Conservative 1951-1964 Flashcards

1
Q

What was special about the result of the 1951 election

A

Conservatives won with 48% of the popular vote in comparison to Labour’s 48.8%

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2
Q

When did the UK acquire Atomic Weapons

A

1952

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3
Q

In 1951 how many people were there per car

A

1 car for every 16 people

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4
Q

Who were the leaders of the Labour party throughout the 50s-early 60s

A

Clement Attlee - until 1955
Hugh Gaitskell - 1955-1963
Harold Wilson - from 1963

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5
Q

What was the increase in men’s weekly wages from 1951-1961

A

£8.30 to £15.35

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6
Q

When did rationing officially come to an end

A

1954

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7
Q

Why did Hugh Gaitskell cease to be Labour leader.

A

Died of the flu whilst visiting USSR.

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8
Q

Who was Ernest Bevin

A

High ranking member of the Labour party and foreign secretary who died just before the 1951 election.

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9
Q

What caused the Bevanite split.

A

Nye Bevan’s (architect of the NHS) disagreement with the Gaitskellites over prescription charges.

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10
Q

Why did the Bevanite movement die out

A

Bavan himself died in 1960

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11
Q

How was Churchill’s second premiership characterised

A

Lots of foreign trips and holidays, leaving Eden in charge of domestic issues

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12
Q

What was the relationship between Eden and Churchill

A

Eden didn’t like Churchill as he thought he was too old and was waiting fro him to retire

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13
Q

Officially why did Eden resign

A

Ill health

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14
Q

Who was R.A Butler (RAB)

A

Churchill’s Chancellor
Macmillan’s rival for leadership after Eden’s resignation, but despite being popular with the public the party didn’t agree.

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15
Q

What was Butskellism

A

Centre-Left ideology - Postwar consensus
Mixed economy, NHS
Employment, Trade Unions

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16
Q

What did MacMillan say about his time in office

A

“Most of our people have never had it so good”

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17
Q

When was the Suez crisis

A

29 Oct 1956 – 7 Nov 1956

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18
Q

How old was Winston when he retired in 1955

A

80

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19
Q

Who was the leader of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU)

A

Frank Cousins

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20
Q

What were the divisions within the Labour party of Nuclear disarmament

A

Pro - Gaitskell
Against - Cousins, Bevan,

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21
Q

When was CND founded

A

1957

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22
Q

What happened at the 1960 Labour party confrence

A

Gaitskell arguing with audience over disarmament, booed

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23
Q

What was the seat change for the Conservatives in the 1955 election

A

+23

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24
Q

What was the seat change for the Conservatives in the 1959 election

A

+20

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25
Q

What were the reasons for the result of the 1951 election

A

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

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26
Q

What were the reason for the result of the 1955 election

A

Bevanite Split
Popularity of Butskellism - Economic success
Attlee was old
Stop-Go
Ending Korean War

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27
Q

What were the reasons for the result of the 1959 election

A

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

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28
Q

What was the 1957 Homicide Act

A

Limits to the death penalty
Reform to sentencing based on motives for murder

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29
Q

How many houses were built from 1951-1964

A

1.7 million

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30
Q

When did the Conservatives undo Labour’s nationalisation of Steel

A

1953

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31
Q

Which two social reform acts were passed in 1961

A

Licensing Act - legalised drinking in restaurants and hotels
Betting & Gambling Act - legalised said activities

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32
Q

What was the name of the American policy of investment in Europe following WWII

A

Marshall Plan

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33
Q

What was the BoP deficit in 1964

A

£800 million

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34
Q

What was Unemployment in 1964

A

501,000

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35
Q

What was the economic impact of the Suez Crisis

A

Exposed UK weakness causing a run on the pound

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36
Q

Who were the Conservative Chancellors 51-64

A

RAB Butler 51-55
Macmillan 55-57
Peter Thorneycroft 57-58
Derick Heathcoat-Amory 58-60
Selwyn Lloyd 60-62
Reg Mauldling 62-64

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37
Q

Why did Thorneycroft resign

A

He was told by Macmillan that he couldn’t cut public spending (Peter T was a monetarist)

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38
Q

How much tax cuts were made in the 1959 budget

A

£370 million

39
Q

When and why did the Conservatives ask for an IMF loan

A

1961 - Balance of Payments issues and failure of Stop-Go

BONUS - ‘Pay Pause’

40
Q

When did the UK apply to the EEC, for the first time

A

1961

41
Q

Who vetoed the UK’s EEC application in 1963

A

Charles De Gaulle

42
Q

What was the Beeching Report 1963

A

Review into public expenditure that recommended cuts to the rail network, leading to the closure of 30% of the network

