Booklet 4: 1979-87 (Thatcher)

Question 1

What ideology is Thatcher associated with?

Answer 1

The New Right

Question 2

How did the SDP form?

Answer 2

In January 1981 a group of leading Labour politicians (the Gang of Four) issued their ‘Limehouse declaration’ announcing the formation of the Council for Social Democracy.
28 MPs followed these 4 leaders and the SDP were formed.

Question 3

Why was the SDP formed?

Answer 3

The ‘gang of four’ and the 28 MPs felt that they had been driven out of the Labour Party by the extremists who were taking over and so wanted to form a new centrist party that would appeal to the middle ground of voters.

Question 4

Who was the leader of opposition during Thatcher’s time in office?

Answer 4

Michael Foot until 1983

Neil Kinnock from 1983

Question 5

Evidence of SDP success?

Answer 5

• Shirley Williams won a by-election in Conservative seat of Crosby in Nov 1981
• Roy Jenkins won Glasgow Hillhead in March 1982

Question 6

What was ‘the alliance’?

Answer 6

An agreement between the SDP and the Liberals - worked together in the 1983 and 1987 elections

Question 7

Why did Labour loose it’s support?

Answer 7

• seen as too far left under Michael Foot
• Thatcher appealed to traditional working class voters too
• some voted for SDP or Liberals instead (more centrist)
• unions no longer a source of strength

Question 8

Who was Bobby Sands and why was he so significant?

Answer 8

Was an IRA prisoner in the Maze Prison who led the Hunger Strike.
He was nominated to stand in a by-election as the anti-H-Block candidate and he won the seat.
However, he died a few weeks later.

Question 9

How many people died after Sands before the Hunger strikes were called off?

Answer 9

9

Question 10

When was the Hunger Strike called off?

Answer 10

October 1981

Question 11

Were the Hunger Strikes successful?

Answer 11

No - special category status was not granted for IRA prisoners

Question 12

How many people protested against the Hillsborough Agreement in Belfast?

Answer 12

200,000

Question 13

When was the Harrods bombing and how many people were killed?

Answer 13

Dec 1983 - 6 killed

Question 14

How did Thatcher’s gov aim to reduce gov spending?

Answer 14

Controlling the money supply, to reduce inflation and lead to economic growth

Question 15

What did Howe call Thatcher’s 1981 budget?

Answer 15

‘The most unpopular budget in history’

Question 16

Aspects of Thatcher’s 1981 budget:

Answer 16

• gov borrowing reduced
• grants to local councils cut
• benefits frozen

Question 17

Why did Thatcher want to cut public spending?

Answer 17

• believed people spent their money better than the governments did

Question 18

How much did VAT increase?

Answer 18

8 to 15% in 1979

Question 19

What taxes went up in almost every budget?

Answer 19

Taxes on petrol, cigarettes and alcohol

Question 20

What was the ‘loony left’?

Answer 20

The name given by the right-wing press to left-wing local councils that promoted liberal and politically correct policies. These ranged from the promotion of multicultural initiatives and gay and lesbian rights to the creation of nuclear free zones.

Question 21

What was the purpose of the introduction of rate capping?

Answer 21

This limited the amount of money that the council was allowed to raise in local taxation.

Question 22

When were monetarist policies stopped?

Answer 22

By the end of Thatcher’s second term

Question 23

What did supply-side economics focus on?

Answer 23

Privatisation and deregulation

Question 24

What was the Loan Guarantee Scheme?

Answer 24

Made it easier for small businesses to borrow money

Question 25

What did the Enterprise Allowance Scheme do?

Answer 25

Encouraged the unemployed to start their own businesses by giving them £40 a week for up to a year to get their businesses off the ground.

Question 26

What was the ‘Big Bang’?

Answer 26

On the 27th October 1986 the London Stock Exchange was deregulated.

Question 27

What were the impacts of the ‘Big Bang’?

