afluent society 1951-64 Flashcards
How strong was the post-war consensus in the period 1951–64?
Agreement on welfare state
Conservatives kept Labour’s NHS and welfare policies
E.g. 1956 Clean Air Act, 1957 Homicide Act → moderate reforms
✅ Consensus on social provision stayed strong
Economic continuity
Mixed economy: nationalised industries remained (e.g. coal, steel)
Full employment key goal (never below 200k unemployed)
✅ Keynesianism accepted by both parties
Challenges to consensus
Divisions over Suez Crisis (1956) damaged trust in elites
Rising inflation, balance of payments crises
❌ Economic cracks + scandals → early signs of consensus fatigue
Mini Judgement:
Post-war consensus was largely intact in this period, but economic issues and scandals hinted at future instability.
How far did Britain experience an economic miracle between 1951–64?
- Growth and affluence
1950s = consumer boom (TVs, fridges, hire-purchase)
1959: Tax cuts before election + rising wages
✅ Living standards rose for many
Hidden weaknesses
Stop-go policies: short-term fixes (e.g. interest rate rises)
Balance of payments deficit remained unsolved
❌ Economic growth lower than Germany, France
Macmillan’s optimism vs reality
“Most of our people have never had it so good” (1957)
But relative decline in competitiveness, productivity
❌ Growth unsustainable — built on consumption, not investment
Mini Judgement:
Britain looked prosperous on the surface, but underlying weaknesses showed this ‘miracle’ was overstated.
Why did Labour lose the 1959 and 1964 elections?
Economic prosperity under Conservatives
Rising affluence, home ownership, low unemployment
1959: tax cuts, consumer boom → helped Macmillan win
✅ “Never had it so good” message resonated
Internal Labour divisions
Debates over Clause IV, nuclear disarmament
Gaitskell’s leadership damaged by Bevanite rebellion
❌ Made party look weak and divided
Changing social attitudes
Labour seen as old-fashioned by ‘aspirational voters’
Youth culture, TV, consumerism reshaping politics
✅ Labour failed to modernise fast enough pre-Wilson
Mini Judgement:
Labour’s defeats were caused by both Conservative strength and their own disunity — 1964 was won narrowly only after some modernisation.
How successful were Conservative economic policies between 1951–64?
Managed to maintain affluence
Used Keynesian tools (tax, interest rates) to avoid recession
Short-term prosperity, low unemployment
✅ Policies kept economy stable and popular
Stop-go cycle created instability
1955 and 1961 ‘go’ periods followed by ‘stop’ deflations
Caused stagnation and loss of confidence
❌ Lacked strategic long-term planning
Missed industrial modernisation
Low investment in tech, failure to reform unions
1961 pay pause + EEC rejection showed weakness
❌ Structural weaknesses not fixed
Mini Judgement:
Economic policies delivered short-term success but failed to prepare Britain for future global competition.
Why did the Conservatives dominate politics 1951–64?
Economic success and affluence
Low unemployment, rising wages, consumer boom
1959 election: tax cuts = popularity boost
✅ Public rewarded visible prosperity
Strong leadership and image
Churchill → Eden → Macmillan projected stability
Macmillan especially popular — “Supermac”
✅ Middle-class and aspirational voters supported them
Labour weaknesses
Internal splits: Bevanites vs Gaitskellites
Nuclear disarmament, Clause IV divisions
❌ Labour seen as divided and unelectable
Mini Judgement:
Conservative dominance was due to both successful management of the economy and Labour’s persistent disunity.
What caused the decline of Conservative dominance by 1964?
Economic failures and stagnation
1961 pay pause, balance of payments deficit
Rejected from EEC (1963) → humiliation
❌ Voters saw decline in competence
Scandals and image problems
Profumo Affair (1963): sex scandal, dishonesty
Macmillan’s 1962 “Night of the Long Knives” reshuffle
❌ Looked out of touch and chaotic
Labour’s renewal under Wilson
Young, modern, ‘white heat’ of tech slogan
Appealed to youth and progressive middle-class
✅ Labour offered fresh alternative
Mini Judgement:
After long dominance, the Conservatives fell due to economic drift, scandal, and Labour’s fresh appeal under Wilson.
How did society and culture change in Britain 1951–64?
