HEATH 1970-4 CHAPTER 9 Flashcards
political/econ
1970 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
CONSERVATIVES
LABOUR
LIBERAL
seats and votes?
SEATS % OF VOTES
CONSERVATIVES 330 44.6
LABOUR 287 43.0
LIBERAL6 7.5
1973
3 things happened
OPEC oil crisis
British entry to the EEC
Miners’ strike and imposition of the three-day week
HEATH AS LEADER
- Was the first leader to have been elected for leadership and had been educated at state schools different from the
who dominated cons party?
old Etonians who had previously dominated the conservatives.
HEATH AS LEADER
- Had already been leader of opposition for 5 years -
this meant he was
- Well prepared spent his time in opposition developing detailed policies on economic modernisation and industrial relations.
HEATH AS LEADER
After the economic and industrial problems of 1970-4, several backbenchers forced a leadership contest
who replaced heath?
thatcher emerged as the key challenger and defeated Heath at the leadership election in 1975.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Before the 1970 election, conservatives held a conference at Selsdon Park to approve a policy programme which formed the base of the election manifesto
what was it?
tax reform, better law and order, reforms to trade unions, immigration controls, cuts to public spending, and ending the public subsidy of lame duck industries (unable to compete and survive without the state).
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Heath still believed in .
2 old thingz
one nation conservatism and the post war consensus
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Reforms ??
3
school leaving age raised to 16, government reorganised, British currency decimalised (the new currency had 100 pence rather than 144).
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Chancellor Barber introduced cuts in public spending and tax cuts to encourage investment Barber boom began with a rapid rise of ???
what was the problem
inflation, but this was not accompanied with economic growth – unemployment went up and led to stagflation (describes the unusual combination of inflation and stagnant economic growth -produced unemployment- occurring at the same time.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Unemployment near a million - government nationalised
which companies?? this was known as what
Rolls Royce and poured money to prevent Upper Clyde Shipbuilders going bankrupt – this was the famous U-turn (reversal of a previous policy; retreat from free enterprise economic policies and reducing state intervention)
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- 1973 – unemployment fell back to
whta? what did it mean
500,000 the investment the government made into modernising the economy seemed to be working.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- October 1973 Yom Kippur War in the middle east prompted OPEC (agreed to fix levels of production to prevent prices from falling too low) to declare
what and what effect did this have
an oil embargo – exports suddenly stopped, price oil rocketed to up to 4 times the usual levels.
- November 1973 the national union of miners (NUM) demanded
a huge pay rise.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
- Dockers strike, large pay settlement for dustmen, postal workers’ strike the government brought in the
what act? what did it do
Industrial Relations Act and Heath abolished the National Board for prices and incomes.
* The Act set up an Industrial Relations Court and provided for strike ballots and a cooling off period before official strikes could begin.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
- 1972 major strikes:
by who
miners, ambulance drivers, firefighters, civil servants, power workers etc.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
1972 saw the highest number of days lost in strike
how may days
(23,909,000) since 1926.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
- The miners’ strike started on 9 January 1972. The use of flying pickets led by Arthur Scargill virtually stopped the movement of coal around the country government declared
what and what effect did this have
a state of emergency in February – schools closed, and 1.2 million workers laid off. The 3-day week was announced to save electricity until a generous wage settlement was reached.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
- 1972 industry act passed to involve the government, TUC, and the CBI in agreeing
what and what did the party think about this
wages, prices, investments, and benefits – heavily criticised by the right of the party.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
- 1973 - further disputes with firefighters and power workers, the oil crisis led to another wage demand (which was over the limits the government wanted to impose to hold down inflation) from miners who ended up introducing
what
an overtime ban to strengthen their demands.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE MINERS’ STRIKE
- 1974 – three-day week reintroduced and Whitelaw became minister of employment as he was a skilled negotiator
but this…
failed – miners refused to accept the pay offer and the government refused to treat miners as a special case the NUM called a general strike.
