Booklet 5: 1987-97 Flashcards
1
Q
What were some of the reasons for Thatcher’s fall from power?
A
- economic issues: failed to reduce inflation even though this was her governments main aim
- conservatives feared defeat in the next election (loss of safe seats in Eastbourne to liberals in by-election 1990)
- unpopularity of poll tax
- resignation of cabinet ministers
2
Q
What was John Major’s view on Europe?
A
Positive - wanted to see Britain ‘at the very heart of Europe’
3
Q
When was Poll Tax abandoned?
A
Nov 1991
4
Q
How did the Stock Market Crash affect Thatcher’s popularity?
A
1987 - crashed following the ‘big bang’.
The policies of chancellor Lawson resulted in a balance of payments problem.
Thatcher’s gov seen as unable to stabilise the economy.
5
Q
What was the Bruges Speech?
A
Speech given by Thatcher in Bruges where she opposed any moves to transition the EEC into a federal Europe, as it would take powers away from member states.
6
Q
What proportion of the public disliked Thatcher by the time she resigned?
A
60%
7
Q
Why did Geoffrey Howe resign in 1990?
A
Disagreements over Europe - triggered by Thatcher saying Britain would never join the Euro.
8
Q
Why did Nigel Lawson resign?
A
Concerned that Thatcher was listening to advice from her private advisors more than cabinet.
9
Q
How did Major show he was a break from Thatcher?
A
- abolished poll tax
- more money spent on healthcare and education
- favoured a middle way on Europe
10
Q
Examples of political sleaze in the Conservative Party?
A
- cash-for-questions affairs: Ian Greer had paid 2 conservative MPs to ask parliamentary questions on behalf of Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed
- sex scandals: David Mellor had an affair with actress Antonia de Sancha and Major himself was rumoured to be having an affair
- homosexuality scandals: Jerry Hayes having an affair with an 18-year-old male conservative researcher
11
Q
When did Britain join the ERM?
A
1990
12
Q
What was Black Wednesday?
A
Financial crisis on September 16th 1992 where the UK government was forced to withdraw the sterling from the ERM.
13
Q
What is the ERM?
A
Set up in 1979 and aimed to stabilise exchange rates between different countries in the EEC by limiting how much their value could change.
14
Q
What were PFIs?
A
Public Finance Initiatives - aimed to create ‘public-private partnerships’ where private firms are contracted to manage public projects.
15
Q
How many sex scandals were there in the Conservative Party?
A
More than a dozen
16
Q
How much did unemployment rise at the start of the 90s?
A
1.6m in 1991 to 2.6m in 1992
17
Q
What were the political consequences of Black Wednesday?
A
- humiliating for Major’s government
- lost their reputation for economic competence
- lost press support
- lost the 1997 election
18
Q
What were the positive economic impacts of Black Wednesday?
A
- interest rates could be lowers helping businesses to build and invest
- cheaper pound made exports less expensive
- unemployment fell
- consumer spending rose
19
Q
What were the negative economic impacts of Black Wednesday?
A
- interest rates initially very high (15%)
- house prices rose
20
Q
What was the Citizen’s Charter?
A
1991 - aimed to redefine the relationship between citizens and public services, with an increased emphasis on citizens as consumers.
21
Q
Why did the Conservative Party remain divides under Major?
A
- growing euroscepticism
- moderate conservatives did not want further radical social policies or privatisation
- some on the right feared a move away from Thatcherism
- major was unable to quieten criticism (referred to his own cabinet as ‘bastards’)
22
Q
When did Major face a leadership challenge and who was it against?
A
1995 against John Redwood
23
Q
What did the government raise interest rates to during Black Wednesday?
A
15%
24
Q
Examples of continued privatisation:
A
- coal industry in 1994
- railways in 1996
25
What was the Cones Hotline?
A phone number motorists could call if motorway lanes were closed off without any sign of roadwork - became targets of satire.
26
Did pit closures continue under Major?
Yes - Hesseltine announced closure of 31 in 1991
27
What was the BSE?
‘Mad cow disease’ crisis - identified as a threat to human health in 1996 and led to British beef being banned in Europe
28
Examples of IRA action in the 1990s:
- Feb 1991: 3 shells fired at 10 Downing Street by IRA
- April 1992: Baltic Exchange, London bombing (3 killed)
29
When did the IRA announce a ceasefire?
