end of consensus 1970-79 Flashcards
What was stagflation?
Combination of inflation and economic stagnation/unemployment
What was Heath’s u-turn?
1970 election manifesto promised to end subsidy of ‘lame duck’ industry - u-turned on this by nationalising rolls royce in 1971
What effect did the Yom Kippur War have on Heath’s government?
OPEC declared an oil embargo - oil prices increased by 4x
How many days were lost to strikes in 1972?
24 million, the most since the general strike of 1926
What measures did Heath implement to deal with oil and coal shortages?
3 day week, TV shut off at 10:30
What was internment and when was it implemented?
Locking up suspects without trial - implemented by Heath’s govt in 1971
What % of those interned between 1971-75 were Catholic?
95%
What was Bloody Sunday?
British soliders killed 13 NI citizens protesting internment in Derry
What was direct rule?
Suspension of NI Stormont parliament and direct rule from Westminster
What was the Sunningdale agreement and what did it propose?
Attempt at compromise by Heath/Whitelaw - proposed power-sharing executive, proportional representation and some ROI input
Why did Sunningdale fail?
Opposition from both sides - unionists opposed any ROI input and nationalists saw it as a sell out
How was the economy when Labour returned to power in 1974?
In ruins - inflation at 15%, deficit of £3 billion (£26 billion today)
What was Wilson’s ‘social contract’?
Repealing Heath’s measures against the unions in exchange for voluntary pay restraint
What were Callaghan’s ‘twin evils’?
Unemployment and inflation
What did Callaghan and Healey do in 1976 to save the economy?
Applied for a £3 billion loan from the IMF (International Monetary Fund)
What was the Lib-Lab pact?
12 Liberal MPs would vote with Labour - restored majority
How was the economy in 1978?
Callaghan managed to restore the economy - GDP up 3.4% in 1978 and had £250 million surplus
What effect did the Winter of Discontent have?
Made Britain look backwards (bodies piling up in streets) - “sick man of Europe”
What was the NICC
Northern Irish Constitution Convention - set up by Labour to govern NI
What happened to the NICC?
Failed due to unionist majority who opposed any form of power sharing
What was special category status and when was it removed?
In 1976, special category status was removed meaning that IRA prisoners were no longer considered political prisoners
What was the ‘Dirty Protest’?
Over 250 prisoners refused to leave their cells and smeared excrement on the walls
What measures were taken to tackle gender inequality between 1970-79?
1975 Sex Discrimination Act - outlawed discrimination on basis of gender or marital status
When was the birth control pill first made available through the NHS?
1971
How much did women’s wages increase in comparison to men’s during the 1970s?
From 59% in 1970 to 70% in 1977
What was the Employment Protection Act 1975?
Introduced paid maternity leave and outlawed dismissal on grounds of pregnancy
When did Trade Unions first advocate for equality?
1979
What was the 1971 Immigration Act?
Restricted Commonwealth immigration - had to have a guaranteed job and at least one grandparent born in Britain
What was the National Front?
Political party prominent in the 70s opposing non-white immigration
What were Thatcher’s views on immigration?
Thatcher attempted to appeal to NF ideals in a 1978 interview, talking about ending New Commonwealth immigration
What was Heath’s attitude to Europe?
Extremely pro-Europe, desperate for EEC membership
When did Britain first join the EEC?
1973
Why did Wilson call a referendum on EEC membership in 1975?
To maintain unity in the Labour party
What % of Britons voted to remain in the EEC in 1975?
68%
What was the Markov affair?
Markov was a Bulgarian who defected to the West and was outspoken in his criticism of Communism - assassinated in London in 1978
How did relations with China change between 1970-79?
Improved massively - Heath was made “People’s Friendship Envoy” and Hua Guofeng became the first Communist Chinese leader to visit Britain in 1979
When did unemployment hit 1 million?
1972
What was the Domestic Violence Act and when was it passed?
Passed in 1976, made it possible for women to get restraining orders on violent partners
When did the birth control pill become available freely on the NHS?
1971
How many New Commonwealth immigrants had come to Britain by 1974?
1 million
How many black police officers were there?
Only 70 out of a total 22,000
What was the punk movement?
Rejection of 60s hippie culture, linked to nihilism and shocking clothing/hair, rejection of commercialism
What were the political results of increased environmental concern in the 1970s?
Ecology Party (later Green Party) was formed and put up 53 candidates in the 1979 election
What were the social results of increased environmental concern in the 1970s?
Greenpeace founded in 1971 (UK 1977), CND campaigned as nuclear power deemed unsafe, Attenborough’s “Life on Earth” (1979)