43
Q

Where did Britain’s growth rates rank within Western Europe

A

Last

44
Q

How much was being spent of defence spending in 1964

A

£1.7 billion - 10% of GDP

45
Q

What was the population growth 1951-61

A

2 million - 5%

46
Q

When was full employment (99%+) achieved

A

1955

47
Q

How much tax cuts were made in the 1955 budget

A

£134 million

48
Q

What new hobbies developed in the 1950s

A

Gardening
TV
Cars

49
Q

When did ITV launch

A

1955

50
Q

How much did TV ownership increase 1957-1959 (%)

A

32%

51
Q

What is the Stop-Go timeline

A

GO 1951-1956
STOP 1957-1958
GO 1958-1960
STOP 1960-1962
GO 1963-1964

52
Q

What was the NEDC (1961)

A

National Economic Development Council - long term economic planning

53
Q

When was the clean air act passed

A

1956

54
Q

What roles did women play in the 1950s

A

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)

55
Q

When was equal pay implemented for teachers

A

1952

56
Q

1957-59 what was the rise in Washing Machine (liberator) and fridge ownership

A

Washer - +54%
Fridge - +58%

57
Q

When was national service abolished

A

1960

58
Q

What were the three youth groups in the 1950s

A

Mods
Rockers
Teddy Boys

59
Q

What was the difference between Mods and Rockers

A

Mods - scooters, pop, suits
Rockers - motorbikes, rock, leather

60
Q

Where was the 1964 Mods vs Rockers riot

A

Brighton

61
Q

What percentage of middle class people voted Tory in 1951

A

80%

62
Q

What percentage of workers voted Labour in 1951

A

65%

63
Q

When was the Profumo Affair

A

July 1961

64
Q

Who were the Angry Young Men

A

A group of writers who were making strides against the establishment

65
Q

What areas of media were involved in the satire boom

A

Theatre - Beyond the Fringe
Newspaper - Private eye
TV - That was the week that was

66
Q

Why was Alec Douglas Home controversial

A

Member of the House of Lords, seen as a prime example of a member of the establishment.

67
Q

Which American songs were popular with the youth

A

Jailhouse Rock
Rock around the clock

68
Q

When was the Windrush

A

1948

69
Q

What was the ‘Colour Bar’

A

Unofficial discrimination in employment, accommodation, transport and culture

70
Q

What percentage of the vote did Oswald Mosley obtain in the 1959 election when he stood for Kensington North

A

8%

71
Q

Which constituency did the Conservatives win in 1964 on a platform of Racism

A

Smethwick

72
Q

Where can changing social values and politics be seen in the media

A

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

73
Q

By 1958 how many commonwealth immigrants settled in the UK

A

210,000 (75% of which were male)

74
Q

What was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962

A

Only immigrants with a work permit could enter the UK

75
Q

Where was the ‘No colour bar’ dance in 1955

A

Lambeth

76
Q

What was the Summer of Violence 1958

A

White on Black race riots
Nottingham - July/August
Notting Hill - September

77
Q

Who were the two UK intelligence officers that defected to the USSR in 1951

A

Burgess & Maclean

78
Q

When was the mutual defence agreement signed

A

1958

79
Q

What was project Blue Streak

A

UK rocket project abandoned in 1960 in favour of US Polaris missiles

80
Q

What was the UK’s involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis

A

Super Mac kept informed by Kennedy throughout

81
Q

Why did Britain not join the EEC from the start

A

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

82
Q

Why did Britain apply for EEC membership in 1961

A

Special relation ship doubts
US pressure (insider in Europe)
Weakness of the EFTA

83
Q

Why was Britain rejected from the EEC

A

US puppet/mouth piece
De Gaulle scared of French power loss

84
Q

What was the catalyst for a boom in decolonisation

A

Suez Crisis

85
Q

Who gained independence post 1957

A

1957 - Ghana
1960 - Nigeria, Cyprus
1961 - Tanzania, Sierra Leone
1962 - Uganda
1963 - Kenya

86
Q

When was the Winds of Change Speech

A

1960

87
Q

When and where was the Mau Mau rebellion

A

1952-1960 - Kenya

88
Q

Who was the Apartheid leader of South Africa, assassinated in 1966

A

Hendrik Verwoerd

89
Q

When did South Africa resign from the commonwealth

A

1961

90
Q

Breifly expalin the Suez Crisis

A

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.

91
Q

Who was the leader of Egypt during the Suez Crisis

A

President Nasser

92
Q

What Social welfare program gave housewives money

A

Family Allowance

93
Q

What was the Night of the Long Knives

A

Macmillan’s sacking of 7 cabinet members including Chancellor Selwyn Lloyd

94
Q

What did the Rent Act 1957 do

A

Removed restrictions on how much landlords could charge for rent