Britain Tranformed - Changing Politicaal And Economic Landsacpe Flashcards

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1
Q

Decline of the Liberals

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2
Q

How did the Liberal party develop in interwar British politics

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3
Q

Why did the liberal party fall as a political force in the interwar period

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4
Q

How did WW1 impact upon Liberal unity

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5
Q

To what extent did the ROTPA 1918 damage the Liberals

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6
Q

Was the 1918 ‘Coupon Election’ a turning point in liberal fortunes

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7
Q

How did Lloyd George’s conduct damage liberal party in 1922

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8
Q

How did the liberals try to bounce back from the 1922 general election

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9
Q

Rise in Labour

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10
Q

How did the Labour Party develop in interwar British politics

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11
Q

What was the position of the Labour Party in 1918

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12
Q

Why was the labour party able to develop inn interwar British politics

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13
Q

How were labour able to preserve party unity

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14
Q

How did the organisation of the Labour Party develop in interwar period

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15
Q

How did the changes in the voting system impact upon the Labour Party

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16
Q

How did the Labour Party break away from the liberal influence in the interwar years

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17
Q

Conservative Dominance 1918-1931

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18
Q

How were the Conservatives dominant in interwar British politics

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19
Q

Why were the conservative dominant in interwar British politics

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20
Q

How did changes in the electoral system help the conservatives

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21
Q

How did divisions with the opposition help the conservatives

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22
Q

How effective were the conservatives organised

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23
Q

How effective was image of the conservatives projected in the interwar years

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24
Q

The National Government

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25
Q

Why was then national government formed in 1931

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26
Q

What was the outcome of the 1929 general election

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27
Q

What did the 1929-21 labour government try to do

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28
Q

Why was the 1931 budget significant

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29
Q

What was the role of Ramsay MacDonald in creating the national government in 1931

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30
Q

What happened in the general elections of 1931

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31
Q

Who were the leaders of the national government between 1931 and 1945

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32
Q

What challenges did the leaders of the national government fact between 1931 and 1945

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33
Q

Macdonald

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34
Q

Baldwin

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35
Q

Chamberlin

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36
Q

Churchill

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37
Q

Failure of extremism

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38
Q

** Consensus 1945-1979** V

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39
Q

Why did WW2 set the stage for consensus

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40
Q

Why did labour win by a landslide in the 1945 general election

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41
Q

Atlee government 1945-51

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42
Q

Why did labour lose the 1950 and 1951 election

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43
Q

Churchill, Eden and MacMillan governments 1951-1961 - 13 golden years

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44
Q

Key policies/achievement

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45
Q

Consensus?

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46
Q

13 golden years or 13 wasted years

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47
Q

End of Conservative dominance

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48
Q

Harold Wilson 1970-1974

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49
Q

Key departments created

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50
Q

Other policies/achievements

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51
Q

Problems faced

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52
Q

Consensus

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53
Q

Edward Heath 1964-1970

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54
Q

Key achievements/policies

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55
Q

The u-turn

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56
Q

Problems faced

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57
Q

Consensus

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58
Q

Wilson and Callaghan 1974-1979

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59
Q

The economic problems

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60
Q

The trade union problems

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61
Q

Consensus

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62
Q

changes in the economic landscape

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63
Q

the 20s

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64
Q

What was the economic legacy of ww1

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65
Q

What was the pattern of Britain’s economic story during 1920s

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66
Q

Ineffective solutions to economic problems

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67
Q

Other things that impacted the economy

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68
Q

the 30s

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69
Q

Why are the 1930s referred to as the hungry thirties

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70
Q

What was the pound devalued in 1931

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71
Q

What was the impact of the pound being removed from the gold standard in 1931

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72
Q

The 40s

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73
Q

What was he impact of ww2 on the direction of economic policy

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74
Q

How important was economic aid to the British economy in the 1940s

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75
Q

What was the impact of austerity economic measures in the 1940s

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76
Q

What was the impact of nationalisation of key industries in the 1940s

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77
Q

The 50s and 60s

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78
Q

Butskellism

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79
Q

You’ve never had it so good - the illusion of affluence

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80
Q

Stop-go economics

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81
Q

What was corporatism

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82
Q

Dash for growth

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83
Q

Stagflation

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84
Q

Wilson and the devaluation of the pound

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85
Q

the 70s

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86
Q

Why did Heaths policy fail

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87
Q

Why did Britain apply for a lan from the International Monetary Fund

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88
Q

Changes in industrial relations

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89
Q

1918-1939

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90
Q

What was the pattern of change within interwar relations

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The brief post war boom led to increasing disputes between trade unions nand the government
The economic slump of the 1920s weakened the union as many workers left the trade unions
1921 Black Friday Strike
The General strike 1926 challenge Ed government policies but failed
Overall period 1921-39 was marked by comparatively low incidents of industrial action despite the 1930s being a period of hardship- and unemployment for any in the traditional industrial heartlands

