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
What was the zinoviev letter?
Daily mail published this supposedly sent from leadership of the USSR to the British communist party which urged its members to infiltrate the Labour Party
What are 6 reasons for Conservative Party resurgence 1924-29 after the Labour govt
Impact of WW1, electoral change, post war events in Ireland, Broad-based support, funding and newspaper support
How did WW1 contribute to the resurgence of the conservatives 1924-29?
Labour Party split and conservatives part of coalition where they played key role + gained ministerial experience. Also highlighted values like patriotism and strong empire
How did electoral change contribute to the resurgence of the conservatives 1924-29?
Representation of the people act preserved ‘plural voting’, female voters who were enfranchised largely voted for conservatives
Why did post-war events in Ireland contribute to the resurgence of the Conservative Party 1924-29?
After Anglo Irish treaty, Irish Nationalists who had supported Liberals now sat in their own parliament in Dublin. Only ulster left who were pro-conservative
How did Broad- based support contribute to the resurgence of the Conservative Party?
Had supper of wealthy but also much of working and middle class which came from patriotism and national unity.
How did funding contribute to conservative resurgence?
Finding provided by wealth of upper and upper middle class
How did newspaper support contribute to the resurgence of the Conservative Party?
Newspapers largely owned by conservative supporters who gave the party favorable news coverage during elections
Who did Baldwin appoint as chancellor of the Exchequer?
Churchill
How did Churchill restore the pound?
Gold standard
What did the gold standard mean?
Increased the pounds value by 10% causing more economic problems such as further unemployment
What act did Chamberlain pass in 1925 And what did it mean?
The national insurance act which mean unemployment insurance could be claimed indefinitely providing the worker was ‘genuinely seeking work’
What act did Chamberlain pass in 1929 and what did it mean?
The local govt act which gave local authorities extra duties concerning roads, public health, maternity and child care
Give 3 examples of reforms introduces between 1924-29 that showed the conservatives were willing to accept the need for state intervention
1926- electricity act
BBC set up
1928- representation of the people act
how many houses did the 1924 houing act cause the building of?
over half a million
what did the unemployed become known as and why?
’ the intractable million’ as the undeployment figures never dropped below 1 mill
what was the contrbutory old age pensions act during Baldwin’s govt?
workers and wives received a pensions of 10s per week at the age of 65
what did the 1926 electricity act do?
set up the Central Electricity Board + created modern power stations and an effective power grid
what did the 1928 representation of the people act do?
gave votes to women aged 21 and over, putting the franchise on equal terms for men and women. franchise increases from 22 to 29 mill
