Heath's Government Flashcards
Info that is on the specification
What were the reasons for the 1970 Labour loss that helped Heath’s government come into power?
- Enoch Powell’s anti-immigration ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech
- Internal Labour Divisions
- Struggling economy under Wilson
What was Heath like as a leader?
- had a clear and detailed programme of policies for the modernisation of Britain
- familiar with the issues surrounding the EEC as he was the chief negotiator
- first state school conservative leader - appeals to the regular British person
What were Heath’s aims?
- tax reform
- better law & order
- reforms to trade unions
- immigration controls
- cuts to public spending
- end of lame duck industries
What was Heath’s goal for Britain?
For Britain to be the heart of a unified Europe
What was the conference that took place before the 1970 general election?
Selsdon Park Conference
What was the purpose of the Selsdon Park Conference?
to lay out and produce the Conservative manifesto
What was the event that triggered economic struggle at the very beginning of Heath’s 1970 win?
Death of the Chancellor of the Exchequer - Ian McLeod
Who replaced McLeod as Chancellor?
Anthony Barber
What was the economic crisis caused by Barber?
The Barber Boom
What are the key aspects of the Barber Boom?
- cuts to public spending
- tax cuts (to encourage investment)
- rise in inflation
- increased unemployment
What is the key term that links to the barber boom?
Stagflation - when inflation and unemployment are both increasing
What change did Heath bring in order to align British currency with others in Europe?
decimalisation - pence in the pound is worth 100 rather than 144
What type of turn did Heath take on his policies?
U-turn
What did Heath initially promise in the manifesto in regards to subsidiys?
- end lame duck industries (cannot run without gov funding)
What were causes for the U-turn?
- unemployment reaching nearly 1 million
- felt compelled to take action as it preserved thousands of jobs
What are some example of the U-turn?
- nationalisation of largest manufactures Rolls Royce (on verge of bankruptcy)
- Upper Clyde Shipbuilders saved from collapse
What positive effect did the U-turn have on employment?
1971 - reached nearly one million
1973 - reached 500,000 (modernising halved unemployment)
What was the raw material that the industrial crisis was based on?
oil
What was the trigger for the oil crisis?
1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East
What did the Yom Kippur War prompt?
the OPEC to declare and oil embargo
What is the OPEC?
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
What was the effect of the oil embargo?
- oil exports stopped
- price of oil 4x usual levels
What is the OPEC oil crisis a trigger for?
NUM pay rise demands
What is the NUM?
National Union of Miners
What were some industrial disputes that took place before the miners’ strike?
- dockers’ strike
- postal workers’ strike
- ‘go-slow’ strike by power workers = power cuts
What did Heath do as a response to the increased strike action?
- Introduced the Industrial Relations Act
Abolished the National Board for Prices and Incomes
What did the Industrial Relations Act do?
- ballots needed in order for an official strike to take place
- a 60 day ‘cooling-off’ period before official strikes
What were the reactions like to the Industrial Relations Act?
- strong opposition from the TUC
- major strikes
- most working days lost since 1926 (23.9 million)
Who are the TUC?
Trade Unions Congress
What was the major strike of 1972?
The Yorkshire Miners’ Strike led by Arthur Scargill
What were the effects of the Yorkshire Miners’ Strike?
- virtually stopped the movement of coal
- schools were closed
- 1.2 million workers were laid off
How did Heath attempt to appease the unions after the Yorkshire Miners’ Strike?
Introduced the 1972 Industry Act
What were the aims of the industry act?
aimed to involve the government, TUC, and CBI in agreeing wages, prices, investments, and benefits
Why did the Industry Act fail?
The 1973 Oil crisis meant that miners’ had increased wage demands despite the agreement
What did the Miners do in order to strengthen their wage increase demands in 1973?
an overtime ban
How did Heath react to the miners’ strike?
- declared a state of emergency
- announced a three day week
When was the national Miners’ Strike?
1974 - after refusing Heath’s suggestions of a small (not large enough) wage increase
What did Heath do in 1974?
call a general election
Why was Heath calling a general election a bad thing for Conservative leadership?
constant striking brought down the government
What was the grounds for the 1974 election?
Who governs Britain?
What was the result of the 1974 election?
- no party had a majority
- hung parliament
Where did a lot of Heath’s problems stem from?
Northern Ireland
What are those in NI who wished to be apart of the UK named?
Unionists/ loyalists
What are those in NI who did not wish to be apart of the UK named?
nationalists
What type of violence did the Conservative government inherit?
Seecretarian - religious violence
What party did Heath initially support?
The UUP - Ulster Unionists Party
What were some of the policies of the UUP?
- internment (imprisoned without trial)
- a 10:30pm curfew
What was the reaction to internment?
- ineffective as security measures
- alienated nationalists
What group supported internment?
IRA - said it was the ‘best recruitment tool they ever had’
What did the controversial measures in NI cause for the British army?
regarded as the enemy - worsened by Bloody Sunday
What were the effects of Bloody Sunday?
- British embassy burnt down
- IRA support grew
- direct rule introduced
What is the agreement brought in by 1973?
Sunningdale Agreement
What was the purpose of the Sunningdale Agreement?
a complex method of power sharing government
What did the Sunningdale Agreement propose?
- Northern Irish Assembly - proportional representation
- nationalists and unionists working together
What was the reaction to the Sunningdale Agreement?
extremists denounced the agreement
Why did Heath’s policies in Northern Ireland fail?
- lack of public support
- problems in Britain
- extremist groups (IRA)
- British army
- party divisions
Overall what were Heath’s successes?
- entered the EEC (1973)
- through gov investments into modernisation unemployment was halved
- ending of lame duck industries
Overall what were Heath’s failures?
- Miners’ Strikes
- Northern Ireland conflicts
- U-turn
- continued economic issues (inflation)