1994
30
When was Major and Reynolds’ Downing Street Declaration?
1993
31
How did Neil Kinnock change the Labour Party?
- party became more professional in its presentation (Peter Mandelson as his director of communications 1985)
- ditched a lot of the pledges from the 1983 manifesto by 1988 (e.g. withdrawal from EEC and unilateral disarmament)
- signalled a split from trade unions by ending support of closed shop union agreements in 1989
- changed their logo to a red rose as the red flag was seen as too socialist
32
How did John Smith change the Labour Party?
- moved to abolish trade union block vote by introducing ‘one member one vote’ for parliamentary candidates in 1993
- committed future Labour government to establishing a Scottish parliament
33
How did Tony Blair change the Labour Party?
- rebranded it as ‘New Labour’
- removal of Clause IV
- promised to stick to conservative spending plans
- record number of female candidates
34
How did the media portray Neil Kinnock?
- The Sun suggested that if he won in 1987 it would be a disaster ‘If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights’
- The Sun: ‘Why I’m backing Kinnock, by Stalin’ (suggests labour still seen as too left wing)
35
How did the media portray John Smith?
- slightly more positively
- Daily Mirror congratulated him becoming the leader of the party
- Mirror wrote after he died ‘the best prime minister we never had’
36
How did the media portray Tony Blair?
- was backed by almost all newspapers
- ‘The Sun Backs Blair’
37
What were some of Blair’s campaign slogans:
- ‘education, education, education’
- ‘New Labour because Britain deserves better’
- campaign song: things can only get better
38
In what ways was Neil Kinnock successful even though he did not win the 1992 election?
- overtook conservatives in opinion polls
- predicted to win the 1992 election
- seat numbers increased by 42
- still began to reform the party
39
What was the Granita Pact?
- meeting between Blair and Brown
- agreed that Brown would not stand in the leadership election
- Blair agreed to make Brown his chancellor
- Blair agreed to stay in power for 2 terms and then resign in Brown’s favour (they have denied this)
40
What was the role of Alastair Campbell?
Press secretary - improved Labour’s relationship with the press
Strategist and spokesperson for Blair and New Labour
41
What was the role of Peter Mandelson?
Controlled the Labour party’s communications to ensure a consistent and coherent message.
‘Spin doctor’
42
Who were Stonewall?
A pressure group promoting LGBTQ+ rights established in 1989 in response to section 28
43
When was the age of consent reduced to 18 for gay men?
1994
44
What was Clause IV?
A section of the Labour Party constitution that committed them to the policy of nationalisation.
45
What is closed shop?
Workers all have to be members of a particular union in order to work in a particular job.
46
How many seats did the Labour Party win in the 1997 election?
418
47
What was the Macpherson Report?
Criticised the metropolitan police for being ‘institutionally racist’
48
Who was Stephen Lawrence?
An 18 year old who was racially attacked by 6 young white men in 1993.
The attack resulted in him being stabbed twice, leading to his death.
Nobody was convicted until 2012.
49
Who was Jamie Bulger?
A 2-year old boy who was abducted, tortured and murdered by two 10-year old boys in Merseyside 1993.
50
What was the Dunblane Massacre?
A school shooting in 1996 in Scotland, where 16 pupils and one teacher were killed before the 43-year-old shot himself.
51
What was Mary Whitehouse’s ‘video nasties’ campaign?
‘video nasties’ was a term used by the NVALA to refer to films that were violent and uncensored (typically horror films)
52
What is moral panic?
An exaggerated media response to behaviour that deviates from the norms and values of society and causes moral entrepreneurs to question whether the moral fabric of society is falling apart.
53
When did divorce levels reach a record level?
1993
54
When was the Video Recording Act passed and what did it do ?
1994 - aimed to combat video nasties
55
What book led do a tabloid outcry and why?
Jenny lives with Ric and Martin - was about homosexuality
56
How many births were outside of marriages in 1991?
30%
57
Who criticised single mothers in 1992?
Peter Lilley at the Conservative Party conference
58
What was John Major’s ‘Back to Basics’ campaign?
