Harold Wilson 1964-1970 (T3) Flashcards
What was Harold Wilson like as a person?
The polar opposite of the establishment
- State-school educate
- Yorkshire accent
- Appeared calm and reassuring
What was Wilson a big believer in?
Scientific progress
What was Wilson remembered for?
White heat and devaluation
What were the key departments made by Wilson?
- Department of economic affairs
- Ministry of technology
Who was the Department of Economic Affairs run by?
George Brown
What was George Brown like?
Unreliable and a notorious drunk
When was the ‘national plan’ introduced?
September 1965 as part of the Department of Economic Affairs
What was the ‘national plan’?
A hugely ambitious plan to expand the economy, but with no real ideas on how to raise production on exports
What was a problem with the Department of Economic Affairs?
The Treasury resented competing with the DEA + the two departments would not cooperate
What did Wilson talk about relating to the Ministry of Technology?
‘White heat of technology transforming Britain’
Who was the Ministry of Technology run by?
Maverick (very ambitious a bit of a risk taker) MP Tony Wedgewood
What issue did the Ministry of Technology face?
Struggled by lack of funds (due to economic problems) and cautiousness of the party
What projects did the Ministry of Technology support?
- Concorde (1968)
- Nuclear energy
What did the Ministry of Technology encourage?
Encourages British markets to compete in world trade
What were the achievements surrounding universities made by Wilson’s government?
- New unis and polytechnics built
- Open uni created
What were the 6 liberal reforms made under Wilson’s government?
- 1965 Race relations Act, Death penalty abolished
- 1967 Abortion Act, Family planning act, gay sex made legal
- 1970 Equal pay act
By the end of the 60s what was the economy in Britain like?
They had a small balance of payments surplus
What problem with the economy did Wilson face when he first became PM?
Previous gov. left the country with an £800 million balance of payment deficit - twice what labour had predicted it was
What did Wilson have to devalue the pound to?
From $2.80 to $2.40 in 1967
What happened to Wilson as a result of devaluating the pound?
He lost huge amounts of credibility
What happened to unemployment by the end of the 60s?
It had risen
What had unemployment risen to by 1964?
900,000
What were trade unions like during Wilson’s time as PM
Union unrest had increased
During the 60s, how many days were lost on strikes?
3.6 million days - yet labour relied on trade union funding
Why were the Labour government in 1964 unable to resist union demand?
They relied on TU funding
What was Barbara Castle’s white paper called?
‘In place of strife’
What happened to Barbara Castle’s white paper?
It was never implemented
What problems did Wilson face due to the Conservative ‘stop-go’ economic policies?
Recession and inflation - failure to properly solve the underlying problems of the British economy
How did Wilson show enthusiasm for consensus politics?
His ambitious plans to invest in technology showed his enthusiasm
How did Wilson struggle to keep up with policies of full employment?
They were put under strain along with cooperation with TUs
How were Wilson’s gov. struggling to continue investing in the welfare state?
Economic problems:
The NHS was becoming a victim of its own success
NHS charges abolished in 1965 - then reinstated in 1967 at higher rates due to economic troubles