91
Q

What there the key chnages in industry in the interwar period

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Mich of the traditional industry was still rooted in Victorian Britain
Iron ore and the coal industries in Scotland south wales and northern England were the key heavy industries
B y the interwar period, they were outdated, suffered from under I investment and couldn’t compete with foreign competitors
The 1919 Sankey Commission recommended that government owbnerhsip of mines continued after the war, yet mines were handed back to porivate ownership in 1921
Wages soon fell
The aftermath of war saw demand for textile and shipbuilding fall as rivals stepped up into gap left by britains in the war and never relinquished their industrial position
However, the interwar period saw the rise of Morden industries l such as the motor indisutry and chemicals
- these industries centred around the Midlands and south east of England
There was also growth of light engineering companies which produce consumer good
These industries used used modern manufacturing techniques
Unionism was weaker in these industries and the wages were better

92
Q

What was the impact of these changes in industry

A

Many have argued about the emergence f two englands in this period which were differentiated by the older and newer insurites
The key chnages with this development were:
- the older industries lost a third of their workforce - unemployment 3 million in 1932, Jarrow
- those industires that made electrical appliances increased their workforce by 250%
- the service industires boomed
- building industry expanded by 40%

93
Q

1926 General strike

A

March 1926, the Samuel Commision recommended radical restructuring of the coal industry, bur also a pay cut for miners
Miners rejected the proposals
- “not a minute off the day, not a new off the pay”
They called TUC support in strike
TUC entered talks with government however on 2 May Baldwin called off talks and declared a state of emergency
3 May, 3 million workers went on strike
However 9 days later the general strike was over and the miners were left on strike on their own for further 6 months without success

94
Q

Why did strike fail

A

Not all workers react for a strike and didn’t coordinate their efforts
Government had been prepping for strike since 1925
- they had created the Organisation for the Maintenacne of Supplies, a network of volunteers who stepped in to do essential jobs not done by striking workers
Churchill was put in charge of government newspaper
- the British Gazette
- used to turn public opinion agasint strike and made clear to TUC that the government wouldn’t be held hostage to strike action
TUC limited violence during strike
- made it easier for government to handle
Strike expensive for TUC
- costing £4 million of its £12.5 million strike fund
A liberal politician offered TUC an unofficial settlement
- the Samuel Memorandum
- promising National Wage Board, wage subsidies and no wage cuts before the restructuring of mining
- TUC accepted this and called off strike

Failures of strke left to Trade Disputees Act in 1927 which made sympathetic strike illegal
TUC had to abandon general strikes
Many men become dillusioned with trade unions
TUC membership sank to its lowest in 1932
Working class men began to look to Labour for better solutions

95
Q

What was the impact of the Great Depression on industrial relations

A

Although unemployment never fell below 1 million in interwar period, it rose to 3 million in 1932
Much of this was long term unemployment
- 1929, 5% of unemployed had been jobless for over a year
- by 1932, this had risen to 16.4%
Mass unemployment led to a fall of union membership by almost 50%
- from 8 million in 1922 to 4.5 million in 1932
Workers in traditional heavy industries tended to fight harder for their jobs and pay
This was against employers wanting to make cuts and improve productivity
In the middle of this the government tried to supply support for the unemployed but did not have resources to do this
Also, government tended to side with the employer in trade disputes
By 1939, traditional heavy industries were in terminal decline and working conditions remained poverty stricken

96
Q

1939-1964

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97
Q

Patterns of employment 1939-1964

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WW2 led to more employment opportunities like:
- move towards full employment as Britain engaged in total war
- more women in workforce
- better working conditions - improved healthcare, longer hours but better wages
- Control of Employment Act - semi-skilled workers could take on skilled jobs
- Essential work order - forced people to do particular jobs, 8.5 million issues by government, made it difficult for workers to be fired, protected and defined essential jobs
The government’s commitment to full employment led to record low figures of unemployment in this period
There was a particular growth in white collar industries because:
- people on average had higher levels of income, this filled more demand for luxury good and services like meals out, which created more jobs
- government increased spending on services like health care and education, creating more public sector jobs
- white collar jobs were moe difficult to mechanise and so weren’t lost to technological advances as much as blue collar jobs were
Traditional industries suffered and there were huge falls in the number of miners and shipwrights
Better education gave people greater mobility
Some workers enjoyed incentives like cheap canteens, subsides outing and social clubs

