Conservative Dominance (1951-1964)

Question 1

How many houses did the Conservative Party promise to build? How many were actually built?

Answer 1

Promised to build 300,000 a year
1953: 327,000
1954: 354,000

Question 2

What did tories promise in terms of austerity during the election?

Answer 2

“More red meat”

Question 3

Why did the majority of the public choose to support conservatives despite benefitting from the welfare state?

Answer 3

Conservatives promised to commit to welfare state and to not reverse labour policies

Question 4

How many seats did conservatives and labour have in the 1951 election?

Answer 4

Conservative: 321
Labour: 295

Question 5

Despite Churchill being PM, who were the driving forces behind the party?

Answer 5

Eden and Butler

Question 6

How was Churchill a “consensus” PM?

Answer 6

Accepted welfare state, nationalisation and trade unions despite being a previous “union basher” in his wilderness years (1926 general strike)
Didn’t use military action against strikers

Question 7

How did the industrial charter of 1947 modernise the Conservative Party?

Answer 7

Created a “mixed economy” of private and state ownership
Modernised Conservative Party as having an interest in social issues (post war consensus)

Question 8

What was the suez crisis of 1956?

Answer 8

Egyptian leader, Nasser, nationalised the suez canal
Triggered an Anglo-French attack
Eden withdrew British troops

Question 9

Why was Edens decision to withdraw troops seen as a “lack of political will”?

Answer 9

Seen as giving in to foreign powers such as the US
Showed Britains lack of international power and demonstrated how Britain was becoming less of a major power

Question 10

By how much did the conservative majority increase in the 1959 election?

Answer 10

100

Question 11

What was MacMillan nicknamed on TV? How did he use this to his advantage?

Answer 11

“Super Mac”
Changed his image to “never had it so good”

Question 12

How many unemployed people were there by 1962?

Answer 12

400,000

Question 13

What year did British face a BOP defecit again?

Answer 13

1961

Question 14

What percentage of the cabinet were axed in the “Night of the Long Knives”? When was this?

Answer 14

July 1962
1/3

Question 15

What was MacMillan nicknamed after the night of the long knives?

Answer 15

“Mac the knife”

Question 16

When did the French veto British attempts to join the EEC?

Answer 16

1963

Question 17

What was the “wind of change”?

Answer 17

MacMillan recognised the “wind of change” in terms of the British empire and agreed to grant independence to African colonies that wished for it

Question 18

Why did the Profumo affair trigger concerns over national security?

Answer 18

John Profumo had an affair with Christine keeler, a sex worker who had connections through prostitution to the Russian embassy

Question 19

How did Douglas-Home solidify previous conceptions about the Conservative Party?

Answer 19

Estonian aristocrat, out of touch with ordinary people

Question 20

What was the difference between the balance of payment in 1951 and 1952?

Answer 20

1951: £700 million DEFECIT
1952: £259 million SURPLUS
(Butler was chancellor of exchequer)

Question 21

How much did weekly wages rise during the 1950s decade?

Answer 21

1951: £8.30
1959: £15.35

Question 22

When did rationing end?

Answer 22

1954

Question 23

How did the Conservative Party “set the people free”?

Answer 23

Ended rationing
Reduced the bank rate
Income tax cuts in 1952 and 1953

Question 24

How much did a prescription charge cost?

Answer 24

2 shillings

Question 25

What was the proportion of the rise of wages and the rise of prices?

Answer 25

Prices rose by 45% Wages rose by 72%

Question 26

What percentage of total public expenditure went to social services? Why was this significant?

Answer 26

43% Undermined labours argument that conservatives were abandoning the welfare state

Question 27

Which committee was set up to report on finances of the NHS?

Answer 27

Guillebaud committee set up in 1953 Finalised that the NHS was both efficient and cost effective

Question 28

What was a failure of the NHS?

Answer 28

Shortage of staff and proper hospital provisions

Question 29

What was a conservative weakness in terms of economy?

Answer 29

Stop go economics Conservatives would increase interest rates and tighten credit to combat rising inflation When inflation was under control they would again encourage consumer spending This cycle would continue and create economic instability, discouraging investors

Question 30

By how much had university student numbers decreased?

Answer 30

1950: 85,000 1954: 82,000 Stand still in school building

Question 31

What percentage of homes were built by local authorities? Why was this significant ?

Answer 31

80% Showed that they maintained post war consensus

Question 32

What were the left of the Labour Party nicknamed?

Answer 32

“Bevanites”

Question 33

What were the right of the Labour Party nicknamed?

Answer 33

“Gaitskellites”

Question 34

What were some of labours weaknesses during the period of conservative dominance?

Answer 34

• Divide in the party • Nuclear policy • No clear plan on how to implement policies

Question 35

What did the left of the Labour Party want?

Answer 35

Wanted to maintain the traditional principles of the party Wanted unilateral nuclear disarmament

Question 36

What did the right of the Labour Party want?

Answer 36

Wanted reform To remain a nuclear power

Question 37

Why did some Labour party members want unilateral nuclear disarmament?

Answer 37

So that the USSR wouldn’t fall behind the west in the arms race

Question 38

Which important Labour member did not want nuclear disarmament and why?

Answer 38

Nye Bevan Despite the left of the Labour Party being named after him, he did not want unilateral nuclear disarmament He also opposed German rearmament and then joining NATO as he believed this would alienate the USSR

Question 39

What did Labour promise in the 1959 election but still lost?

Answer 39

Promised an increase in state pension without an increase in taxes Had no way of implementing this when asked

Question 40

How many seats did the conservatives have in comparison to Labour in the 1959 election?

Answer 40

Conservative: 365 Labour: 258