How Important A Factor Was Conservative Leadership In Maintaining Power

Question 1

How many different leaders did the Conservative party have from 1951 to 1964?

Answer 1

4

Question 2

Who was leader of the Conservative Party for elections from 1951 to 1964?

Answer 2

Winston Churchill won in 1951
Anthony Eden won in 1955
Harold Macmillan won in 1959
Alec Douglas-Home lost in 1964

Question 3

Who was the driver force in the Conservative party in 1951?

Answer 3

R.A. Butler

Question 4

How old was Churchill when he won the 1951 general election?

Answer 4

77

Question 5

What was the main reason for the Conservative win in 1951?

Answer 5

A belated thank-you for the victory in WW2

Question 6

What is evidence of Churchill being no more than just a figure head in the Conservative government in 1951 to 1955?

Answer 6

When he suffered a stroke in 1953 and was absent for some time

Question 7

What is an example of Butler playing a significant role in helping recover the Conservative Party post 1945?

Answer 7

Butler was involved in the production of the 1947 party ‘industrial charter’ which accepted the principle of a mixed economy

Question 8

What legislation did Butler help introduce to show he was also concerned with social issues?

Answer 8

The 1944 Education Act

Question 9

When Butler was in office as the chancellor what ground of politics did he stick to?

Answer 9

Centre ground

Question 10

Why did Eden gain a larger majority after the 1955 general election?

Answer 10

Due to Eden’s personal appeal, particularly to many women voters, and due to the work of Butler

Question 11

What was the reason for Eden’s short lived government?

Answer 11

The Suez Crisis in 1956

Question 12

Why was Eden determined to succeed abroad?

Answer 12

He had been foreign secretary on three separate occasions, with the press being critical of his lacklustre domestic policy

Question 13

In which years was Macmillan prime minister?

Answer 13

1956-1963

Question 14

In the 1959 election two big of a majority did Macmillan’s conservative government increase to?

Answer 14

100 seat majority

Question 15

What was the key reason for Macmillan’s success at the electorate?

Answer 15

The growing prosperity and affluence and Macmillan’s personal appeal

Question 16

What was legislation, brought in by Butler as some secretary, that changed many peoples image of the Conservative Party?

Answer 16

The Homicide Act

Question 17

What was evidence of a downturn in the economy in 1961?

Answer 17

A balance of trade deficit

Question 18

What was evidence of a downturn in the economy in 1962?

Answer 18

Unemployment was rising and the number of days lost to strike

Question 19

What was a drastic comparison made when Macmillan had a cabinet reshuffle to try and breathe new life into a tried government in July 1962?

Answer 19

‘Night of the Long Knives’

Question 20

What did Macmillan realise and make clear in 1960 that got him a lot of protests from within the Conservative Party?

Answer 20

The inevitable dismantlement of the British Empire

Question 21

What were 2 incidents in foreign affairs that affected the popularity of the Macmillan government?

Answer 21

The Cold War showing Britain was no loner a major power and the French vetoing the Conservative attempts at joining the EEC

Question 22

What was a scandal that affected the reputation of the Macmillan government and the conservative party?

Answer 22

The Profumo Affair in 1963

Question 23

What was Macmillan’s final act as leader that eventually damaged the Conservatives image and contributed to defeat in 1964?

Answer 23

Ask the party to follow ‘customary processes’

Question 24

Why did Butler not become prime minister in 1964 when he was in a leadership race abasing Lord Halisham (Quintin Hogg)?

Answer 24

Macmillan advised the Queen to invite Sir Alec Douglas-Home to be prime minister as he had believed Home was the safer choice, after originally backing Halisham

Question 25

What was the publics view of Douglas-Home?

Answer 25

He was an ‘old-boy’ who was a man of aristocratic power

Question 26

How was Douglas-Home chosen as Prime Minister and why was it criticised?

Answer 26

On the recommendation of Macmillan to the Queen which seemed quite ridiculous that one man can choose the PM in a democratic state in a democratic age

Question 27

What was the main reason for the Conservative loss in 1964?

Answer 27

The economy on a downturn, Douglas-Home being not popular with the public, resentment of the leader in the Conservative Party and a revitalised Labour