Heath's Governments

Question 1

How long had Heath been Cons leader before he was elected PM?

Answer 1

5 years.

Question 2

What was significant about his education?

Answer 2

He was the first state-educated Conservative leader.

Question 3

What was Heath’s public perception?

Answer 3

Stiff and prickly
Too honest and politically unskilled

Question 4

What was his main role 1961-63?

Answer 4

Main EEC negotiator.

Question 5

Why did he lose the Cons leadership in 1975?

Answer 5

After economic problems and industrial relations falling, and the loss in the 1974 election a leadership vote was called - Thatcher won.

Question 6

What was the Selsdon Park Conference?

Answer 6

Pre-1970 Election, the Conservatives held the Selsdon Park Conference which formed the basis of their election manifesto

Question 7

What was the Cons election manifesto for the 1970 Gen Elec?

Answer 7

Tax Reforms
Immigration Controls
Better Law and Order
TU Reform
Cuts to Public Spending
End to Public Subsidy of Lame Duck Industry

Question 8

What did Heath still believe in?

Answer 8

One-Nation Toryism and Post-War Consensus.

Question 9

What were 3 of his most significant reforms?

Answer 9

Increasing school-leaving age to 16, local government reorganisation and decimalisation.

Question 10

What was the Barber Boom?

Answer 10

Heath’s Chancellor, Anthony Barber introduced public spending cuts and tax cuts to increase investment. The Barber Boom caused rampant inflation, but not economic growth. Unemployment also increased, and this led to the term ‘stagflation’.

Question 11

By 1973 what was unemployment?

Answer 11

Down to 500,000

Question 12

What was the OPEC Oil Crisis?

Answer 12

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Saudi Arabia agreed to an oil embargo - a complete halt of oil export. This was caused by the Yom Kippur War and the price of oil quadrupled.

Question 13

What was the impact of the OPEC Oil Crisis?

Answer 13

It caused the NUM to demand a huge pay rise to cope with this.

Question 14

How many strike days were there in 1972 and 1974?

Answer 14

24 in 1972, 15 in 1974.
A total of 24M strike days lost in 1972.

Question 15

What was the 1971 Industrial Relations Act?

Answer 15

Similar to In Place Of Strife - essentially TU reform. Set up an Industrial Relations court, strikes now had to be done by strike ballot and there had to be a 28-day ‘cooling off’ period between the ballot and the strike day.

Question 16

What was the Industrial Relations Act opposed by?

Answer 16

Trade Unions Congress and the Confederation of British Industry.

Question 17

What did the miners strike of 1972 cause?

Answer 17

It stopped national movements of coal. The Government declared a state of emergency and closed schools. 1.2M workers were laid off as a result.

Question 18

What was the Wilberforce Committee?

Answer 18

They had to examine NUM demands, and evaluate the feasibility of a 3-day week, which was eventually agreed to.

Question 19

What did the NUM negotiate?

Answer 19

A very generous wage settlement as Heath had to end the strike.

Question 20

What were the other industrial disputes in 1973?

Answer 20

Dock workers, firefighters and power workers.

Question 21

What did the NUM introduced in 1974?

Answer 21

An overtime ban - this strengthened demands but a 3-day week was reintroduced in 1974.

Question 22

Who did Heath appoint to Minister of Employment?

Answer 22

Willie Whitelaw - he was seen as a skilled negotiator.

Question 23

When did the NUM call a General Strike?

Answer 23

Jan 1974.

Question 24

When did Heath call a Gen Elec and off what basis?

Answer 24

1974 - ‘Who Governs Britain’.

Question 25

What were the results of the 1974 General Election?

Answer 25

Labour won 5 more seats than the Tories, but led to a hung parliament as there was no clear majority. Labour formed a minority government.

Question 26

Which party was in power in Northern Ireland during this time?

Answer 26

The Ulster Unionist Party - a division of the Conservative party since 1912.

Question 27

Who did Heath back during this period and which policies did he agree with?

Answer 27

Faulkner, the UUP leader, and agreed with a night-time curfew and internment (imprisonment of people without trial).

Question 28

Why was internment in NI a failure?

Answer 28

It alienated national minorities - 95% of those interned were Catholic. This meant that the British army was considered the enemy by the Catholics.

Question 29

What was Bloody Sunday - Jan 1972?

Answer 29

Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association had a peaceful protest that became rowdy - unexperienced British soldiers fired live ammunition - 26 shot and 13 dead.

Question 30

What were the effects of Bloody Sunday - Jan 1972?

Answer 30

The British embassy was burnt down in Dublin.
Support for the IRA grew.
Heath suspended Stormont - the Irish Parliament and brought in Direct Rule with Willie Whitelaw as head of State.

Question 31

What are the statistics for IRA violence in 1972?

Answer 31

1382 bombs exploded, 10,600 shooting events and 480 dead.

Question 32

What were the conditions of the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement?

Answer 32

Power-sharing executive of nationalists and unionists with guaranteed representation on either side.
A new NI Assembly elected with proportional representation.
Council of Ireland with some input from Republic of Ireland.

Question 33

What was the Sunningdale Agreement seen as?

Answer 33

A sell-out by the nationalists, and too extreme by the unionists.

Question 34

What did the UUP vote to do following the Sunningdale Agreement?

Answer 34

They pulled out of government, removing the 12 Conservative seats they filled and prevented the Conservatives from continuing in government - forcing the 1974 General Election.