British History: Topic 2 Flashcards
Race Relations Act
1965 and 1968
* prohibited racial descrimination in public places
* racial hatred was made a criminal offence
* set up Race Relations Board
* created Community Relations Commission
Abortion Act
1967
Sexual Offences Act
1967
creation of the Ombudsman
1967 - a special parliamentary officer called the Ombudsman was appointed for ordinary citizens to appeal if they felt they suffered from abuse of authority by a government of department
Commonwealth Immigration Act
1968
Theatres Act
1968 - plays no longer needed to be submitted to the Lord Chamberlain for approval
aboltion of death penalty
1969
divorce reform act
1969 - allowed divorce on grounds of the ‘irretrievable breakdown’ of their relationship
founding of the Open University
1969 - Harold Wilson claimed this was his greatest achievement as PM
Main reasons for Labours 1964 election victory
2 - they presented a more youthful image - thanks to his skilful election campaign
- Harold Wilson was a man of the people
- lack of spirit in Conservative government
- Conservative were victim of the new ‘satire’
What did Harold Wilson famously say that showed he was ready to modernise Britain
he wanted to grasp the “white heat of the technological revolution”
1964 election Labour seats and % of votes
317 seats
44.1% of votes
1964 Conservative seats and % of votes
304 seats
43.4% of votes
Difficulties in the Labour government
- economic difficulties as in second half of 20th century was shifting in its economic and social structure
- changing from an industrial economic structure to a post-industrial one
- Britain failed to match growth rates of countries in Western Europe, Japan and the USA
what was the main parts of the change from industrial to post-industrial economy
manufacturing industries were shrinking, service and finance industries were expanding
The National Plan 1964
- created by the new department of economic affairs
- plan for modernisatino
- aimed to increase industrial production adn exports by encourage cooperation between the government, employees and trade unions
Who was in charge of the new department of economic affairs
George Brown
When and why was the National Plan abandoned
1967
few of the expansive targets were met
1966 election Labour seats and % of votes
363 seats
47.9% of votes
1966 election Conservative seats and % of votes
253 seats
41.9% of votes
What was set up to regulate pay settlements and when
A Prices and Incomes board was set up in 1965
Consequences of the Price and Incomes board
The leader of the Transport and General Workers’ Union - Frank Cousins - who WIlson made his minister of technology resigned
when were there major strikes over pay and what did they highlight
1966-1967 which highlighted the gap between government and unions
What were the most disruptive strikes 1966-7
There were long stoppages by the seamen’s and docker’s unions
What did Wilson interpret these strikes as
a deliberate attack by a group of Marxist extremists on Britain’s industrial well-being
what was the IMF
International Monetary Fund
what happened the Britain’s trade deficiet by 1967 and what did Wilson do
it had grown very large so he approached the IMF for another large loan (already borrowed £1 billion 3 years prior)
Who did Wilson blame for the huge trade deficiet
‘trade union troublemakers’ - he said the government were beginning to overcome the financial problems but they were stopped by the trikes
How did Wilson feel about devaluation
he wanted to avoid it at all costs
what happened in late 1967 to try and help Britain’s economic problems
devaluation of the pound
what happened when the pound was devalued and by how much was it devalued
changed its worth from $2.80 to $2.40, Wilson made a solemn broadcast to the nation and assured viewers that the devaluation did not mean the pound in their pocket was worth any less
benefits of earlier devaluation
less theatrical could be passed off as a financial adjustment
results of devaluing the pound (arguably) too late
- dramatised it
- he made it appear a major political and economical failure by the government
- James Callaghan stepped down as Chancellor of Exchequer
- Trade unions angered by Wilsons attempt to put blame on strikers
When was ‘In place of Strife’ created
1969
What was ‘In place of Strife’
a set of proposals aimed at preventing future strikes - central proposal was for the introduction of a series of legal restrictions on the right to strike
What were the legal restrictions on striking set out in ‘In a Place of Strife’