1.Rising affluence and consumerism
TVs, washing machines, cars more common
60% home ownership by early 60s
✅ Class divisions blurred slightly as lifestyle improved
Youth and cultural rebellion
Rock’n’roll, mods and rockers, satire boom
1958 Notting Hill riots = racial tension amid migration
✅ Society more diverse but also more tense
Persistence of conservatism
Education still class-based: tripartite system
Women still limited in work and rights
❌ Real change still limited for many groups
Mini Judgement:
Britain saw cultural and material shifts, but traditional structures remained dominant beneath the surface.
How did immigration and race relations develop 1951–64?
- Commonwealth immigration rose
- Windrush (1948), more arrivals from Caribbean and South Asia
- 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act = restrictions
✅ Multiculturalism began — but met with resistance
Racial tension grew
Notting Hill riots 1958: white gangs attacked Black residents
No official anti-racist legislation until later
❌ Government slow to act on racism
Public and political reaction
Some welcomed diversity, others feared it
Media stoked fears; Macmillan introduced controls
❌ Integration was limited and often resented
Mini Judgement:
Immigration increased and shaped society, but race relations remained tense and largely unaddressed by politicians.
How did the economy grow during the Affluent Society?
Post-WWII Economic Recovery
Economic growth averaged 2.5% per year.
Output increased by 50% from 1951 to 1964.
✅ Rise in consumer goods, wages, housing, and car ownership.
Key Factors in Economic Growth
Expansion of the welfare state (NHS, education reforms).
Growth of manufacturing and consumer industries (cars, televisions).
✅ Technological advances helped fuel demand.
Mini Judgement:
The economic boom led to greater prosperity, but growth wasn’t evenly distributed across society. It benefited the middle class most.
What were the impacts of the ‘consumer revolution’ on society?
Back:
Increased Access to Consumer Goods
Rise in availability of appliances, cars, and televisions.
Average household income rose, with more disposable income.
✅ Consumerism shaped daily life; people were more focused on material goods.
Social Mobility and Changing Class Structure
The growing middle class increased access to higher education and jobs.
Social distinctions were blurred as more people enjoyed similar lifestyles.
✅ Rise of the “working-class consumer,” a new social group.
Mini Judgement:
While the “consumer revolution” increased living standards, it also entrenched materialism, making wealth a key measure of success.
What were the social impacts of affluence in Britain?
Improvement in Living Standards
More people had access to home ownership, consumer goods, and leisure activities.
Welfare state benefits (e.g., NHS) expanded access to healthcare.
✅ The average family had more disposable income to spend on non-essential goods.
Changing Social Structure
Social mobility increased, with more working-class people moving into white-collar jobs.
However, class distinctions were still evident, especially in the educational system.
❌ The benefits of affluence were not equally distributed; poverty remained in some urban areas.
Mini Judgement:
The affluent society created a more consumer-driven culture but did not fully break down the class barriers that still shaped life.
What were the political reactions to the Affluent Society?
Conservative and Labour Responses
Conservatives: Focus on maintaining stability and economic growth.
Labour: Argued for redistribution of wealth and focus on welfare (Wilson’s “White Heat” speech).
✅ Both parties accepted the need for economic growth but differed on how to achieve it.
Public Opinion and Political Leadership
By the early 1960s, there was disillusionment with traditional politics.
Macmillan’s 1957 “Never had it so good” speech was seen as out of touch with everyday struggles.
❌ Rising public dissatisfaction eventually led to Labour’s 1964 victory.
Mini Judgement:
Political reactions were shaped by the affluent public’s demands, with the focus on maintaining growth, but there was growing dissatisfaction with existing leaders.
What were the key impacts of immigration in the 1950s and 1960s?
Increase in Commonwealth Immigration
Post-WWII, large numbers of Caribbean, Indian, and Pakistani immigrants arrived.
“Windrush Generation” (1948) symbolized the start of modern immigration.
✅ Immigrants filled key jobs in public services and industries.
Racial Tensions and Political Backlash
Notting Hill Riots (1958) highlighted rising racial tensions.
Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech (1968) reflected growing racial hostility.
❌ Immigration policies tightened with the 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act.
Mini Judgement:
Immigration was a catalyst for both cultural enrichment and racial tension, which impacted Britain’s political landscape, especially after the 1950s.
How did Britain’s global position shift in the Affluent Society?
Suez Crisis (1956)
Britain’s failure to maintain influence in Egypt weakened its global standing.
Loss of imperial influence: Highlighted Britain’s decline as a global power.
❌ The aftermath made Britain more reliant on US and NATO.