Answer 27

- opened the way for computer screen trading and introduced free competition - foreign banks could now operate as stockbrokers - restored London’s position as a world financial centre - allowed London to compete with Wall Street and other financial capitals of the world

Question 28

What was the overall GDP growth in the 80s and was this an improvement?

Answer 28

2.2% - no better than the 70s

Question 29

What was the impact of interest rates being raised to 17% in 1979?

Answer 29

- more expensive for businesses to borrow - increased value of the pound: made it more difficult for businesses to export - led to a decline of both output and demand - economy went into recession and many businesses went bankrupt - high unemployment

Question 30

When did inflation peak?

Answer 30

Peaked at 22% in May 1980

Question 31

When was inflation at its lowest?

Answer 31

2.5% in 1986

Question 32

What was the unemployment level by 1983?

Answer 32

Over 3 million

Question 33

What were the ‘sus laws’?

Answer 33

Gave police officers permission to stop and search suspected persons if they thought they might commit a crime

Question 34

Why were the ‘sus laws’ controversial?

Answer 34

Black people and those from ethnic minorities thought that the police unfairly targeted them.

Question 35

What discount was given in the right-to-buy scheme?

Answer 35

Between 33-50% depending on how long they had lived there

Question 36

How many people had used the right-to-buy scheme by 1988?

Answer 36

2 million

Question 37

What were the downsides of right-to-buy?

Answer 37

- The sale of council houses was predominantly in better-off areas and did not have a great impact in less desirable estates - Councils were ordered to use the profits from council house sales to reduce debts, not to build new council housing - The number of quality homes available for rent were sharply reduced and the waiting lists for rented homes got longer - Many were housed in emergency B&B accommodation which was expensive for councils to provide and not always suitable for the families involved

Question 38

When was secondary picketing outlawed?

Answer 38

1980

Question 39

How many pits did the NBC announce it needed to close in 1984?

Answer 39

20

Question 40

What was the Battle of Orgreave?

Answer 40

June 1984 there was a mass picket of the coke plant at Orgreave by 5000 miners. They were faced by 8000 police officers. The result was a series of violent confrontations - more than 50 picketers and 70 officers were injured.

Question 41

What was the impact of the miners’ strike?

Answer 41

- coal industry employed even less than before: dropping to 60,000 by 1990 - union membership dropped to 2/3 of what it was in 1979 - other state industries were reorganised, such as British Steel

Question 42

When was Poll Tax introduced in Scotland?

Answer 42

1989

Question 43

When was Poll Tax introduced in England and Wales?

Answer 43

1990

Question 44

How many people attended the anti-poll tax demonstration in Trafalgar Square in 1990?

Answer 44

200,000

Question 45

How many people were injured due to the riot during the poll tax demonstration?

Answer 45

5000

Question 46

How did Oxford University react to Thatchers cuts to higher education?

Answer 46

They voted against giving Thatcher an honorary degree - an honour that had been given to every other Oxford-educated post-war prime minister

Question 47

How did the Church demonstrate opposition to Thatcher?

Answer 47

Church of England published a report in 1985 called ‘Faith in the City’ which called on the gov to do more to help the deprived communities

Question 48

Examples of pressure groups which were anti-Thatcher:

Answer 48

- Shelter campaigned against the increasing homelessness problem - Age Concern campaigned against pensioner poverty

Question 49

Who were the Greenham Women?

Answer 49

A group of women protesting against the decision to station American Cruise missiles at bases in Britain (1979). The women set up camp outside Greenham Common base in Sep 1981, where the missiles were set to be based.

Question 50

How long did the Greenham Women keep their camp?

Answer 50

19 years

Question 51

How many people formed the 14-mile human chain in protest to missiles arriving in 1983?

Answer 51

70,000

Question 52

When did Britain officially win the Falklands War?

Answer 52

Argentine forces surrendered on June 14th 1982

Question 53

What was the Single European Act and when was it signed?

Answer 53

Most important piece of legislation since the UK joined the EEC - aimed to create a single market. Signed in 1986