members of union have to be balloted and would have to agree by a clear majority on industrial action before a strike would be recognised as legal
Who created ‘In place of Strife’
Barbara Castle
Controversy around ‘In place of Strife’
Undermined the principles of the Labour party as the party came into existence to resist restrictive laws on workers
Who was Barbara Castle
a left-wing bevanite
Who stopped ‘In place of Strife’ from becoming any bigger
James Callaghan stressed the dangers to the party and government of alienating the trade unions that still provided Bulk of Labours funds
Who was Roy Jenkins
Home secretary between 1965-1967 who helped to support and encourage the new social reforms
Criticisms of Wilson’s government 1964-70
introduces or presided…
- rising unemployment
- growing inflation
- wage controls
- restricted trade union freedom
- immigration control
- failed to join Europe
- retention of Britain’s nuclear weapons
- subservience to the USA in foreign policy
How many votes did Conservatives win after Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech
2.5 million
When was Telstar launched and what was it
1962 - it was a satellite communications system that was launched by the USA and made international television possible
What was Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station
It was in Cornwall and was the largest satellite station in the world, providing over 60 communication dishes that enabled worldwide television connections to be made
What was Imperial Chemicals Industries (ICI)
Britain’s chemical giant founded 1926 that - in the 60s - produced synthetic materials like Perspex, Crimplene adn Lycra began to develop pharmaceuticals that included breakthrough drugs in treatment of malaria, heart disease and some ancers
When was the first stretch of the M1 motorway opened
1959
Who led the ministry of technology
Frank Cousins
By early 1960s how many homes had televisions
4 in 5
By 1955 how many British workers took an annual two week holiday
90%
Between 1956-71 how much did % of people who owned fridges change
1956 - 8%
1962 - 33%
1971 - 69%
Between 1956-71 how much did % of people who owned television change
1956 - 40%
1962 -80%
1971 - 91%
Between 1956-71 how much did % of people who owned washing machines change
1956 - 20%
1962 - 55%
1971 - 64%
Between 1956-71 how much did % of people who owned telephones change
1956 - 16%
1962 - 40%
1971 - 48%
- How many people read a daily newspaper in late 1950s
two - thirds
Who was an outstanding voice in the development of the feminists movement in the 1960s
Germaine Greer
What was the forefront of the demand of feminists
change of law in areas where women suffered particular discrimination
When was Equal Pay Act
1970 - women receive same rates of pay as men for doing work of equal value
When was Finance Act
1971 - allowed earnings of husband’s and wife’s to be taxed separately
When was Employment Protection Act
1975 - denied employers right to dismiss pregnant employees and required them to offer paid maternity leave
When was Sex Discrimination Act
1975 - outlawed discrimination on grounds of sex in regards to employment, education and training, housing, provision of services, banking, insurance and credit
Set up Equal Opportunities Commission
When was Social Security Act
1975 - provided maternity allowance fund
When was Social Security Pensions Act
1975 - required pension schemes to be open equally to women engaged in the same work as men
What became widely available for women in the 1960s
the pill - women now possessed genuine control over their own fertility
What did Race Relations Board do
investigated complainsts of racial discrimination
What did Community Relations Commission do
promoted inter-racial understanding
Commonwealth Immigration Act
1968 - prohibited new immigrants from settling in Britain unless thay had family connections
Rivers of Blood speech
1968 Enoch Powell - Conservative politician who regarded unlimited immigration as a threat to character of UK
Speech condemned by all political sides
What happened to Enoch Powell after ‘rivers of blood’ speech
dismissed from the shadow cabinet by Edward Heath
what were people experimenting with in early 1960s
psychedelic drugs
Changes in relationships
- more premarital sex
- couples living together without being marries (cohabitation)
- single mothers more acceptable
- homosexual relationships legitimate and accepted
% of children born to unmarried mothers
10%
divorce rates between 1960-70
1960 - 1in 10
1970 - 1in 7
Dagenham machinists
