Britain Booklet 1

Question 1

How many seats and votes did the Conservative and Labour Party’s get in the 1951 election?

Answer 1

Cons - 321 seats, 48.0% votes
Labour - 295 seats, 48.8% votes

Question 2

What were the 6 main reasons for Conservative Dominance?

Answer 2

• Policies
• Divisions/Weakness of Labour
• Economic Improvement
• Post War Consensus
• Conservative Leaders
• First Past the Post

Question 3

What were the 3 key policies?

Answer 3

• Housing
• Education
• Social Reforms

Question 4

What did the Housing policy include?

Answer 4

The promise to build 300,000 houses a year to replace slums, was successful and the did fulfil promise.

Question 5

What did the Education policy include?

Answer 5

The 3 types of schools
- Grammar school (intellectual)
- Technical (Practical/vocational)
- Secondary (Basic)
Determined by 11+ test but questioned if system was fair

Question 6

What were the 4 Social Reform laws made?

Answer 6

• Clean Air Act 1956
• Housing and Factory Acts
• The Homicide Act 1957
• 1957 Wolfenden Commission (recommended Homosexual acts should not be a crime)

Question 7

What were the key issues of Labour Divisions?

Answer 7

The party was split into the left side and the right side. The main issues were debates on prescription charges, Clause IV and Nuclear weapons.

Question 8

What were the differences in beliefs on Prescription in the Labour?

Answer 8

Right believed there should be charges, Left believed there should be none.

Question 9

What were the differences in beliefs on Clause IV?

Answer 9

Right believed in full nationalisation, Left believed it should only be a possible policy for certain uses.

Question 10

What were the differences in beliefs on Nuclear Weapons?

Answer 10

Right believed in unilateral disarmament, Left against it and believed they should disarm with other countries.

Question 11

Who were the respective figures for the Left and Right of the party?

Answer 11

Left - Bevan
Right - Gaitskell

Question 12

Who were the 3 conservative leaders of 1951 to 1964?

Answer 12

Churchill - 1951 to 1955
Eden - 1955 to 1957
Macmillan - 1957 to 1963

Question 13

What were the key reasons for Eden’s failures as PM?

Answer 13

People believed he was inexperienced, had a lack of knowledge on economic affairs and the Suez Crisis.

Question 14

What and when was the Suez Crisis? How did it effect Britain? (LONG ANSWER)

Answer 14

The Suez Crisis 1956 was a planned attack to gain control of the Suez canal from Egypt with France and Israel, taking place October 29th. Though the invasion was successful and they gained control, they got told of by USA and several other countries. This caused them to have to give back the canal but also showed that Britain did not have as big of a position in the world as initially thought.

Question 15

What were the main reasons for conservative fall from power?

Answer 15

• ‘Night of Long Knives’ 1962
  – Several Spy affairs (Profumo Affair)
• Macmillan’s ill health

Question 16

What was the Night of Long Knives? When?

Answer 16

In July 1962, Macmillan reshuffled the cabinet, firing a 3rd of it, it was intended to reshuffle it though it actually weakened it, making Macmillan appear clumsy.

Question 17

What was the Profumo affair?

Answer 17

John Profumo (Defence Secretary) had a relationship with Christine Keeler who was sleeping with a Soviet Spy, this caused suspicions of leaking Cold War secrets.

Question 18

What was the key economic system and how successful was it?

Answer 18

The Stop-Go system in order to to Balance Payments by inflating and deflating the economy. Though this did not make the most stable economy due to the large fluctuations, causing the public to get irritated. Only good short term.

Question 19

What were the 6 key points/statistics of the Post-War Boom?

Answer 19

• Food rationing ended July 1954
• Fast-growing population 1961(51 million), 5% of that in 1951
• By 1955, full employment reached (only 200,000 unemployed)
• Expansion of electrical and engineering work (Cars, steel)
• Service Industries grew (1/5 worked by 1960)
• Rab Butler £134 million tax cuts

Question 20

What are some statistics to show Britain’s slow growth in comparison to other countries?

Answer 20

Comparison of % of world Shares
UK - 25%(1950) and 15%(1962)
USA - 27%(1950) and 20%(1962)
West Germany - 7%(1950) and 20%(1962)

Question 21

What were the key developments in living standards? (Homes)

Answer 21

• Pre-war Slums cleared (Eg Harlow and Kirkby)
• Planned new towns by Labour (Stevenage and Crawley)
• Council homes made were cheap and outnumbered private homeowners

Question 22

What were some statistics to show growth in Consumerism? (5 points)

Answer 22

• Households with TV’s went up by 32% between 1957 and 1959
• 50% watched TV in the evening
• ITV launched 1955
• Main hobbies DIY and Gardening
• 60,000 people went to Butlins a week on holiday

Question 23

What were some statistics to show growth in Car’s?

Answer 23

• ownership went up by 25%
• motorways developed (M1)
• 1200 miles of upgraded roads

Question 24

How much did the role of women change? (4)

Answer 24

Not much at all, traditional roles still expected for women. By 21, 75% married. Only 1 in 5 worked. A Family Allowance paid women to ensure they didn’t need to work, mortgages and bank accounts in mans name.

Question 25

How did the Youth Culture change?

Answer 25

They developed different style and music to their parents.
Teddy Boys - 1950’s seen as worrying and a lead to rising crime rates
Mod’s and Rocker’s - 1960’s, seemed to be a rivalry in the 2 groups (one more jazz and bikes, the other more rock and roll and leather jackets)
The groups had reached violence, especially in Brighton.

Question 26

How many people immigrated and emigrated between 1951 and 1960?

Answer 26

Immigrated 676,000
Emigrated 1.32 million

Question 27

What were the Notting Hill Riots?

Answer 27

1958
They were several violent outbreaks due to the large African-Caribbean population, several mobs of white youth attacked African-Caribbeans and some defended themselves, showing further racial discrimination of police response.

Question 28

What was the Commonwealth immigration act and when was it passed?

Answer 28

1962
A legislation to control immigration from other countries

Question 29

What are some key points about decolonisation?

Answer 29

Pressures of Colonial independence grew after independence of India
Mau Mau Rebellion caused Kenya to become independent in 1963.
Uganda in 1962