Conservative 1951-1964 Flashcards
What was special about the result of the 1951 election
Conservatives won with 48% of the popular vote in comparison to Labour’s 48.8%
When did the UK acquire Atomic Weapons
1952
In 1951 how many people were there per car
1 car for every 16 people
Who were the leaders of the Labour party throughout the 50s-early 60s
Clement Attlee - until 1955
Hugh Gaitskell - 1955-1963
Harold Wilson - from 1963
What was the increase in men’s weekly wages from 1951-1961
£8.30 to £15.35
When did rationing officially come to an end
1954
Why did Hugh Gaitskell cease to be Labour leader.
Died of the flu whilst visiting USSR.
Who was Ernest Bevin
High ranking member of the Labour party and foreign secretary who died just before the 1951 election.
What caused the Bevanite split.
Nye Bevan’s (architect of the NHS) disagreement with the Gaitskellites over prescription charges.
Why did the Bevanite movement die out
Bavan himself died in 1960
How was Churchill’s second premiership characterised
Lots of foreign trips and holidays, leaving Eden in charge of domestic issues
What was the relationship between Eden and Churchill
Eden didn’t like Churchill as he thought he was too old and was waiting fro him to retire
Officially why did Eden resign
Ill health
Who was R.A Butler (RAB)
Churchill’s Chancellor
Macmillan’s rival for leadership after Eden’s resignation, but despite being popular with the public the party didn’t agree.
What was Butskellism
Centre-Left ideology - Postwar consensus
Mixed economy, NHS
Employment, Trade Unions
What did MacMillan say about his time in office
“Most of our people have never had it so good”
When was the Suez crisis
29 Oct 1956 – 7 Nov 1956
How old was Winston when he retired in 1955
80
Who was the leader of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU)
Frank Cousins
What were the divisions within the Labour party of Nuclear disarmament
Pro - Gaitskell
Against - Cousins, Bevan,
When was CND founded
1957
What happened at the 1960 Labour party confrence
Gaitskell arguing with audience over disarmament, booed
What was the seat change for the Conservatives in the 1955 election
+23
What was the seat change for the Conservatives in the 1959 election
+20
What were the reasons for the result of the 1951 election
Electoral System
Attlee’s fatigue
Labour’s reputation for high tax and rationing
Korean War
Churchill’s popularity
Conservative shake up of economic policy
Scrutiny of Labour’s nationalisation of Steel
Consensus politics
What were the reason for the result of the 1955 election
Bevanite Split
Popularity of Butskellism - Economic success
Attlee was old
Stop-Go
Ending Korean War
What were the reasons for the result of the 1959 election
Macmillan’s popularity
Fast move on from Suez
Butskellism
Social Reform - 57 Homicide act
Labour Divisions
Labour fail to capitalise of Suez failure
Rushed Labour policy which was questionably whether it was economically viable
Stop-Go
What was the 1957 Homicide Act
Limits to the death penalty
Reform to sentencing based on motives for murder
How many houses were built from 1951-1964
1.7 million
When did the Conservatives undo Labour’s nationalisation of Steel
1953
Which two social reform acts were passed in 1961
Licensing Act - legalised drinking in restaurants and hotels
Betting & Gambling Act - legalised said activities
What was the name of the American policy of investment in Europe following WWII
Marshall Plan
What was the BoP deficit in 1964
£800 million
What was Unemployment in 1964
501,000
What was the economic impact of the Suez Crisis
Exposed UK weakness causing a run on the pound
Who were the Conservative Chancellors 51-64
RAB Butler 51-55
Macmillan 55-57
Peter Thorneycroft 57-58
Derick Heathcoat-Amory 58-60
Selwyn Lloyd 60-62
Reg Mauldling 62-64
Why did Thorneycroft resign
He was told by Macmillan that he couldn’t cut public spending (Peter T was a monetarist)
How much tax cuts were made in the 1959 budget
£370 million
When and why did the Conservatives ask for an IMF loan
1961 - Balance of Payments issues and failure of Stop-Go
BONUS - ‘Pay Pause’
When did the UK apply to the EEC, for the first time
1961
Who vetoed the UK’s EEC application in 1963
Charles De Gaulle
What was the Beeching Report 1963
Review into public expenditure that recommended cuts to the rail network, leading to the closure of 30% of the network
Where did Britain’s growth rates rank within Western Europe
Last
How much was being spent of defence spending in 1964
£1.7 billion - 10% of GDP
What was the population growth 1951-61
2 million - 5%
When was full employment (99%+) achieved
