Booklet 3: 1970-79 Flashcards
1
Q
When did Margaret Thatcher become leader of the Conservative party?
A
1975
2
Q
When was Rolls Royce nationalised?
A
1971
3
Q
What was unemployment by 1973?
A
500,000
4
Q
What triggered the oil crisis in October 1973?
A
Yom Kippur War in the Middle East
5
Q
How much did oil prices increase during oil crisis of 1973?
A
4 times the normal level
6
Q
What was the Industrial Relations Act?
A
- similar proposals to ‘in place of strife’
- set up an Industrial Relations Court
- provided for strike ballots and a ‘cooling off’ period before official strikes could begin
7
Q
Was the Industrial Relations Act successful? Why/why not?
A
no - both the TUC and the CBI opposed to it and it led to further strike action
8
Q
What is the TUC?
A
Trades Union Congress - a federation of trade unions in Britain
9
Q
What is the CBI?
A
Confederation of British Industry - britain’s biggest business lobby group
10
Q
Examples of strike action in 1972?
A
firefighters, civil servants, miners, ambulance drivers
11
Q
How many days were lost to strikes in 1972?
A
nearly 24 million (23.9)
12
Q
What was the aim of the Industry Act 1972?
A
to involve the government, the TUC and the CBI in agreeing wages, prices, investment and benefits.
13
Q
When was the 3-day-week introduced?
A
start of 1974
14
Q
When did the NUM call a national strike?
A
January 1974
15
Q
What were some of the features of the 3-day-week?
A
- speed limit of 50mph on all roads
- TV closed down at 10:30pm
- many employers had to lay off workers
16
Q
What was significant about the results of the 1974 election (february)?
A
resulted in a hung parliament (neither party had an overall majority)
17
Q
How did Labour resolve the issue of a hung parliament?
A
called a general election in october
18
Q
What policy was introduced in Northern Ireland in 1971?
A
- night-time curfews
- internment
19
Q
What is internment?
A
locking up suspects without trial
20
Q
What percentage of those interned from 1971-75 were catholic?
A
95%
21
Q
How many were killed by the British Army on Bloody Sunday 1972?
A
13
22
Q
How many people were interned in August 1971?
A
300
23
Q
How many were killed by the bombing in McGurk’s bar December 1971?
A
15
24
Q
Why is 1972 the bloodiest year of the troubles?
A
- over 10,000 shooting incidents
- 480 killed
- 1382 explosions
25
How did Heath react to Bloody Sunday?
suspended the Stormont Parliament in March 1972 and brought in direct rule from Westminster with Willie Whitelaw as secretary of state.
26
What is direct rule?
Northern Ireland would be ruled from London rather than having its own separate parliament.
27
What did the Sunningdale Agreement propose?
- power-sharing executive of both nationalists and unionists
- a new NI assembly elected under a system of proportional representation
- a council of Ireland that would have some input from the Republic of Ireland
28
What was the economic situation like in Britain when Wilson came to power again in 1974?
- inflation at 15%
- balance of payment deficit £3bn
29
How did Wilson deal with industrial relations?
- negotiate a Social Contract with TUC whilst in opposition in 1973
- reached an agreement with the NUM quickly which meant the emergency 3-day-week ended
- Tony Benn and Michael Foot put in charge of departments of Industry and Employment (both left wing)
- Dennis Healey's budgets aimed to deal with economic crisis without annoying the unions
30
What did Healey's budget of April 1975 do?
introduced steep rises in taxation and cut public spending
31
what was the NEB?
National Enterprise Board - set up to administer the government's share holdings in private companies.
Could also give financial aid.
32
When did Wilson resign?
1976
33
How was Callaghan described?
'a safe pair of hands'
34
What did Callaghan consider the 'twin evils'?
inflation and unemployment
35
How big was the loan Britain received from the IMF in 1976?
£3bn
36
What was inflation at in 1978?
had fallen to 10%
37
What was unemployment at by 1978?
1.6m but falling
38
How many people voted in favour of devolution in Scotland 1979?
51%
39
What was the turnout in the referendum for Scottish devolution 1979?
62%
40
How many people voted against Welsh devolution 1979?
79% no
41
What triggered the winter of discontent?
