chapter one Flashcards
affluent society; conservative governments
bevanite quarrel
split in the labour party when bevan (maker of NHS + minister of labour) reigned over labours choice to add charges for prescriptions
1951 election results
labour won more votes and conservatives won more seats, but due to first-past-the-post voting system, conservatives won (conservatives 48.0% and 321 seats vs. labours 48.8% and 295 seats)
who was prime minister after 1951
winston churchill
oppositions view on churchill
regarded as a tired, old (80 years old) force; many believed churchill would struggle with the intense economic difficulties following the war
churchill as prime minister
1951-55
suffered from a stroke in 1953 that left him with impaired speech
inactive in domestic policies
prioritised preventing international conflict
uninvolved in party politics
often left other ministers in charge
why was churchill inactive in domestic policies
viewed himself as an international statesman
why was churchill uninterested in party politics
had switched from conservative to liberal in 1904 before rejoining conservatives in 1924; convinced liberals to join his cabinet and had non-conservatives to oversee ministries
acting prime minister when churchill was away 1951-55
anthony eden
great depression
1930s depression started in wall street; led to unemployment that affected 25% of brits in the 30s
role of rab butler and harold macmillan under churchill
butler; chancellor of the exchequer (responsible for economics + finances; typically 2nd most powerful after the prime minister)
macmillan; minister for housing
tensions within churchills government
butler, macmillan and eden did not get on well; and tensions grew between churchill and eden (who would step in after churchill resigned)
who was prime minister after 1955
anthony eden
eden as prime minister
initially high hopes
increased majority from 17 to 60
very popular with public
suez crisis….. yikes…
butler and macmillans roles under eden
butler; chancellor
macmillan; foreign secretary
criticisms of eden (pre-suez)
almost all of his previous government experience was in foreign affairs, was inexperienced and uninterested in domestic policies; he was also anxious about making decisions and was ‘too lenient’ with trade unions to avoid industrial conflict
suez crisis
december 1956-57
eden had told house of commons that britain did not know israel planned to attack egypt in december 1956; in reality had been planned with britain and france since october to reclaim british access to suez
results of suez crisis
turning point for britains illusion of imperial power (eden was v. eton)
edens reputation ruined due to lying, backlash heavily from labour and the press
40 conservative mps rebelled
pressure from usa revealed britain to be weaker politically and economically
eden resigned 1957 over ‘ill health’
who became prime minister 1957
harold macmillan
why was there tension picking a new leader 1957
rab butler vs macmillan
butler was not as popular in the conservative party, but was with the actual country; reputation had been ruined by tax cuts shortly before an election and then raising them again after; also had associations with britains plan of ‘appeasement’ to nazi germany, whereas macmillan resigned in outrage
macmillan as prime minister (initially)
no lasting splits within the party
apparent economic prosperity
very popular with voters (‘supermac’)
what majority did macmillan achieve as prime minister and when
100 (october 1959)
domestic policies during affluent society
acceptance of the post war consensus
1951; conservatives promised to build 300,000 houses a year (macmillan as housing minister saw the success of this)
education reforms (butler act of 1944) with introduction of grammar schools, technical schools and secondary modern school, school determined by the 11+
clean air act 1956; aimed to prevent smog
homocide act 1957; restricted when the death penalty could be used
the wolfenden commission 1957; homosexual behaviour decriminalised
post war consensus
made after world war two by both parties for long term rebuilding of the country unaffected by what party is in government
mixed economy (command and free market)
support for NHS and welfare state
full employment as priorty following the 1930s
working with both trade unions and employers
labour divisions
atlee resigned in 1955
growing split in the party of ideology and personality (bevanite quarrel between bevan and gaitskell)
tension with bevan and gaitskell rivaling for head of labour
gaitskell (rep. of right of labour) won
after the defeat of the 1959 election, splits became even more obvious
bevan was against unilateral nuclear disarmament until an increase in the left of labour joining cnd
gaitskell suggested getting rid of clause iv (party commitment to nationalisation)
