bringing rationing to an end in 1954
what Labour policies were controversial
the nationalisation measures such as iron, steel and road haulage and they continued to be after 1951 was the Conservatives de-nationalised these industries
What happened to industrial relations
the number of working days lost to industrial action rose from 1.7 million in 1951 to 5.7 million in 1962.
why were there large amounts of TUC opposition
wage-restraint clashed with the government’s attempts to control inflation by an incomes policy
What cause the breakdown of relations with the government and trade unions
Britain’s failure to keep pace with the economic development of its European rivals
What was the issue with the electricians union
it was under communist control and so contributed to the increasingly hostile public perception of trade unions
When were the two rail strikes
in 1953 and 1954
how were the rail strikes averted
capitulation to the men’s terms and although the government was prepared to use existing law to deal with unofficial strikes that threatened vital services, any new legislation that risked confrontation with the Trades Union Congress was ruled out
When did the power of trade unions grow
during the war
What did the Conservatives allow the trade unions to do
have representation on NEDC which shaped economic policy
What did the Conservatives of the 1950s accept which the ones of the 1930s didn’t
the need for government intervention in social policy and economic policies and the need for state planning
What did the Conservatives think about trade unions
there was a need to treat the trade unions as part of the political establishment and as legitimate partners in the shaping of economic, especially industrial, policy
When was the nation ready for change and what did this do to the consensus
the nation was ready for change and the consensus broke down due to this
How did Aneurin Bevan describe the tories in 1948
‘lower than vermin’
how did the Conservatives refer to Labour as
socialist, suggesting ideological differences
What did people still associate the conservatives with
the 1930s when there was high unemployment and a disastrous policy of appeasement
What was the feeling about the modernity of the Conservatives
that they were not keeping pace with the times
What outdated laws remained in place at the time
abortion and divorce
What was the majority of the Conservatives made up of
public school educated and aristocratic individuals
Which leader gave Labour a new modern image
Harold Wilson
What did Harold Wilson promise
to lead in the ‘white heat of technology’
what brand of conservatism were many of the tories
Butler, Macmillan and Walter Monckton were one nation tories