The 3-day week was imposed to conserve electricity. Fuel was rationed and a speed limit of 50 mph was introduced on all roads. Tv closed down after 10.30 pm and deep cuts were made to the lighting and heating of public buildings.
what effect did this have on workers, productivity, balance of payments
Many industries were forced to lay off workers many signed up for unemployment benefits. Productivity and wages didn’t fall by much. The shortage of coal combined with rising oil prices led to a balance of payments crisis.
- Heath called a general election for February 1974 conservatives led the opinion polls for most of the campaign except the final results.
but what happened? what did it mean for miners strikes
- Labour won 5 more seats miners strike indirectly brought down heath’s government.
1974 election inconclusive
why?
no party had an overall majority – hung parliament.
The 1974 election reinforced the idea that this was a year of both political and economic crisis voters not enthusiastic about the two main parties -increase in representation from other parties especially
which party - what effect did it have
Liberals who Heath tried to make a deal with but failed.
Labour, as the largest party, formed a minority government.
FEBRUARY 1974 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
CONSERVATIVES
LABOUR
LIBERAL
seats and votes?
CONSERVATIVES 297 37.9
LABOUR 301 37.1
LIBERAL 14 19.3
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
- A number of paramilitary organisations sprang up from both sides:
what were the two republican groups?
IRA Irish republican army – split to official and provisional in 1970
INLA Irish national liberation army – formed out of official IRA in 1974
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
- A number of paramilitary organisations sprang up from both sides:
what were the two loyalist groups?
UDA Ulster defence association
UVF Ulster volunteer force
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
- Heath’s government made attempts to find a political solution
who supported them? what did they do that heath supported?
the ulster unionists supported them, and heath backed the ulster union party leader who led the Belfast government, going along with the policies of imposing night-time curfews and the introduction of internment (locking up suspects without trial) in 1971.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
- curfews and the introduction of internment were ineffective as security measures alienated the nationalist communities –
what % of those interned were catholocs?
96% of those interned were Catholics (an IRA commander said the internment was among the best recruiting tools the IRA ever had).
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
- curfews and the introduction of internment meant the British army came to be regarded as
an enemy occupying power by Catholics and nationalists.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
- 1972 NI civil right association organised a march to protest against internment British soldiers fired
and killed ??? this was known as?
live ammunition, shooting 26 unarmed civilians, and killing 13 (Bloody Sunday).
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
Following Bloody Sunday, the British embassy in Dublin was burned down, support for the IRA grew and they raised a lot of funds in the US.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
1972 was the bloodiest year in the troubles:
3 reasons why: give the no of explosions, shootings and deaths
1382 explosions, 10,000+ shooting incidents and 480 people were killed.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
1972 heath suspended Stormont parliament and brough in direct rule from Westminster, appointing Whitelaw as secretary of State.
why?
Heaths policy was to defeat the IRA and ensure political peace.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
UNIONIST PARTIES
name 3 and briefly describe each
- ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY Ruled NI between 1921-72.
The only main unionist party. - DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY Formed in 1970 by Ian Paisley and other unionists disillusioned with the moderate unionists in the UUP.
- ALLIANCE Formed in 1970 to be a moderate unionist party aimed to gain support from both Catholics and protestants – neutral view.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
NATIONALIST AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES
name 2 and briefly describe each
SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY Formed by nationalists such as Hume to fight for civil rights for Catholics and a united Ireland.
Rejected violent methods.
SINN FEIN Formed in 1905 – republican but supported the provisional IRA in 1970 excluded from negotiations.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
1973 - Heath and Whitelaw negotiated the Sunningdale agreement - power-sharing government with the support of the SLDP, the Alliance and the UUP.
what did it propose? 2
- Power sharing executive of both nationalists and unionists – both sides guaranteed representation.
- New Northern Ireland assembly elected under a system of proportional representation.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
Extremists, both republican and loyalist – denounced Sunningdale as a sell-out.
The prospects of the settlement were undermined by
problems ongoing in mainland Britain – miners’ strike and the general election.
THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND INCLUDING THE SUNNINGDALE AGREEMENT
11 of the 12 constituencies returned candidates that opposed the agreement.
Concerns over the agreement meant the conservative party couldn’t rely on the support of the
what party
UUP.
