Exam question on the weaknesses of Labour government as an important factor in conservative domination? Flashcards
Quote from Macmillan speech in Africa 1858?
‘wind of change’
Allen arguments against wind of change?
Suez canal not forgotten, only occurred 2 years earlier.
Imperialist Britain
Macmillan’s cabinet?
- 35 out of 85 were related to Macmillan by marriage
- 2/7 cabinet members didn’t go to private school
Who said ‘thirteen years wasted’?
Harold Wilson
World trade decrease between 1951 and 1964?
25% to 15%
World trade increase between 1951 and 1964 for Germany?
7% to 20%
Churchill’s appeals during 1951 election?
- Industrialisation of the coal and steel industries
- Promised ‘more red meat’ opposing rations
- Launched programme to build 300,000 homes per year. Labour only building 200,000 per year.
What did people associate Labour party with?
- Economic strain of the Korean War (Ended 1953)
- Austistery, high taxation and tariffs (Butler suggested higher interest and not taxes)
Churchill’s interaction with the post-war consensus?
All ministers who did not agree with the post-war consensus were dismissed.
Bevan’s strategic capabilities?
- Homicide Act 1957
- Education Act 1944
- ‘give-away’ budget (£134 million in tax cuts)
‘greatest social revolution in our history’ post war consensus
Results of 1955 elections?
Conservative: 49.7%
Labour: 46.4%
Lord Halisham view of Eden as PM?
‘a prime minister who represented contemporary manhood, rather than the pre-First World War generation’
Percentage of votes in 1951 elections?
Conservatives: 48.0%
Labour: 48.8%
How many homes did Conservatives build?
1.7 million
354,000
44% of people owned property in 1964
Economic problems under the conservatives?
‘stop-go’ policies
Consequently, unemployment reached 800,000 by 1963
Mac The Knife
Night of The Long Knives
- Resuffle in cabinet due to age of his ministers (in comparison to the Labour Party)
- 1/3rd ministers removed.
Orpington = Liberals overturned conservative domination with 14,000 against 7,000.
West Middleobrough = Previous Conservative safe seat
Lloyd historian view of Night of Long Knives?
- ‘Macmillan did not possess either claim to authority after ministerial changes’
Social failures under conservatives?
Adelman: ‘coup de grace to the Conservative Party’ (scandals)
Yet it was a year later that Conservative government was removed.
- Macmillan’s lack of control evident in Profumo as he lied in House of Commons
‘In Place of Fear’ by Nye Bevan 1952
- ‘central principles of socialism is the substitution of public for private ownership’
Bevan’s views on EEC?
‘Are we now expected to go back almost a century’
Role of Unions - opinions in left party?
Bevanites - unions have a large role in party policy
Moderates - parliamentary party not unions
Effects of Nuclear debates in Labour party?
- Divisions materialised at 1955 (Gaitskell defeated Bevan for leadership)
- Gaitskell argued that left had weakened the party with its unilateralist views.
