Conservative Domination 1951-64

Question 1

What did Attlee promise?

Answer 1

To build a country of fair shares for all, everyone would be taken care of equally.

Question 2

What was the Beveridge report?

Answer 2

It formed the basis for the post-war reforms known as the welfare state, which include the expansion of National Insurance and the creation of the National Health Service.

Question 3

What did Truman do?

Answer 3

Stopped American aid for the UK ( weapons, food)
He sent a bill and it was catastrophic, UK was close to bankruptcy.

Question 4

Who was John Maynard Keys and what did he achieve?

Answer 4

He was sent to Washington to negotiate a loan with America, he initially achieved nothing but he came out with a loan of $4b with interest.

Question 5

What was the Washington condition?

Answer 5

Exchange controls must come down 12 months after the loan begun.

Question 6

What was Labour relying on to pay debts?

Answer 6

Exporting what the country produced which left nothing in the dope, causing extreme rationing.

Question 7

What was the purpose of Ealing Studios?

Answer 7

To preserve English culture, optimism and cultural nationalism.

Question 8

What was the squatting revolt 1946?

Answer 8

1000 people got impatient and seized houses.

Question 9

What did Attlee and Churchill think about the British Empire?

Answer 9

Attlee-Knew the UK could not sustain the colonies and wanted to grant Indian independence.
Churchill-The UK has collapsed and the USA is the nation of the future. UK’s loss of status.

Question 10

What was the British nationality act?

Answer 10

Gave rights for 800 000 people worldwide to live in England.

Question 11

Who was Manny Shinwell?

Answer 11

Veteran socialist who led the battle to nationalise the coal industry.

Question 12

What was labour’s economic vision?

Answer 12

Nationalising coal, steel and railways.

Question 13

1947 turning point.

Answer 13

Coldest winter recorded.
The coal remained buried and frozen causing power stations to close down.

Question 14

What was the convertibility crisis?

Answer 14

Had to suspend economic controls which prevented people from taking £50 out of the country. Rush to buy dollars meant the pound tumbled and exports became expensive.

Question 15

What was Attlee’s govt known for?

Answer 15

NHS. Health service for all that was free at the point of utility.

Question 16

What was the significance of Korea?

Answer 16

Defence spending to defeat the red army disrupted the fragile economy and damaged the NHS.

Question 17

What was Bevin’s role in the Marshall plan?

Answer 17

Withdrew English troops, England received the biggest share but the plan was a lifeline.

Question 18

What were Labour’s weaknesses? 1951

Answer 18

Difficulties of dealing with the post-war economy/finances, these problems exhausted the cabinet.
Associated with austerity, rationing and high taxation.
Internal divisions.

Question 19

Why were labour’s weaknesses important for conservative victory in 1951?

Answer 19

Instability.
The negative issues associated to the party shifted public opinion to a negative majority, widespread dissatisfaction.

Question 20

What were the conservative strengths? 1951

Answer 20

Lord Woolton reorganised the party (strengthened).
Promised to build 300,000 homes compared to labour’s 200,000 and “red meat”.
Successful prop.
Would consolidate welfare state.
Churchill was popular.

Question 21

Why were the conservative strengths important for their victory in 1951?

Answer 21

Appealing to the population would ensure votes.
Consolidating the welfare state would satisfy the public.
Churchill was portrayed as a hero due to leading the country through WW2.

Question 22

Why was the electoral system important? 1951

Answer 22

Convs needed less votes for each seat to be won.
Lab had to win 2% more of the vote.
Ex-lib voters had converted into conservatives due the liberal collapse.

Question 23

Why was the electoral system important for conservative victory? 1951

Answer 23

Conservatives needed less votes to win.
Liberal collapse increased conservative voters.

Question 24

What is Butskellism?

Answer 24

Were policies between parties were equal.

Question 25

What were stop-go policies?

Answer 25

Govts responded to economic developments rather than developing a strategy that created economic growth.

Question 26

What was stagflation?

Answer 26

Industrial output declined but inflation remained?

Question 27

How were the people well off? 1951

Answer 27

Increase in industrial growth.
Wages rose faster than prices.
Chancellor’s cut tax. Purchasing power increased.
500% increase in car ownership.
Availability of credit.
Conservative party consistent.
More housing.

Question 28

How were the people worse off?

Answer 28

Decline in shared trade.
Govts failure to modernise.
Unemployment rates fluctuated.
Inflation.
Balance of payment deficit slowed down recovery and growth.
Lack of investments.
Borrowing money= economically dangerous.

Question 29

Churchill as a leader 1950s.

Answer 29

S-Led and won the war so was portrayed as a war hero.
F- Butler was the driving force of the conservative party, he strengthened and handled the party because Churchill was too old.

Question 30

Eden as a leader 1950s.

Answer 30

S- Personal appeal was strong.
F- Suez crisis of 1956, heavily criticised by the labour party. forced to resign, withdrawal= lack of political will.

Question 31

Macmillian as a leader 1950s

Answer 31

S- Increased conservative majority to 100 and his personal appeal won him support.
F- Victim of circumstance, foreign affairs damaged his govt also hit by a series of scandals.

