Divisons within the Labour party Flashcards
What did the left of the party believe the EEC was?
A “Capitalist club”
Why did the right of the Labour Party wish to join the EEC?
It would massively help the economy
What issue did the Labour left raise about the EEC?
They believed that if the UK joined the EEC then it would have been a limiting factor for Labour’s economic and social policies moving forward.
What did the Labour left see themselves as?
Peacekeepers
Why did the Labour left opt for unilateral nuclear disarmament ?
They believed the UK didn’t have the funds to continue with their nucleur arsenal.
Why did the Labour right opt for Nuclear deterrent?
They supported the idea of continuing with nuclear weapons to maintain the position of Britian as a world power.
Why did the Labour right want to remove Clause IV of the party’s constituition?
Clause IV committed the party to nationalisation. Hugo Gaitskell wanted to remove this when he was leader of the party. The labour right wished for a mixed economy with a competitive market.
Prominent members of the Labour left include?
-Aneurin Bevan
-Barbara Castle
-Tony Benn
-Michael Foot
Prominent members of the Labour right include?
-Hugh Gaitskell
-Roy Jenkins
-Anthony Crosland
Wht were the Labour left plans for trade unions?
They wanted them to become more powerful and gift them more powers so that they had a big grasp on the workers of the UK
What were the Labour right plans for trade unions?
Sanctions and restrictions on the unions that stop them for calling strikes whenever they feel free. The main compenent of this plan was Barbara Castle’s ‘In place of Strife.’
When did Wilson try to implement ‘In place of strife’
1969
What were the post war policies that Labour followed?
Belief in mixed economy
Support for NHS
Wish to ensure full employment to avoid mass unemployment of the 30s
Work alongside trade Unions and Employers
Why did Aneurin Bevan support nucleur deterrent?
‘It would send a foreign secretary naked into the conference-chamber’-Bevan
Who was Frank Cousins and why was he important for the issue of internal division of Labour Party?
-In 1956 he, a fierce left-winger, took over the TGWU (Transport and General Workers’ Union)
-He led opposition to Britain’s nuclear weapons
Why did the issue of leaders in the party lead to divisions?
The great wartime generation of Labour leaders were now ageing and many were in poor health.
Attlee resigned as leader of the party in 1955 therefore the stability and continuity of which he brought to the party for many years was now removed.
What was the ideology difference between the two factions of the Labour Party?
LEFT= Wanted to become more socialist.
RIGHT= Happy to continue with the moderate policies of consensus politics.
How did the 1959 election loss increase Labour divisions?
Though it was accepted that Gaitskell had been foolish in promising to increase pensions without raising tax, it became clear that Labour had lost the support of working men and the middle class. There were divisions in how to overcome these issues and much criticism of Gaitskell’s campaign.