98
Q

Changes industrial relations

A

WW2:
- there were some strikes during war over wages and hours
- Bevin, a trade unionist, become Minister of Labour in 1940
~ Bevin promoted working relations between unions and management
~ Bevin Boys - young British men were conscripted to work in coal new tens between 1943-1948
- the 1944 government declared its long term responsibility for the maintenance of high employment
- war led to inclusion of trade unionists in many government making decision bodies
Atlee government:
- working with unions established as a part of the consensus
- key industries nationalised
- trade unionist inclusions on the board of nationalised Bank of England
- Trade Disputes Act of 1927 repealed giving more power to unions and making labour more reliant on union funding
- Conservatives industrial charter 1947 shows consensus views on cooperation with unions and protecting labour rights
The 50s:
- fully employment and high trade union membership
- growth of prosperous trade union leaders like Vic Feather and Jack Jones ;led to distance between trade union members and their leaders
- There was a growth in power of shop leaders, who would call unofficial ‘wildcat’ strikes
~ they anted a greater share in consumerism
- deteriorating relationship between Conservatives and TUC
~ the number of strikers between 1955-1964 was double that of 1945-1950
- growing divide between the workers and the middle class

99
Q

1964-1979

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100
Q

Patterns in industrial relations

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Wildcat strikes increases
- accounting for 90% of all stike action in 60s
- making union leadership seems weak and workers aggressive
Growing union militancy
- caused by workers who wages fel behind inflation
- many felt left out of Britain’s increasing prosperity
Deteriorating relationships with the unions caused by persistent strikes and stagflation which led to governments opposing wage restraints
Rising unemployment
- 1 million in 1972
Tensions with the unions reach crisis point in the 70s
- three-day work week and winter of discontent

101
Q

Wilson’s 1964-1970 government

A

Attitude towards unions:
- Wilson projected image of an ‘ordinary bloke’ after smoking a pipe, to attract unions support
- Wilson attempted to have a close relationship with the unions, wanted to talk over industrial disputes with ‘beer and sandwiches at number ten’
Passed Trade Disputes Act in 1965, restored certain legal immunities for TUs
Barbra Castles 1969 In place of strife proposed:
- secret ballots before strikes become compulsory
- a cooling off period for 90 days could be imposed at ministerial discretion
- fines for breaches of law by union activists
However was so unpopular with unions it was never implanted

There was a National Seamen’s strike in 1966

102
Q

Heath 1970-1974

A

Attitudes towards unions:
- Selsdon man wanted to limit power of unions and refuse to prop up failing industries
1971 industrial relations act:
- placed limits on the right of strike
- insides unions had to place themselves on a government register
- established the national industrial relations court to judge the legality of strike action
- failed because unions refused to comply - the unions refused to register and TRUC mobilised a massive campaign of non-cooperation

103
Q

Wilson and Callaghan 1974-1979 Government

A

Attitude towards unions:
- labour repealed the Industrial Relations Act and replaced it with a vague “social Contract’ - a voluntary prices and wage control agreement
- Callaghan was determined to stick to a 5% limited to pay increases in 1978
Deteriorating relationships:
- 1978 strike at Ford leads to a 17% raise for the workers - embarrassment for the government
- 3 January oil tankers and lorry dirvers strike, tanker drivers quickly win pay rise and return to work, lorry drivers hold out for another 6 weeks - during this time, they refuse to deliver good and picket ports to supplies reaching industry, shops and hospitals - in repossessed people began to panic buy
- 22 January strikes led to winter of discontent
~ 1.5 mil public sector workers went on strike (protesting wage freezes - condition of the IMF loan)
~ almost all schools shut along with museums, library and other public buildings
~ hospital staff went on strike ad hospitals could only treat emergency patients
~ rubbish went uncollected ad pilled up on streets (found us pictures of Leicester Square fulled with rubbish bags)
~ in Liverpool, gravediggers strike and by end Jan 225 corpses were in storage awaiting burial
~ nearly 30 mill working days lost by end strikes of 1979
~ government accepted defeat in Feb abd allowed pay increases 1-15%

Tamils coverage of winter of discontent exaggerated the chaos caused by strike and turned public opinion firmly agasint unions
- 84% of nation thought trade unions too powerful
Many now belied that unions had to be stopped
Thatcher promised to tackle union and won 1979 election

104
Q

Notable strikes

A

1972 national union of miners (NUM) strike + 3 days work week - NUM demanded 43% pay rise, gov offers 8%, 200,000 miners went on strike - gov declared a state of emergency, the government eventually offered a 27% pay rise

1974 NUM strike and 3 day work week - 1973 oil crisis led to higher wage demands, NUM demanded 35% pay rise - gov called a 3 day work week:
- commercial electricity use limited to three days ba week
- industry worked 3 days a week
- 50mph driving limit
- some schools close
- television ended 10:30pm each night
1974 - attempting to tackle miners head on _heatrh calls on election with slogan “who governs Britain” - he loses