Question 32

Douglas-Home as a leader 1950s.

Answer 32

F- Perceived as out of touch and was defeated by labour. He was a poor public speaker and had wilson as opposition.

Question 33

Why was labour to blame for their loss at the 1959 election?

Answer 33

Internal divisions.
Attitudes towards social reform and economic change.
Nuclear policy.
Attitudes towards Europe and prior unfulfilled promises.

Question 34

Why was labour NOT to blame for their loss at the 1959 election?

Answer 34

Split between Gaitskell and Bevan’s supporters.
Attlee was ill and tired in contrast to Eden.
Unfulfilled promises.
Conservative public appeal.

Question 35

1951 election

Answer 35

Labour strengths- introduced the welfare state/NHS and industrial increase.
Labour weakness- Difficulties in dealing with the problems post-WW2, internal divisions associated with high taxation, rationing and austerity.
Conservative strengths- Lord Woolton reorganised the party, promised to build 300k houses and end rationing.
Conservative weakness- Churchill’s age.

Question 36

1955 election

Answer 36

Labour strengths- campaign appealed to the public.
Labour weakness- Leadership struggles caused tensions between Gaitskell and Bevan, supporters also in conflict.
Conservative strengths- Voters were happy with better living standards and less unemployment, Eden called just before the election so his effectiveness could not be judged.
Conservative weakness- Eden was new to leadership.

Question 37

1959 election

Answer 37

Labour strengths- 3 years after the Suez Crisis, Gaitskell’s victory led the party away from unfavourable policies.
Labour weakness- Exhausted cabinet and internal divisions.
Conservative strength- Economic boom boosted Macmillain’s popularity.
Conservative weakness- 3 years after the Suez crisis and budgetary policies were unsound.

Question 38

Economy- reasons for conservative decline

Answer 38

Balance of trade deficit and government efforts to reduce it such as the NEDC had little impact.
Unemployment had increased to 800k by the end of the century.
Union strikes.

Question 39

EEC rejection- reason for conservative decline

Answer 39

Britain’s status as a world power questioned.
The rejection was humuliating because it highlighted Britain’s weaknesses.

Question 40

“Night of the long Knives”- reason for conservative decline

Answer 40

Reshuffled the cabinet to younger members.
1/3 of the existing cabinet was replaced which damaged the unity of the party.
Macmillain never recovered his authority.

Question 41

Vassall Affair

Answer 41

1954.
Vassall was blackmailed into handing over secrets from the British Admiralty to his Soviet handlers, both in Moscow and in London, for more than seven year
Suggested the govt had little control over its departments.

Question 42

Philby case

Answer 42

Took blame for the security service’s failure
1951.

Question 43

Argyll divorce case

Answer 43

List of sexual involvement within the business.
1963.

Question 44

Profumo affair

Answer 44

1961.
Profumo’s relationship with partner was linked to the Russian embassy.
Risks to national security, there were doubts about the safety of government.
Reflected badly on parliament and party about capabilities to run a country.
Confronted by the publicity craze of the 1960s.

Question 45

Tensions and riots

Answer 45

1958-59.
Immigrants were blamed for job shortages.
Riots in London, Bristol, Nottingham.
Notting Hill- white youths tried to attack black-owned properties and businesses.
Police struggled to maintain order, shows the government as unstable and unable to control a free country, bad reflection.

Question 46

Salmon inquiry/ letters

Answer 46

1966
Public inquiry that blamed immigrants for riots, didn’t include the racism or discrimination people suffered.

Question 47

Commonwealth immigrants act 1

Answer 47

1962.
Limited the number of immigrants depending on ethnic origin.

Question 48

Youth sub-culture

Answer 48

Interests and beliefs that didn’t conform.
Sometimes violence between “mods and rockers”.
Some affluent, some felt alienated.
Caused fights in the summer of 1964.
Many of the young lost respect for those in authority.

Question 49

Theatre revolution of the 1960s

Answer 49

Sick of how working class people were hidden away, expressed frustrations. (Macmillans Britain)
Close knit-group, challenged those running the country.
Music, European influence.
Industry created.
The mini was mass-motorised and began to symbolise modernity and youth.

Question 50

What happened in 1958?

Answer 50

Mass immigration in search of employment.
Multicultural societies.
Racial tensions exacerbated resulting in riots and increased discrimination and assault.

Question 51

MacMillan and polaris

Answer 51

American nuclear weapon, lethal submarines stored in Scottish waters collab with Eisenhower.
Reactions of the people in Scotland were against the Polaris operation, fuelled anti-establishment campaign.
Mac Ilian turned to the EEC, but was rejected as they wouldn’t allow Europe to “drown in the Atlantic”.

Question 52

‘Mac the Knife’

Answer 52

Removed 1/3 of cabinet ministers.
‘ the night of the long knives’

Question 52

Why was the Profumo affair the perfect political storm?

Answer 52

First affair not hidden from the public.
Discovered by a Russian spy.
Raised in the commons and relentlessly interrogated.
Media and press evolution.
‘World committed suicide’ Others resigned.
Aroused national interest.