Britain 13 political developments Flashcards
what 4 reforms were pushed by labour during their time in govt 1929-31?
-housing act-1930
-coal mines act-1930
-land utlisation act and agricultural marketing act-1931
-london transport bill-1931
who was appointed britain’s first femal cabinet minister?
Margaret Bondfield
what did the 1930 hosuing act do?
increased subsdies for house building and introduced new slu clearance schemes
what did the 1930 coal mines act do?
attempted to reduce bitterness cause by general strike by reducing miners’ working hours from eight to seven and a half hours
what did the land utlisaton and agricultural marketing act, 1931 do?
establisjed a series of marketing boards t help producers, they had power to fix prices and arrange supplies more efficiently
what did the London transport bil, 1931, do?
introduced by Herbert Morrison and created a public corporation responsible for providing cheap and efficient public transport for London
what happened to unemployment benefits suring the labour govt?
increased
what reforms did labour fail to pass due to a lack of liberal support?
eduaction bill to raise leaving age to 15, a bill to create a max 48 hour working week and plans to repeal the 1927 TUs act
when was the wal street crash?
October 1929
what did Macdonald set up to deal with the economic crisis of 1929? and when?
1930- set up the economic advisory council
wat was Macdonald’s traditional economic belief?
‘balace the budget’
how was the labour party split over how to deal with the economic crisis?
Snowden accepted balancing the budget and maintaining gold standard were fundamental principles but Oswald Mosley called for increased govt spending, financing public works schemes and social reforms through govt loans
when and why id Mosley resign?
May 1930 when his ‘Mosley memorandum’ was rejected
when did the banking crisis occur?
May 1931
what did the bnking crisis lead to the labour party proposing?
the formation of the May committee
when was the May Committee’s report and what did it claim?
31 July 1931, predicted a massive budget deficit of £120 mill by 1932 unless severe cut were made
what cuts did the May committee recommend?
£96.5 mill with pay cuts for ‘public sector’ employees ad a 20% cut in unemployment benefit
what was held to decide on what to do following the May Committee recommendations?
12th August - members of the ‘Cabinet Economy committee’ including MacDonald, Henderson, J.H Thomas and Snowden met and by the 19th agreed to cuts of £56 mill vut leaders of other parties rejected them as too small
how did TUC leader react to cuts?
rejected any cuts that would affect uneployed which put major pressure on Labour cabinet
when did the cabinet give the final vote of approval and wat was the result?
23rd August, cuts to unemployment benefits won only by 11 to 9 votes and split thelabour party sobadly that Macdonald could no longer continue to lead it
what date did Macdonald go to Buckingham palace ?
24th August 1931
wat was the outcome of Macdonald’s visit?
expected to resign but instead afer the ng had spoken to Samuel and Baldwin, it was agreed that Macdonald would continu as PM as head of a new ‘National govt’
what was Macdonald accused of?
-needlessly setting up the May committee
-slow to respond to crisis
-failed to resign when party split obvious
-called an election in 1931 even when he promised not to
what was the name of the election called by conservatives after the formation of the NG and when?
‘The doctors mandate’, Oct 1931
