Harold MacMillan - ‘Never Had It So Good’ Flashcards
1
Q
Where did Mac stand in the Eden government?
A
- Conservatives won election with an increase of 60 seats
- Mac was appointed Chancellor whilst Rab Butler became leader of the House of Commons
- Within 2 years and the Suez Crisis, Eden resigned in disgrace
- everyone expected Butler to replace him but many conservatives were jealous of Butler and thought he was ‘too clever by half’
- Harold MacMillan became PM in 1957
2
Q
Who was Harold MacMillan?
A
- Oxford graduate
- served in WW1 - wounded three times and seriously injured in the Battle of Somme
- became conservative MP for Stockton on Tees in 1924 and witness impact of the ‘hungry thirties’ on working class
- lost seat in 1945 general election but regained one in Bromley
- served as minister of housing 1951-1954, then in quick succession became minister of defence, foreign secretary and Chancellor
- made a famous speech in 1957 that explained the people of Britain had “never had it so good”
3
Q
Why was there an economic boom in the late 1950s?
A
- new consumer products
- full employment and rising wages
- higher purchase
- mail order
- commercial television
4
Q
What were the new consumer goods?
A
- America had pioneered the ideas of mass production in things like cars, fridges and radios but Great Depression and WW2 meant it never took hold of Britain
- finish in the years of austerity meant that this would provide a boost to the British industry as all goods would be manufactured in British factories
5
Q
What was unemployment like in the 1950s
A
- 1950s - Britain had a strong manufacturing base as GB factories still manufactured majority of new consumer products - there was full employment as skilled and unskilled jobs were easy to come by
- in 1950 there was 200,000 people unemployed which is equal to 1% - lowest level of post war period
6
Q
How did wages rise in the 1950s
A
Average weekly wage of an adult male worker
1951 = £8.30
1964 = £18.35
Growth in wages in line with inflation
1951 - 1955 = 2.2%
1955 - 1960 = 2.9%
1960 - 1964 = 4.0%
7
Q
What types of jobs were there in 1950s?
A
- fall in traditional jobs: agriculture, fishing, coal mining, ship building yet this wasn’t an issue as there were so many new types of jobs
- car manufacturing, washing machines, fridges, vacuum cleaners and tvs were all made in Britain and needed glass, plastic, metal and electrical components which were made in Britain
- new jobs in finance, transport and retail
- cycle of prosperity- full employment meant people could afford products and they were all paying income tax to the government
8
Q
What was Hire Purchase?
A
- buy now and pay later
- allowed people to hire a product in weekly instalments and could keep it if all payments were on time or the company would take it back
- another idea from usa was consumer credit yet many were cautious and reluctant to buy on credit
- August 1954, rules on hire purchase were relaxed
- HP meant there was no need to wait for payments to come in
9
Q
What were mail order catalogues?
A
- women magazine printed in colour for the first time showing a new lifestyle at reasonable prices
- able to order from magazines without leaving the house
- many adverts aimed at housewives
10
Q
What was commercial tv?
A
- British tv has been run by BBC since late 1930s and was rather staid and educational in outlook
- TV ownership began to rise rapidly after the Queen’s coronation being televised in 1953
- 1955 - ITV was launched and ‘commercial television’ was advertising products helping to boost consumer aspirations
- revolutionised advertising
Percentage of homes with a TV
1950 - 10%
1955 - 67%
1960 - 87%
11
Q
What was consumer ownership like? (Homes, cars, tv)
A
Home ownership
1950 = 25%
1964 = 44%
Car ownership
1950 = 2 million
1964 = 8 million
TV ownership
1950 = 10%
1964 = 91%
12
Q
Did he deserve his nickname of ‘Super Mac’ ?
A
- cartoon was meant to make fun of Mac - he is holding his glasses and has a padded torso
- yet he secretly liked his nickname
- 1959 economic position was very positive and following another giveaway budget, Mac called another general election and won with a 100 seat majority
- although was he being reckless? As wages were rising and increase in jobs, many urged caution that the economy may overheat if he didn’t control people’s spending and economic troubles was on the horizon
