Britain 9- political developments Flashcards
other than the impact of war what 4 other factors contributed to the downfall of the Liberal party?
electoral costs (party income), the electoral system , loss of Irish Nationalist support, loss of traditional support
how did electoral costs contribute to the downfall of the liberals?
conservatives and labour had substantial sources of income. (conservatives= donations from business world + labour= fund from trade unions) Liberal had no similar source of income
how did the electoral system contribute to the downfall of the Liberals?
Liberals were disadvantaged by the ‘first past the post’ (although Liberas had a similar % of votes to Labour, they could not be translated into seats. made it less attractive to voters who didn’t want to waste their vote
how did loss of the Irish nationalist support contribute to the downfall of the Liberals?
could no longer rely on them like they had before 1914 as Sinn Fein had boycotted the HOC in 1918 and home rule for Southern Ireland was implemented in 1922
how did the loss of traditional support contribute to the downfall of the Liberals?
by 1918, Labour had a new constitution ensuring trade union dominance sp increasingly workers voted for labour. previously most enthusiastic supporter of Liberals were non-conformists but in the 1920s the non conformist churches were declining rapidly
give 3 reasons for the large no. of seats won by Labour in the 1923 election
- working class switched allegiance from Liberals to Labour
- Labour Party was now well-organised and well-funded
- Labour Party gained experience in govt during war (proved it was a patriotic party + could be trusted with power)
what were the aims of Stanley Baldwin for the Labour govt in 1924?
to gain the confidence of the country and to avoid radical policies and show that labour was capable pf running the govt and keeping the British Empire safe
what changes did Baldwin introduce during the Labour govt in 1924?
old age pensions and unemployment benefits were raised and state scholarships to universities (which had fallen victim to the ‘Geddes axe’) were revived
who was chancellor of the Exchequer during the labour govt of 1924?
Philip Snowden
what were Philip Snowden’s aims during the Labour govt 1924?
he despised borrowing money and was determined to keep expenditure down
who did the Labour govt show they weren’t going to be dictated by?
trade unions
what was one of the Labour govt’s greatest successes during 1924 involved with housing?
the housing act- tackling housing subsidies introduced by the previous conservative govt. they were increases by 50% which was to be paid for 40 years rather than 20
what was one of the Labour govt’s greatest successes involved with foreign relations?
during the Ruhr crisis between Germany and France, Macdonald convened and chaired a conference which resulted in the Dawes plan (reduced German reparations)
why were the Labour govt seen as being ‘too soft on communism’?
Macdonald negotiated a commercial treaty with Russia giving conservatives and Liberals the opportunity to attack Labour. claimed they were ‘too sof on communism’ (Russia received a £30 million loan in return for compensating Britain for assets seized during the communist revolution of 1917)
how was the Labour govt’s association with communism worsened?
during the Campbell case (Sept 1924) where the govt was accused of interfering in the justice system when they withdrew a prosecution against a left- wing journalist called Campbell
