Conservative Decline 1960-1964

Question 1

By 1963 how many were unemployed?

Answer 1

800,000

Question 2

What happened to the rate of strike action by 1961?

Answer 2

Increased

Question 3

What did the government attempt to do to deal with growing economic problems?

Answer 3

NEDDY/NICKY
Pay Pause

Question 4

When was the Suez Crisis?

Answer 4

1956

Question 5

Which Prime Minister applied to the EEC?

Answer 5

Macmillan

Question 6

Which individual rejected Britain’s application to the EEC?

Answer 6

Charles De Gaulle

Question 7

What was Macmillan’s cabinet reshuffle known as?

Answer 7

Night of the Long Knives

Question 8

What fraction of the cabinet were replaced in the 1962 cabinet reshuffle?

Answer 8

1/3

Question 9

Where did the Conservatives lose a by-election in 1962?

Answer 9

Orpington - lost by 7,000 votes to the Liberals

Question 10

Which Chancellor was replaced in the cabinet reshuffle of 1962?

Answer 10

Selwyn-Lloyd

Question 11

Name the four scandals that occurred in 1963.

Answer 11

Vassall Affair
Philby Case
Argyll Divorce Case
Profumo Affair

Question 12

In what year did race riots break out?

Answer 12

1958

Question 13

Name two cities where race riots occurred in 1958 and 1959.

Answer 13

London, Bristol, Nottingham

Question 14

What was set up to investigate the causes of the race riots?

Answer 14

Salmon Inquiry

Question 15

What did the Salmon Inquiry conclude regarding race riots?

Answer 15

Trouble was due to increased immigration - made no reference to increased discrimination or racism

Question 16

How did the government responded to the conclusions drawn by the Salmon Inquiry?

Answer 16

Introduced the Commonwealth Immigration Act in 1962 which limited the number of immigrants

Question 17

Give an example of two youth sub-culture groups.

Answer 17

Mods and rockers

Question 18

Why were many concerned with Macmillan’s choice of Alec-Douglas Home as Prime Minister?

Answer 18

Appeared out of touch
Old-Etonian

Question 19

How did the Liberal revival lead to Conservative decline?

Answer 19

Liberal won by-elections in previously Conservative constituencies - took votes from the Conservatives

Question 20

Why was the result in 1964 close?

Answer 20

Alec Douglas Home: Turned out to be a more effective PM than many expected. Appeared modest, decent and trustworthy.

Conservative tax cuts: Chancellor, Reginald Maudling, cut taxes in the 1963 budget. Earnings rose and unemployment fell at the end of the parliament to 300,000 in July 1964.

Attitudes to the Labour party: Many still distrusted Labour and disliked their links to the trade unions and support for nationalisation. Very few of the key leaders of the party had held office before and seemed inexperienced.