chapter ten

Question 1

when did labour come back into power (70s)

Answer 1

march 1974

Question 2

issues when wilson came into office 1974

Answer 2

inflation 15%
bot £3billion deficit
trade unions issues
northern ireland situation delicate
labour party very divided
minority / hung government

Question 3

when did wilson call a new election and why

Answer 3

october 1974 to try and get a majority government (ended up with an overall majority of 3)

Question 4

how did wilson deal with trade unions

Answer 4

whilst in opposition, wilson negotiated the social contract with the trade unions congress in 1973
this led to easier communication and eventually industrial relations had improved (with NUM and TUC) enough for the 3 day week to-end
wilson also adjusted economic policy to purposefully not annoy the unions + had economic roles filled by left-leaning labour members

Question 5

social contract

Answer 5

this would involve voluntary pay restraint by the trade unions and in return the government would repeal heaths industrial act and pay board

Question 6

economy under wilson (70s)

Answer 6

heaths budget introduced increased taxes and public spending cuts to deal with stagflation

set up the national enterprise board 1974

more formal pay restraint policy introduced 1975

led to more party divides between the left and right of the party

Question 7

national enterprise board

Answer 7

1974
meant to administer the governments share holdings into private companies and give financial aid; meant to increase investment but had its effectiveness questioned

Question 8

when did callaghan replace wilson (due to retirement)

Answer 8

1976

Question 9

economy 1976

Answer 9

the poor balance of payments was putting pressure on sterling; concerns of britain not having enough reserves to support it.

callaghan had to give a speech saying gov couldnt ensure full employment due to potential economic crisis and to fix the economy in the long term

government applied for an emergency loan from the imf due to anxieties around a run on the pound; the chancellor received a loan of £3 billion and the gov had to make big spending cuts

Question 10

international monetary fund (imf)

Answer 10

formed at the end of wwii to promote economic stability and growth across the world, can give loans to governments

Question 11

result of the 1976 delicate economic policies

Answer 11

imf crisis handled well by callaghan

economy recovered; but britain looked weak and conservatives used this as proof of labour brining britain to global humiliation

inflation fell to 10% and unemployment still high but started to fall and numbers of day lost to industrial disputes falling to a 10 year low

Question 12

when and what was devolution under callaghan

Answer 12

1977 due to a stronger british economy

devolution; the transfer of powers to a lower level of government

depite unpopularity from english politicians, 1978 Devolution Act was passed opening ways for referendums

Question 13

labours position in government 1977

Answer 13

conservatives demanded a vote of no confidence where labour lost the majority, but due to the lib lab pact was able to stay in power

in return for lib lab pact, callaghan promised to move ahead with devolution for wales in scotland

Question 14

result of the devolution referendums

Answer 14

vote in wales conclusively against devolution

in scotland votes for devolution > votes against it but rules disqualified the votes due to voter turnout

led to scottish nationalist mps withdrawing support from labour, reducing labours power in the lib lab pact

Question 15

winter of discontent

Answer 15

started autumn 1978-march 1979
TUC denied labours proposed wage increase limit of 5% a year; encouraging trade unions to put in higher pay demands (e.g. lorry drivers 15%)
led to industrial dispute and strikes
not as serious as e.g. miners strike 1974 but created industrial unrest

Question 16

general election 1979

Answer 16

by the time of the election (spring 1979) britain was freshly out of winter of dicontent and any positive progress labour had made was overshadowed
march 1979 gov lost vote of no confidence (due to scottish devolution and fall fo lib lab pact) and government was forced to resign for first time since 1924

Question 17

who did the press support 1979

Answer 17

majorly conservatives

Question 18

labour versus conservatives votes in 1979 election

Answer 18

labours votes stayed pretty similar

but conservatives gained massively due to fall of support of nationalist / liberal / 3rd parties to create a majority of 43

Question 19

events in the troubles 1974-79

Answer 19

may 74; ulster workers council strike
may 74; loyalist car bomb kills 26 in dublin
may 74; sunningdale agreement collapses
oct 74; guildford pub bomb kills 5
nov 74; birmingham pub bomb kills 19

oct 75; 12 people killed NI due to uvf attacks

oct 76; republican prisoners began ‘blanket protest’

mar 79; airey neave (conservative spokesman on NI) killed by ira car bomb in house of commons car park

Question 20

wilsons policies on northern ireland

Answer 20

reimposed the direct rule following the fall of the sunningdale agreement
announced the establishment of a northern irish constitution convention (elected body to determine the future of government in NI)

Question 21

result of the NICC (northern irish elected body 1974)

Answer 21

election july 1975 resulted in win for unionists who were not open to power sharing; due to lack of compromise the convention was dissolved in 1976

Question 22

what was the special category status removal and when

Answer 22

1976 political prisoners would be treated like every other criminal and lose the special treatment they were previously entitled to
disliked by paramilitaries as it invalidated the ‘war’ aspect of the troubles
political prisoners did not want to wear prisoner uniforms, led to the ‘blanket protests’ which escalated to the ‘dirty protests’ of 1978
by 1979 over 250 prisoners were taking part in a protest and demand growing for them to regain political status