Did the result of the 1970 election owe more to Labour weaknesses or Conservative strengths? Flashcards
Why did Wilson decide to hold a general election in June 1970?
The economy had begun to improve
Labour was leading in the opinion poll, with a lead of 8.7%
What was the result of the election?
The Conservatives won 46.4% of the vote and 350 seats
Labour won 43% of the vote and 287 seats
What was Wilson polling just before the election and what was Heath polling?
A 51% approval rating
A 28% approval rating
What was Wilson’s style during the campaign?
He exuded confidence, believing that his electioneering skills were superior to those of Heath
What dented Labour’s claims?
The announcement of the trade figures of May which revealed a deficit of £28 million
What did Crossman and Castle think?
Crossman thought that the party was defeated because too many Labour supporters did not bother to vote
Castle sensed ‘an undercurrent of detachment among our own activists and party audiences’
What happened to party membership and what was the consequence?
Fell from 830k in 1964 to 680k in 1970, reducing the number of local activists willing to campaign for it
What did activists and MPs believe regarding the government?
That the government had been much too right-wing:
Britain’s foreign policy had been too supportive of the USA
Too much money had been spent on defence
The policy of maintaining the value of sterling had benefited only the City and the USA
The working class had been made poorer
The government had abandoned its historic commitment to the interests of the working class
What had the government tried to do regarding women but why did this fail?
Win the support of working women by passing the 1970 Equal Pay Act but politically motivated young people were more likely to be demonstrating against the Vietnam War than join Labour
What did the defeat of ‘In Place of Strife’ suggest?
That the trade unions were selfishly determined to preserve their power and influence and were more powerful than the government
What was its failure a sign of?
The government’s wider failure even to improve, let alone transform, the nation’s economic performance
What had the Conservatives used their years in opposition to do and what were their main ideas?
Develop a distinctive set of principles to underpin their policies:
Industrial relations law would be reformed to reduce the number of strikes and pay settlements
There would be less state intervention in industry
Attempts to control prices and incomes by law would end
Britain would apply to join the EEC
What did these policies do?
Challenge some assumptions that had been accepted by both parties by WW2
What did Wilson try to do?
Mock Heath’s policies as prehistoric but only succeeded in drawing attention to their novelty
What did Heath do during the campaign?
Relentlessly attacked the economic record of the Labour government, stressing that, since 1964, inflation had risen by 33% and unemployment by over 200k