1955
How much tax cuts were made in the 1955 budget
£134 million
What new hobbies developed in the 1950s
Gardening
TV
Cars
When did ITV launch
1955
How much did TV ownership increase 1957-1959 (%)
32%
What is the Stop-Go timeline
GO 1951-1956
STOP 1957-1958
GO 1958-1960
STOP 1960-1962
GO 1963-1964
What was the NEDC (1961)
National Economic Development Council - long term economic planning
When was the clean air act passed
1956
What roles did women play in the 1950s
Education - Few went to university, taught cookery, housework, sewing
Housework - Washing, daily shopping (few had fridges), cleaning, childcare
Only 1 in 5 had jobs (51)
When was equal pay implemented for teachers
1952
1957-59 what was the rise in Washing Machine (liberator) and fridge ownership
Washer - +54%
Fridge - +58%
When was national service abolished
1960
What were the three youth groups in the 1950s
Mods
Rockers
Teddy Boys
What was the difference between Mods and Rockers
Mods - scooters, pop, suits
Rockers - motorbikes, rock, leather
Where was the 1964 Mods vs Rockers riot
Brighton
What percentage of middle class people voted Tory in 1951
80%
What percentage of workers voted Labour in 1951
65%
When was the Profumo Affair
July 1961
Who were the Angry Young Men
A group of writers who were making strides against the establishment
What areas of media were involved in the satire boom
Theatre - Beyond the Fringe
Newspaper - Private eye
TV - That was the week that was
Why was Alec Douglas Home controversial
Member of the House of Lords, seen as a prime example of a member of the establishment.
Which American songs were popular with the youth
Jailhouse Rock
Rock around the clock
When was the Windrush
1948
What was the ‘Colour Bar’
Unofficial discrimination in employment, accommodation, transport and culture
What percentage of the vote did Oswald Mosley obtain in the 1959 election when he stood for Kensington North
8%
Which constituency did the Conservatives win in 1964 on a platform of Racism
Smethwick
Where can changing social values and politics be seen in the media
Sapphire (1959) - Racial tension, Sex, violence
A Clockwork Orange (book-1962) - gang violence
Cathy Come Home (TV-1962) - Homelessness
A Taste of Honey (play-1958) - interracial marriage
Victim (1961) - homosexuality
By 1958 how many commonwealth immigrants settled in the UK
210,000 (75% of which were male)
What was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962
Only immigrants with a work permit could enter the UK
Where was the ‘No colour bar’ dance in 1955
Lambeth
What was the Summer of Violence 1958
White on Black race riots
Nottingham - July/August
Notting Hill - September
Who were the two UK intelligence officers that defected to the USSR in 1951
Burgess & Maclean
When was the mutual defence agreement signed
1958
What was project Blue Streak
UK rocket project abandoned in 1960 in favour of US Polaris missiles
What was the UK’s involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis
Super Mac kept informed by Kennedy throughout
Why did Britain not join the EEC from the start
Thought they could lead Europe without it
Membership might not have helped Britain
Didn’t want to share their Steel and Coal (best in Europe)
Given 24 hours to decide if they were in or out, turning them away
French resentment
Commonwealth trade was prioritised
Why did Britain apply for EEC membership in 1961
Special relation ship doubts
US pressure (insider in Europe)
Weakness of the EFTA
Why was Britain rejected from the EEC
US puppet/mouth piece
De Gaulle scared of French power loss
What was the catalyst for a boom in decolonisation
Suez Crisis
Who gained independence post 1957
1957 - Ghana
1960 - Nigeria, Cyprus
1961 - Tanzania, Sierra Leone
1962 - Uganda
1963 - Kenya
When was the Winds of Change Speech
1960
When and where was the Mau Mau rebellion
1952-1960 - Kenya
Who was the Apartheid leader of South Africa, assassinated in 1966
Hendrik Verwoerd
When did South Africa resign from the commonwealth
1961
Breifly expalin the Suez Crisis
Eden conspired with French minister to have Israel invade Egypt. Then sent an ultimatum to Egypt that if the Suez Canal isn’t cleared by October 30th the UK would occupy it. But liberating forces were quickly defeated by Egypt.
Who was the leader of Egypt during the Suez Crisis
President Nasser
What Social welfare program gave housewives money
Family Allowance
What was the Night of the Long Knives
Macmillan’s sacking of 7 cabinet members including Chancellor Selwyn Lloyd
What did the Rent Act 1957 do
Removed restrictions on how much landlords could charge for rent