The TUC rejected the gov’s proposed wage increase limit of 5%
42
Examples of strikes during winter of discontent?
- hospital porters
- dustment
- gravediggers
43
When did the winter of discontent end?
March 1979
44
When did the Sunningdale Agreement collapse?
May 1974
45
When did the blanket protest start?
October 1976
46
When was the Guildford pub bomb and how many were killed?
Nov 1974 - 5 killed
47
When was the Ulster Workers’ Council strike?
May 1974
48
When was special category status removed from terrorist prisoners?
1976
49
What is special category status?
Considered political prisoners not prisoners
50
What was the Blanket protest?
IRA prisoners refused to wear prison uniform in protest to special category status being removed - were either naked or wore blankets.
51
What was the dirty protest and when did it begin?
Escalated from blanket protest in 1978.
Prisoners claimed ill treatment from prison guards and so refused to leave their cells.
Smeared excrement on the walls.
52
How many were taking part in the dirty protests by 1979?
Over 250
53
When was International Women’s Day introduced by the UN?
1977
54
Actions of Women’s Lib organisations:
- disrupted Miss World Contest in Nov 1970 because they felt it objectified women: threw stink and smoke bombs onto stage
- demonstrations in London and Liverpool in March 1971
55
When did the pill become available on the NHS?
1971
56
When was the first rape crisis centre opened?
1976
57
What did the 1976 Domestic Violence Act do?
Made it possible for women to take out court orders restraining violent partners.
58
What were the ‘reclaim the night’ marches in response to?
Murders of the Yorkshire Ripper
59
What was the Sex Discrimination Act 1975?
- aimed to end discrimination against men and women on basis of gender or marital status
- aimed to ensure equality of opportunity in employment, education and to outlaw harassment
- set up the Equality Opportunities Commission
60
What was the role of the Equal Opportunities Commission?
- To oversee both the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act
- Could bring court proceedings against any party it judged not to be compliant with these acts
61
How many investigations did the Equal Opportunities Commission launch between 1976-83?
9
62
How many of the claims to the Equal Opportunities Commission were successful?
10%
63
When could women take out mortgages without a man?
1971
64
What was the Employment Protection Act 1975?
Introduced paid maternity leave and outlawed dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy.
65
What percentage of men’s wages did women earn by 1977?
70%
66
What was the Immigration Act 1971?
Restricted the right of people from the New Commonwealth from coming to Britain:
- needed a guaranteed job
- have a least one grandparent born here
67
How many of those expelled from Uganda arrived in Britain?
28,000
68
How many New Commonwealth immigrants had come to Britain by 1974?
1 million
69
By 1978 how many non-white councillors were elected in the London Borough?
35
70
What was the 1976 Race Relations Act?
Established the Commission for Racial Equality - had power to investigate.
71
How many members did the National Front have by 1976?
200,000
72
When was the NF described as the ‘fourth largest party’?
1977
73
When was the Anti-Nazi League set up?
1977
74
How many people attended the ‘Rock Against Racism’ demonstration in 1978 and who performed?
100,000
The Clash
75
How many met police officers had an ethnic minority background?
70 out of 22,000
76
How many people were injured at the Notting Hill Carnival 1976?
300
77
Who was Blair Peach?
- teacher and anti-Nazi League supporter
- killed by police during a demonstration
78
Examples of black football players:
- Justin Fashanu
- John Barnes
- Viv Anderson (England team from 1978)
79
What was the new focus of CND in the 70s?
Protests against the use of nuclear power to generate energy - long-term danger of dealing with nuclear waste and accidents
80
When was Greenpeace UK formed?
1977
81
When was the Animal Liberation Front set up and what were some of their tactics?
1976
Letter bombs to politicians e.g. Thatcher in 1984
82
When did Britain get accepted into the EEC?
1973
83
How did Powell protest against EEC entry?
- voted against the passage of the European bill through parliament at every single stage
- refused to stand as a Conservative candidate in Feb 1974
- called on his supporters to vote labour in Feb 1974
84
When was the EEC referendum?
1975
85
What were the results of the EEC referendum?
68% yes (staying)
86
Why did the relationship between the UK and the USA deteriorate during the Yom Kippur War?
The US wanted to use NATO bases in Europe for an airlift of supplies to Israel and most European states, including Britain, refused permission.