example of a feminist group who walked out of their job for 3 weeks, as they were getting paid less, and this meant production had to stop
Example of feminist magazine
spare rib - talked about issues such as women being exploited
Who was first celebrity photographer
David Bailey
What % of leisure time did TV account for in 1969
23%
What was the first British rocket to send satellite into space
black arrow
Why was Lady Chatterly’s lover so controversial
- mid 60s subject to lawsuit due to indecency
- won lawsuit which led to more content able to be published that was previously seen as indecent
What happened in Alexander Hall, Londond
- artists like Pink Floyd performed until 5am
Details of the peace movement
comittee of 100 founded by 100 previous CND members who aimed to inconvenience people
Mary Whitehouse
- 1964 clean up TV act
- ‘small c conservative’
- Against progressive society
what made international television transmission possible
USA launced Telstar 1962
Where was Goonhilly satellite earth station
Cornwall, developed 60s and was largest satellite station in the world
number of cars growth between 1960 and 1965
- 1960 there were 9.2 million
- 1965 there were 11.8 million
increase in % of people with refrigerators (1962-71)
- 1962 - 33%
- 1971 - 69%
increase in % of people with TVs (1962-71)
- 1962 - 80%
- 1971 - 91%
increase in % of people with Washing Machines (1962-71)
- 1962 - 55%
- 1971 - 64%
increase in % of people with telephones (1962-71)
- 1962 - 40%
- 1971- 48%
how many of the adult population read newspapers
2/3
number of cannabis users 1969
one million
unionist
someone who wants Northern Ireland to remain with the UK
(loyalists)
Republican
someonw who want Northern Ireland to leave the UK and join the Republic of Ireland
(nationalists - usually catholics)
Northern Ireland 1919
Lloyd George the PM outlines governments proposal for home rule in Ireland
Northern Ireland 1922
- Partition six counties opt to stay in UK others stay in Ireland
Northern Ireland 1968
- Civil rights movement
- Catholics complain of unfair treatment
- saying electoral boundaries are gerrymandered to ensure Protestant majorities
- 5 October civil rights march stopped by RUC
Northern Ireland 1969
- Battle of Bogside
-Loyalist parade passing through nationalist Bogside area of Derry - sparks two days of rioting
- troops called in who are initially welcomed by catholic community
- Provisional IRA become more active
- army increasingly concentrates fighting on it
Northern Ireland 1971-75
Internment - approx. 2000 people arrested and held without trial on suspicion of involvement in terrorism
What stance does Britain take with the Vietnam War
- doesn’t send troops
- offered Jungle Training to US special forces and provided logistical support
- doesn’t condemn USA
Withdrawal from ‘East of Suez’
- re-establish Britain’s role on world stage
- morey money for welfare less for defence
- Pressure from Washington to maintain Britain’s control in East of Suez but ultimately didn’t care that much
- Britain wanted to become a more European power
Application to join EEC 1968
- opposed by 36 Labour MPs
- they fail to join
- Britain attracted by opportunities for economies for scale that Europe seemed to offer
- De Gaulle didn’t want Britain to join due to their links with the Commonwealth
- Would impact Britain and American relations as Britain became closer to Europe
Robert Carr industrial relations act
- 1971
- Restricted the right of workers to strike by introducing a new concept of ‘unfair industrial practice’
- National Industrial Relations Court (NIRC) was created with the authority to judge to validity of strike action
- Unions had to put themselves on government register if they wanted to maintain their legal rights
John Davies as Head of Department for Trade and Industry
- not convential politician as came from outside of parliament from director-general of the CBI
- advised government against helping failing businesses
term that referrred to companies and businesses that performed badly but expected public money to be spent on them
lame ducks
Policies of Anthony Barber as Chancellor of Exchequer
- income tax cuts
- reduction in government spending
- scrapped prices and incomes board
- cut in subsidies paid to local authorities
significance of Margaret Thatcher in time of Edward Heath and cuts in government spending
- nicknamed ‘milk snatcher’
- removed free milk for school children
Who did Anthony Barber replace as Chancellor of Exchequer
Ian Macleod
Edward heath’s U-turn
- 1972 retuned to policy of controlling prices and incomes
- DTI helped failing businesses
