key elections Flashcards

1
Q

what do the elections of ‘79 ‘97 and ‘10 have in common

A

-a change in government
-a start of a long-term prime ministerships
-interesting shift in voting behaviour

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2
Q

when was margaret thatcher born

A

1825

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3
Q

who was thatchers father

A

alfred roberts was a grocer, preacher, and for a short while a mayer of grantham, linconshire

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4
Q

where did Thatcher study

A

Oxford- to study chemistry

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5
Q

what did thatcher abandon chemistry to become instead

A

a barrister

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6
Q

when was Thatcher elected as an MP

A

1959

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7
Q

what was thatchers first ministerial position and who was it under

A

education secretary, 1970-74 under edward heath

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8
Q

when was thatcher elected Tory leader

A

1975

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9
Q

when did jim callaghan become PM

A

1976

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10
Q

why did calllaghan become an PM

A

because harold wilson resigned two years into his term

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11
Q

what was inflation like under callaghan

A

it was in the double didgets

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12
Q

when should callaghan have called an election

A

1978

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13
Q

why was callaghan delaying the election such a bad decision

A

because in 1979 he went through the ‘winter of discontent’

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14
Q

when was the winter of discontent

A

1978-79

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15
Q

what did callaghan do to wages to try and cap inflation

A

he put a 5% cap on wage rises

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16
Q

when did ford employees strike

A

september- october 1978

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17
Q

how many ford employees striked

A

57,000

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18
Q

what did the wage raise cap effectivelly cause a ‘wage cut’

A

because inflation was above 10% it produces a ‘real terms’ pay cut

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19
Q

when did lorry drivers strike (wod) and what did this cause

A

in january
no petrol tankers= no fuel

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20
Q

who else (not lorry drivers) went on strike in january

A

nurses
railway
ambulence drivers

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21
Q

who went on strike in february (WoD)

A

liverpools gravediggers
londons rubbishmen

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22
Q

what was the wether like in the winter of discontent

A

coldest winter for 16 years, heavy snow

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23
Q

what was Thatcher’s focus on in the 79’ election

A

inflation

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24
Q

what type of PM was callaghan (left right etc)

A

he was a centerist PM and resisted calls to be more left wing

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25
Q

what did callaghan warn of

A

that thatcher was a right-wing candidate, but it was not explicit in her manifesto

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26
Q

what did the torys do in the 79’ election that was NEW

A

hired PR specialists

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27
Q

who did people apparently prefer before the 79’ election

A

the expirenced man (callaghan) over the female newcommer

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28
Q

what did thatcher refuse

A

TV debate

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29
Q

what type of government did callaghan have (minority/majority)

A

minorityy

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30
Q

who withdrew support from callaghan

A

unionists and SNP

31
Q

what happened once callaghan had no extra support

A

the government had no majority

32
Q

when did the tories table a vote of no confidence about callaghan

A

march 1979

33
Q

what was the result of the 1979 vote of no confidence

A

they lost by one vote

34
Q

what majority and percentage did thatcher win

A

won a 42 seat majority
43.9% of seats

35
Q

who had the biggest electoral vote win in recent history

A

new labour 1997

36
Q

what difficulties were the torys experiencing in the 90s

A

john major had difficulties in keeping his party together, he only got the job because he was the least devisive candidate

37
Q

what election did major win that he wasnt expected to

A

the 1992 election

38
Q

when did labour overtake the Torys in the opinion polls (blair major era)

A

autumn 1992, they never lost that lead

39
Q

what was ‘black wednesday’

A

the day that the UK dropped out of a currency stabilising system (ERM)

september 1992

40
Q

what was the 1990s tory government split over

A

Europe

41
Q

Micheal Mates scandal 97

A

he sent an engraved watch to a bisunessman facing jail for fraud

42
Q

Tim Yeo scandal 97

A

makes ill advised comments about marital break ups causing social problems
(he had a child from an affair with a councellor)

43
Q

Gary Waller scandal 97

A

admits to having a child of an affair with another secratery

44
Q

stephen mulligan scandal 97

A

found dead in a comprimising position

45
Q

who resigned after having an affair 97

A

-Whip (two holidays with 20 year old male friend)
-Rod Richards
-Piers merchant
-Jerry Hayes
-Steven Norris

46
Q

what were the four elements that made New Labour electable

A
  • Appeal to middle class
    -Appeal to tabloid press
    -Tories Economic reputation was good but brown was seen as a “stable sensible chap”
    -Appeal to lib-dem voters
47
Q

what did 2010 see that was new

A

a formal coalition government

48
Q

what was Gordon Browns first mistake

A

Timing
when he took over in 2007 he considered an election but decided against angering his critics

49
Q

why was Browns delay fatal

A
  • he had no personal mandate as PM
  • he hadn’t called an election before the financial crisis and the opposition used it to attack them
50
Q

what was Browns personal image like

A

insecure dour
serious workaholic

he didn’t preform well on TV or look charismatic

51
Q

what did the sun do before the 2010 election

A

switched sides

52
Q

what else was new for the 2010 election

A

televised debates

53
Q

how did Cameron come across TV debates

A

Ok but a bit smarmy

54
Q

How did brown come across TV debates

A

a bit wooden, his smile turned off instantly

55
Q

how did Clegg come across TV debates

A

very well, he saw a huge poll boost that subsequently dissapeared

56
Q

What was the Rochdale disaster

A

brown was meeting people and had a conversation with a woman, after he didnt realise his mic was on and called her bigoted

57
Q

what did Brown call Duffy

A

(duffy was the woman in rochdale)
“just sort of a bigoted woman […] its just ridiculous”

58
Q

what were 2010 manifestos like

A

they were all similar, discussing cutting spending without cutting essentials

59
Q

what was the tory message (manifesto 2010)

A

that labour were at fault for the crash rampant ‘over spending’ was blamed, the country was ‘bankrupt’

60
Q

what percent of people agreed that extra money spent by labour had been wasted

A

59%

61
Q

what did polls answer, who do you trust with the economy?

A

Lab: 26%
Con: 29%
No-one: 36%

62
Q

what were the Tory strenghths 2010

A
  • immigration
  • Law and order
63
Q

polls, who would be best PM?

A

Brown: 29%
Cameron: 33%

64
Q

how many seats did the torys get 2010

A

306

65
Q

how many seats did the lib-dems get 2010

A

57

66
Q

what was the condem coalitions majority?

A

76

67
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections policies

A

-central
-all parties typically offering similar things
-policy issues are not decisive

68
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections leaders

A

-loser is personally unpopular
-winners are young, family oriented individuals
-winners all offer something new

69
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections media

A

-media switches against the losing party before the election
-sun alays backs winners
- appeal towards tabloids (thatchers PR and blairs purposeful move)

70
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections campaign

A

-all of the loosers seemed dull and boring
-winners had more professional looking campaigns

71
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections context

A
  • ‘97 and ‘10 both had their loosers expirience ecanomic troubles
    (winter of discontent, 2007 credit crunch)
  • government beset by difficulties that they could not control
72
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections unity

A
  • losing party was never unified
  • ‘79 labour was split over middle/left
  • ‘97 split over matters in europe
  • ‘10 camerons unified party was attractive

-winners always have a unified cause

73
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections opposition

A
  • the opposition alaways got their act together after not having it for a while
    -viable alternative
74
Q

what are the similarities between the key elections voting patterns

A
  • partys win when their support remains strong and the oppsoitions decreases
  • very few change their minds, its more about wether they are motivated to vote or not.