Domestic Policies 1951-1964

Question 1

What had to change with domestic policy

Answer 1

-attitudes towards industry, TUs and social policy had to be different from 1930s
-experiences of war years made people ready accept state intervention + planning
-NHS already assumed inconic status
-new gov’t accepted existence of post- war consensus

Question 2

What was the post-war consensus

Answer 2

-belief mixed economy — involvement by state + private enterprises
-support NHS + welfare state
-full employment + avoid mass unemployment of 1930s
-working with trade unions + employers
-sometimes called Butskellism
-but within Labour + cons there were different views about these policies

Question 3

What happened with housing

Answer 3

-1951 conservative manifesto promised 300,000 houses per year — rebuild housing stock that was destroyed during war
-wanted to replace slums
-macmillan oversaw this as housing minister under Churchill

Question 4

What happened with education

Answer 4

-cons continued tripartite system developed after Butler Act 1944
-3 types of schools emerged — grammar schools for intellectually gifted, technical school for practical + vocational skills + secondary modern for basic education for majority
-children took 11+ test last year of primary to determine their new school
-by start of 1960s people questioning whether this system was fair

Question 5

What happened with social reform

Answer 5

-many social reforms during Macmillan’s term
-clean air act 1956 to prevent smog of early 1950s
-housing + factory acts to improve living standards + working conditions
-Butler was more liberal + took action on more controversial social issues
-homicide act 1957 restricted when death penalty imposed
-wolfenden commission 1957 recommended homosexual behaviour decriminalised