Conservative Fall From Power In The 1960s Flashcards
Background elections to the 1959-1964 decline
- won election in 1955
- 1959 conservatives easily won the next General Election with an 100 seat majority (increase)
- until a defeat in 1964, it all went downhill and when why, MacMillan famously said ‘events, dear boy, events’
Conservative decline timeline 1959-1964
1961 = rise of satire
1961 = economic crisis
July 1962 = Night of the Long Knives
Jan 1963 = Europe
Feb 1963 = new Labour leader
1963 = Profumo Affair
Oct 1963 = new Conservative leader
1964 = General Election
What was the rise in satire and why was it an issue?
- 1961 = ‘Private Eye’ launched and made fun of leaders
- 1962 = ‘That was the week that was’ tv show
- these signalled a shift in cultural attitudes of the British people
- becoming less reverential towards their leaders, more likely to criticise
- ‘old order’ and old school conservatives were in the firing line
- MacMillan was depicted as a bewildered old Edwardian that was out of touch with the 1960s
What was the 1961 economic crisis?
- 1959 - giveaway budget stoked up inflationary pressure
- by 1961 - years of affluence led to the economy overheating
- increase in balance of payments deficit
- inflation was rising
- raises were rising too quickly
- Chancellor in 1961 - Selwyn Lloyd - was forced to use ‘Stop Go’ and raise interest rates by 2% and curb public sector pay rises
How did the economic issues affect the party?
- increased voter dissatisfaction with the Conservatives who began to lose important by-elections such as in Orpington in April 1962
What was the ‘Night of the Long Knives’?
- by July 1962 the Conservative Government was beset by internal difficulties and rumours of dissent (Publicly disagreeing) within cabinet
- some cabinet ministers were even talking about voting against Mac
- responded with NOTLK and sacked 7 (a third of this cabinet)
Who did he sack?
Lord Chancellor - Kilmuir
Chancellor of the Exchequer - Selwyn Lloyd
Education Minister - David Eccles
Defence Minister - Harold Watkinson
Secretary of State of Scotland - John Maclay
Minister of Housing - Charles Hill
Minister without Portfolio - Lord Mills
Why did NOTLK cause issues?
- Mac thought this would rejuvenate his government
- However, the press saw it as a sign of panic, they changed his name from ‘Super Mac’ to ‘Mac the Knife’
- Mac merely described it as a ‘little local difficulty’
What was happening in Europe and what was the impact?
- Britain applied to join the EEC in 1961
- However in Jan 1963, MacMillan was humiliated by the French leader de Gaulle who blocked Britain’s membership
- acted as another blow to Macmillan’s reputation
Who was the new labour leader?
- January 1963 - Gaitskell died suddenly at the age of 56 of a heart attack
- many argued that Gaitskell would have gone on to become next PM
- replaced a month later by Harold Wilson
- Wilson seemed a pure footed operator and someone who could united the party
- Labours prospects grew dramatically as divides were a thing of the past
What was the Profumo Affair?
- 1963
- MacMillan’s defence secretary John Profumo was caught up in a sex scandal
- Caught having wild parties with high class call girl called Christine Keeler
- Keeler was also having an affair with a Russian spy at the same time
Why did the affair cause problems?
- papers filled with ludicrous tales of sex parties and government secrets being leaked to Russian spies
- Profumo lied in Parliament about his affair and was forced to resign
- MacMillan ordered Lord Denning to investigate and publish an official report however this made things worse as details were accessible to the public
MacMillan’s Illness - 1963
- incorrectly diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent serious operation
- illness may have been stress related however his doctor advised him to stop working so he made the decision to resign
Who would be the new PM of 1963
- 2 obvious candidates = Rab Butler and Lord Hailsham
- however both had enemies and supporters so a compromise candidate was convinced to run
- Sir Alec Douglas - Home = aristocratic lord was allowed to renounce his peerage under recent legislation
- didn’t really want the job but persuaded that it was his duty to run for leader
- won and briefly became leader until election in 1964
Who won the 1964 General Election?
- Harold Wilson’s slogan was ‘Thirteen Wasted Years’
- Douglas - Home’s slogan was ‘Prosperity with a purpose’
- Wilson won with a 4 seat majority, 77.1% turnout, 44.1% of votes