Promoted traditional values e.g. decency, respect for the law, family, traditional relationships etc
59
Why was the monarchy under scrutiny in the 90s?
- 3/4 of the Queen’s children’s marriages had broken down
- concern over public cost of repair after fire at Windsor Castle
- sympathy for Dianna (especially after death in 1997)
60
Why was the Public Order Act passed?
Growth of acid house led to illegal raves and illicit drugs (ecstasy etc)
61
When was the Public Order Act passed and what did it do?
1994 - gave police more powers to break up illegal raves
62
Why was Salman Rushdie’s ‘satanic verses’ book controversial?
- motivated Islamist extremist bombings, killings and riots
- sparked debates about censorship and religiously motivated violence
- some Muslims burnt the book out of protest
63
How many non-white MPs were elected in 1987 and how many kept their seats in 1992?
4 - all kept their seats
64
How many women were employed by 1993?
68%
65
What amount of men’s wages did women earn by 1993?
Still only 80%
66
Who was Betty Boothroyd?
The first female speaker of the HOCs from 1992
67
Changes to the law that affected women in the 90s?
- rape within marriage became a criminal offence in 1994
- women were now taxed separately to men too
68
Examples of female representation in film and music:
- Spice Girls popularised the term ‘girl power’
- more leading female characters e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- riot girl movement (female bands singing about female issues) e.g. Bikini Hill, Huggy Bear
69
How did the press portray the AIDs crisis in Britain?
Blamed gay people
- ‘gay virus’
70
What were the main moral panics of the 1990s?
- condition of British childhood
- single motherhood
- video nasties
- war on drugs
71
Where did the majority of asylum seekers come from in the 90s?
Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq
72
What was the Maastricht Treaty and when was it signed?
1992 - foundational treaty of the EU. Announced plans for a single currency and common foreign/security policies.
73
What was the Social Chapter and why did Major opt Britain out of it?
A section of the Maastricht treaty that set provisions on employment laws.
Opted out as a compromise between the europhiles and eurosceptics in his party.
74
Examples of Conservative opposition to the Maastricht Treaty?
- Ian Duncan Smith voted with Labour two times to oppose the signing of the Maastricht Treaty
- Liam Fox signed an early day motion against the Maastricht Treaty
75
What was Major’s relationship like with Bush?
- intensive co-operation during the Gulf War
- remained on the same side for almost all issues
- more disputes due to absence of USSR as a shared threat
76
What was Major’s relationship like with Clinton?
- were not compatible (different ideology)
- Clinton pressed Major to agree to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1996
- crisis in relations blew up over Bosnia
- Major refused Clinton’s phone calls after he granted Sin Fein leader a visa to visit the USA
77
What was the Gulf War?
A war against Iraq by coalition forces from many nations in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
78
How long did the Gulf War go on for?
1990-Feb 1991 (7 months)
79
How many British troops were deployed in the Gulf War?
50,000 (largest deployment since WWII)
80
What was ‘operation desert storm’?
Air and missile attacks on Iraq beginning on the 17th Jan 1991
81
What was the Srebrenica Massacre?
Genocide in July 1995 killing more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims during the Bosnian War.
Mainly perpetrated by the Bosnian Serb Army
82
How many Bosnian Muslim women and children were forcibly transferred during the Bosnian War?
25,000-30,000
83
How were the UK involved in the Bosnian War?
- UK forces deployed as part of the UN protection force (1992-1995)
- main role was to ensure freedom of movement within the Muslim-Croat Federation
84
Who were key europhiles in the Conservative Party?
- John Major
- Ken Clarke
- Chris Pattern
85
Who were key eurosceptics in the Conservative Party?
- John Redwood
- Ian Duncan Smith
- Michael Portillo
86
When was UKIP set up?
1993
87
Who founded UKIP?
Alan Sked
88
When was the Referendum Party founded?
1994
89
What was the Anti-Federalist League?
Created to oppose the Maastricht Treaty in 1991
90
What was Thatcher’s role in the ending of the Cold War?
- positive relationships with both Reagan and Gorbachev
- recognised that Gorbachev was a reformer and persuaded Reagan to negotiate with him
91
How many states were in the EU by 1995?
15