Entry into EEC (European Economic Community)
Britain increasingly aligned with Western Europe economically.
Macmillan’s attempt to join the EEC was rejected by France (1963).
✅ Shift towards European integration, but continued desire to maintain special relations with the Commonwealth.
Mini Judgement:
Britain’s global status was weakening, but it began shifting its focus toward Europe and the US for economic and political partnerships.
- What were the key features of industrial relations 1951–64?
- Union power and low unemployment
- Trade unions had significant influence due to labour shortages.
- Government relied on voluntary wage restraint deals with unions.
✅ Consensus relied on cooperation with organised labour. - Increasing tensions and strikes
- Strikes became more common by early 1960s (e.g. dockers, railwaymen).
- 1962–63: industrial unrest challenged idea of economic harmony.
❌ Industrial peace began to erode. - Labour’s growing internal conflict over unions
- Left wanted to strengthen union links; right worried about union dominance.
These tensions would explode under Wilson with “In Place of Strife” (1969).
✅ Seeds of future Labour conflict already visible pre-1964.
Mini Judgement:
Though 1950s were mostly peaceful, cracks in industrial relations appeared by the 60s, foreshadowing deeper trouble ahead.
- How did education reflect class divisions 1951–64?
- Tripartite system reinforced inequality
- 11+ exam sorted children into grammar, secondary modern, or technical.
- Middle-class children overrepresented in grammar schools.
❌ Limited social mobility, despite ‘meritocratic’ claims. - Grammar schools = elite pipeline
- Grammar education led to universities and white-collar jobs.
- Maintained middle-class dominance in politics and professions.
✅ Education reinforced class structure. - Slow push for reform
- Technical schools underfunded and rare.
- Labour and some Conservatives called for more comprehensive education.
✅ Early pressure for equal access began to build.
Mini Judgement:
Despite rhetoric of opportunity, the system mainly reproduced existing class advantages through selective schooling.
- What caused Labour’s internal divisions in the 1950s–60s?
- Nuclear weapons split the party
- Bevan resigned over prescription charges (1951), then opposed nukes.
- Gaitskell supported nuclear deterrent — clashed with Bevanites.
❌ Party looked divided and inconsistent. - Clause IV and socialism debate
- Gaitskell tried to revise Clause IV (nationalisation commitment) in 1959.
- Faced backlash from left-wing members; had to retreat.
✅ Exposed deep ideological split over Labour’s direction. - Personality and generation clashes
- Old Labour (Bevan, Morrison) vs New (Gaitskell, Wilson).
- Younger figures wanted modernisation; others clung to post-war ideals.
❌ Unity only recovered after Gaitskell’s death (1963) and Wilson’s rise.
Mini Judgement:
Labour’s internal fights over socialism and nuclear weapons weakened their credibility and delayed renewal until the 1960s.
- What was the impact of youth culture 1951–64?
- New leisure and spending power
- Teenagers had jobs and disposable income.
- Bought records, fashion, attended cinemas and cafes.
✅ Growth of a distinct youth identity. - Rebellion and moral panic
- Rise of ‘Teddy Boys’, mods and rockers — clashes like Clacton (1964).
- Media exaggerated fears of juvenile delinquency.
❌ Youth seen as threat to traditional values. - Cultural change begins
- American rock’n’roll (Elvis) shaped music tastes.
- Satirical comedy, TV, and pop art started to challenge old norms.
✅ Cultural revolution was starting, especially in cities.
Mini Judgement:
Youth culture began transforming British society, challenging class, gender, and cultural norms — and sparking anxiety in older generations.
- How did Britain’s empire decline between 1951–64?
- Decolonisation in Africa
- Independence granted to Ghana (1957), Nigeria (1960), others followed.
- Macmillan’s “Wind of Change” speech (1960) acknowledged change.
✅ Marked a clear shift from empire to Commonwealth. - Decline of imperial power
- Suez Crisis (1956) showed Britain could no longer act unilaterally.
- U.S. forced Britain to withdraw — humiliation.
❌ Signalled end of global dominance. - Economic motive for withdrawal
- Empire was no longer profitable; defence costs too high.
- Focus shifted to Europe and EEC (unsuccessfully).
✅ Practical reasons joined moral arguments for decolonisation.
Mini Judgement:
The empire declined rapidly after Suez, driven by both economic realities and global pressures — Britain began to redefine its identity.
