Key Elections

Question 1

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

Answer 1

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

Question 2

when was margaret thatcher born

Answer 2

1825

Question 3

who was thatchers father

Answer 3

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

Question 4

where did Thatcher study

Answer 4

Oxford- to study chemistry

Question 5

what did thatcher abandon chemistry to become instead

Answer 5

a barrister

Question 6

when was Thatcher elected as an MP

Answer 6

1959

Question 7

what was thatchers first ministerial position and who was it under

Answer 7

education secretary, 1970-74 under edward heath

Question 8

when was thatcher elected Tory leader

Answer 8

1975

Question 9

when did jim callaghan become PM

Answer 9

1976

Question 10

why did calllaghan become an PM

Answer 10

because harold wilson resigned two years into his term

Question 11

what was inflation like under callaghan

Answer 11

it was in the double didgets

Question 12

when should callaghan have called an election

Answer 12

1978

Question 13

why was callaghan delaying the election such a bad decision

Answer 13

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

Question 14

when was the winter of discontent

Answer 14

1978-79

Question 15

what did callaghan do to wages to try and cap inflation

Answer 15

he put a 5% cap on wage rises

Question 16

when did ford employees strike

Answer 16

september- october 1978

Question 17

how many ford employees striked

Answer 17

57,000

Question 18

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

Answer 18

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

Question 19

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

Answer 19

in january
no petrol tankers= no fuel

Question 20

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

Answer 20

nurses
railway
ambulence drivers

Question 21

who went on strike in february (WoD)

Answer 21

liverpools gravediggers
londons rubbishmen

Question 22

what was the wether like in the winter of discontent

Answer 22

coldest winter for 16 years, heavy snow

Question 23

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

Answer 23

inflation

Question 24

what type of PM was callaghan (left right etc)

Answer 24

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

Question 25

what did callaghan warn of

Answer 25

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

Question 26

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

Answer 26

hired PR specialists

Question 27

who did people apparently prefer before the 79' election

Answer 27

the expirenced man (callaghan) over the female newcommer

Question 28

what did thatcher refuse

Answer 28

TV debate

Question 29

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

Answer 29

minorityy

Question 30

who withdrew support from callaghan

Answer 30

unionists and SNP

Question 31

what happened once callaghan had no extra support

Answer 31

the government had no majority

Question 32

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

Answer 32

march 1979

Question 33

what was the result of the 1979 vote of no confidence

Answer 33

they lost by one vote

Question 34

what majority and percentage did thatcher win

Answer 34

won a 42 seat majority 43.9% of seats

Question 35

who had the biggest electoral vote win in recent history

Answer 35

new labour 1997

Question 36

what difficulties were the torys experiencing in the 90s

Answer 36

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

Question 37

what election did major win that he wasnt expected to

Answer 37

the 1992 election

Question 38

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

Answer 38

autumn 1992, they never lost that lead

Question 39

what was 'black wednesday'

Answer 39

the day that the UK dropped out of a currency stabilising system (ERM) september 1992

Question 40

what was the 1990s tory government split over

Answer 40

Europe

Question 41

Micheal Mates scandal 97

Answer 41

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

Question 42

Tim Yeo scandal 97

Answer 42

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

Question 43

Gary Waller scandal 97

Answer 43

admits to having a child of an affair with another secratery

Question 44

stephen mulligan scandal 97

Answer 44

found dead in a comprimising position

Question 45

who resigned after having an affair 97

Answer 45

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

Question 46

what were the four elements that made New Labour electable

Answer 46

- 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

Question 47

what did 2010 see that was new

Answer 47

a formal coalition government

Question 48

what was Gordon Browns first mistake

Answer 48

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

Question 49

why was Browns delay fatal

Answer 49

- 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

Question 50

what was Browns personal image like

Answer 50

insecure dour serious workaholic he didn't preform well on TV or look charismatic

Question 51

what did the sun do before the 2010 election

Answer 51

switched sides

Question 52

what else was new for the 2010 election

Answer 52

televised debates

Question 53

how did Cameron come across TV debates

Answer 53

Ok but a bit smarmy

Question 54

How did brown come across TV debates

Answer 54

a bit wooden, his smile turned off instantly

Question 55

how did Clegg come across TV debates

Answer 55

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

Question 56

What was the Rochdale disaster

Answer 56

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

Question 57

what did Brown call Duffy

Answer 57

(duffy was the woman in rochdale) "just sort of a bigoted woman [...] its just ridiculous"

Question 58

what were 2010 manifestos like

Answer 58

they were all similar, discussing cutting spending without cutting essentials

Question 59

what was the tory message (manifesto 2010)

Answer 59

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

Question 60

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

Answer 60

59%

Question 61

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

Answer 61

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

Question 62

what were the Tory strenghths 2010

Answer 62

- immigration - Law and order

Question 63

polls, who would be best PM?

Answer 63

Brown: 29% Cameron: 33%

Question 64

how many seats did the torys get 2010

Answer 64

306

Question 65

how many seats did the lib-dems get 2010

Answer 65

57

Question 66

what was the condem coalitions majority?

Answer 66

76

Question 67

what are the similarities between the key elections policies

Answer 67

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

Question 68

what are the similarities between the key elections leaders

Answer 68

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

Question 69

what are the similarities between the key elections media

Answer 69

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

Question 70

what are the similarities between the key elections campaign

Answer 70

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

Question 71

what are the similarities between the key elections context

Answer 71

- '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

Question 72

what are the similarities between the key elections unity

Answer 72

- 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

Question 73

what are the similarities between the key elections opposition

Answer 73

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

Question 74

what are the similarities between the key elections voting patterns

Answer 74

- 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.