Conservative dominance from 1951 and postwar consensus

Question 1

Conservative majoity 1951

Answer 1

17

Question 2

Why was a second election called by Attlee in 1951

Answer 2

He only had a majority of 5

Question 3

Labour government was unpopular

Answer 3

The continued policies of rationing, housing shortages, and a period of austerity

Question 4

Conservative promises over house building

Answer 4

300,000 houses a year

Question 5

How did Churchill appeal to the public

Answer 5

Amidst the Korean War his credentials as a worlds statesman were favourable
He promised to set people free from socialist rules

Question 6

How did Woolton revitalise the conservatives

Answer 6

He appealed to party members and business for £1 million for campaigning
He encouraged the selection of candidates from a variety of social backgrounds

Question 7

Conservative membership by 1952

Answer 7

Grown to 2.8 million, including many young members

Question 8

What policies of the Attlee government did the conservatives accept

Answer 8

Keynesian economics and positive relations with the unions

Question 9

When was rationing ended

Answer 9

1954

Question 10

When were ID cards abolished

Answer 10

1952

Question 11

Why was the period 1945-70 labelled as a postwar consensus

Answer 11

Similarities in economic policy, mixed economy was best and aimed for full employment

Question 12

How did Churchill’s government contribute to the post war consensus

Answer 12

Many nationalised industries remained and unions were given a prominent role

Question 13

Bevanites

Answer 13

The left of the Labour party who argued for greater state control and direction of the economy and society
Wanted large trade unions

Question 14

Unilateralists

Answer 14

Wanted a reduction in nuclear power as they believed that it would save Britain money to spend on the under privileged

Question 15

CND Movement

Answer 15

Anti American and pro Soviet who didn’t want to see the Soviet Union fall too far behind the West in the arms race

Question 16

Gaitskell’s decisions over the internal disputes

Answer 16

He stood on the moderate centre right of the party and believed that he had the mandate to steer the party apart from Bevanite views

Question 17

Increased disputes after the 1959 election

Answer 17

Gaitskell accused the left of weakening the party by their demand for unilateralism
Whereas the left attacked Gaitskell for dropping nationalisation as a primary policy

Question 18

CND

Answer 18

A group created after the 1959 election to support Gaitskell which argued that it was undemocratic for the left to influence the leaders of large trade unions

Question 19

1960 Labour Party Conference

Answer 19

A victory for the left of the party as the unilateralists forced their policy on the party using the voting block of the major unions

Question 20

1955 general election results

Answer 20

Conservatives won 345 seats, a majority of 58

Question 21

Eden Suez Canal crisis

Answer 21

Sent British troops to protect the canal against the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, but then had to withdraw them
Main reason why Eden resigned

Question 22

1959 election results

Answer 22

MacMillan won an easy election victory of 365 seats, a majority of 100

Question 23

1959 Budget

Answer 23

Massively boosted the economy

Question 24

The Rent Act 1957

Answer 24

Allowed landlords to charge higher rents to help improve their property
810,000 properties moved out of rental control

Question 25

Life Peers Act 1957

Answer 25

Introduction of peers into House of Lords rather than an inheritance

Question 26

Homicide Act 1957

Answer 26

Reserved the death penalty for 5 cases of murder

Gradually abolished capital punishment

Question 27

What happened to the economy in 1963

Answer 27

It stagnated

Question 28

Unemployment in 1963 under MacMillan

Answer 28

900,000

Question 29

Stop go policies

Answer 29

A real issue for the conservatives which failed to address industrial decline
There would have been greater affluence without these policies

Question 30

Issues with trade unions

Answer 30

Union reform was not tackled or wage freezes introduced
They were excluded form the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Act 1956
Blamed for limited production

Question 31

Days lost in 1957 due to strike action

Answer 31

8.5 million working days

Question 32

Orpington by-election

Answer 32

A loss for the conservatives who saw their majority go from 15,000 to a Liberal majority of 8000

Question 33

MacMillan’s cabinet reshuffle

Answer 33

A response to the poor performance in the Orpington by-election, nicknamed the Night of the Long Knives where 7 members were sacked

Question 34

Profumo Affair

Answer 34

MacMillan’s Secretary of State for War had an affair with Christine Keeler, who was already in a relationship with a Russian naval attache
It led to Profumo resigning and damaged the credibility of the conservatives