Harold Wilson as Prime Minister Flashcards
Problems under Wilson:
- Majority of 4 seats
- Party’s promises of modernisation
- Colonial + foreign problems
- Senior figures disliked each other
- Serious economy
Characteristics of Wilson:
- Intelligent, hard-working and memory
- Optimistic, resilient, patient
- King
- Distrust of party ideology, preferring practical solutions.
- Compromise.
- Acceptable to both wings of party.
Labour divisions: left
Left –> socialist
- Bring more sectors of economy under state control.
- Abolishing/reforming institutions that protected privilege. Independent schools + house of lords.
- Remaining outside EEC.
- Speeding decolonisation.
- Distancing Britain from US foreign policy.
- Abandoning nuclear weapons.
Labour divisions: right
Right –> modernising
- Promote economic growth and fairer distribution of wealth by economic planning and taxation policy.
- Apply to join Common Market (EEC)
- Retain nuclear weapons
- Maintain US alliance to guarantee national security.
- Resist demand for further nationalisation.
Majority in 1964 - March 66
1964: 4 seats
1966: 96 seats
Who was made Conservative leader in August 1965?
Edward Heath
What social reforms occurred after ‘thirteen years of Tory misrule’?
Murder: abolish death penalty
- Nov 1965
- Temporary –> permanent in 1969
Race relations: discrimination in public facilities illegal
- Nov 1965
Race Relations: racial discrimination in housing / employment illegal
- April 1968
Theatre: Censorship by Lord Chamberlain ended
- July 1968
Voting: 21-18
- May 1969
Equal pay:
- May 1970
Social changes: attitudes
- More travel so reduced class divisions
- More education, higher standard of living
- Youth culture, civil rights movement in US and more employment opportunities for women.
‘permissive’ society
Traditionalists viewed laws on homosexuality (Jul 1967) + divorce (Oct 1969) and abortion (Oct 1967) created a ‘permissive’ society
Mary Whitehouse
Led campaign against excessive sex, violence and bad language in BBC programmes.
- Gained 400,000 supporters
When were laws on immigration settled
1965 and 1968
Increase in number of women attending university?
23,000 (1951-2) to 67,000 (1969-70)
Replacing grammar schools with comprehensive schools of all abilities?
- 1965
- Anthony Crosland (the education secretary)
1963 Robbins Report
- Called for major expansion of university education.
- Introduced Open University
Vietnam War
- Left regarded US policies as aggressive and imperialist.
- Wilson ‘we have made absolutely plain our support of the American stand against the communist infiltration in South Vietnam.’
- Refused President Johnson’s request to send in British troops.
- June 1966 heavily criticised US bombing of North Vietnam.
- 1967 broker of peace.
Southern Rhodesia
- Illegal declaration of Independence in Nov 1965
- White minority government of Ian Smith
- Common wealth and Black African countries wanted to send troops in to stop rebellion.
- Wilson tried personal diplomacy twice.
- No solution until 1980
The Common Market
- Failed to convince Charles de Gaulle to accept application.
Management of Labour Cabinet
- Senior party figures given ministerial jobs to reduce attention given to his divided party.
- Conflicts
- Barbra Castle Jan 1968: ‘we spend 3/4 of our time in these personal pro and anti intrigues’
- 1969 gov tried to reform industrial relations. Denis Healey, minister of defence, noted that disputes were ‘all to common in governments of all parties’
- Only 4 resignations.
