Labour and Conservative Governments 1964-1979

Question 1

Give 4 reasons why Labour won the 1964 Election

Answer 1

1. Harold Wilson’s leadership of the Labour Party
2. The loss of popularity by the Conservatives
3. The Liberal Party Revival
4. Changes in British society in the 1950s

Question 2

What was notable about the vote share in the 1964 General Election

Answer 2

• Labour gained fewer votes than in 1959
• the Conservatives lost 1.6 million votes
• the Liberals gained over 1.5 million votes

Question 3

Give 3 ways how Wilson’s leadership of the Labour Party contributed to their victory in 1964

Answer 3

1. By presenting the party as dynamic and progressive Wilson made the Labour party appeared more united in public in 1959 (even though the underlying rifts still remained)
2. Wilson seemed like a man of the people, offering a break from the public school-educated political leaders
3. Wilson’s pledged to ‘harness science to our economic planning’ and create a ‘Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this (technological and scientific) revolution’

Question 4

What was Wilson’s approval rating going into the election?

Answer 4

60%

Question 5

How did Wilson seem like a man of the people?

Answer 5

He presented an image of himself that was a Yorkshire-born, grammar-school boy and football fan

Question 6

Give 3 ways that the Conservative image contributed to their loss in 1964

Answer 6

1. The Tories had been unable to deal with problems including rising unemployment, inflation, industrial unrest, and the growing disparity between regions of Britain with Labour claiming that they had presided over ‘13 Wasted Years’
2. Sir Alec Douglas-Home, appeared out of touch with the electorate, having been born into aristocracy and holding the title of the 14th Earl of Home prior to becoming Prime Minister in 1963
3. They had been involved in multiple sex-scandals in the years leading up to the election giving the electorate the impression that the Tories were an old-fashioned, self-indulgent elite

Question 7

How old was Sir Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Wilson at the time of the election

Answer 7

• Douglas-Home was 61 making him appear old and out of touch
• Wilson was 47 making him appear dynamic

Question 8

How is the significance of Douglas-Home’s unpopularity over-stated?

Answer 8

Though he was seen as out of touch compared to Wilson, many found him to be more trustworthy

Question 9

Why were the sex-scandals relatively insignificant?

Answer 9

It did not appear to have a huge impact on older voters and women (traditional Tory supporters) who continued to support Conservatives in the opinion polls

Question 10

Give 3 reasons why the revival of the Liberal Party contributed to the Labour victory in the 1964 General Election

Answer 10

1. The Conservative government’s growing unpopularity in the early 1960s benefitted the the Liberal Party, as many middle class voters who wanted to register their protest were not prepared to vote for the Labour Party
2. The Liberal revival brought them more publicity and increased funding which allowed them to contest many more seats in 1964 than they had been able to in 1959
3. Though they only won 3 more seats, they almost doubled their vote which had the effect of swinging marginal constituencies in favour of Labour who despite losing votes, loss less votes than the Conservatives did

Question 11

Give an example of a constituency which represents the revival of the Liberal Party

Answer 11

The by-election result of middle class Orpington in 1962 saw a Conservative majority of 14,7000 overturned by a Liberal candidate who won by a majority of 7,850

Question 12

Give 3 constituencies where the Liberal revival helped bring about a Labour victory

Answer 12

1. Dover
2. Wellingborough
3. Bolton East

Question 13

How did changes in British society contribute to a Labour victory in the 1964 General Election

Answer 13

• Young people were more independent and less willing to accept traditional authority
• The media examined the class structure, and satire poked fun at politicians
• Grammar schools gave bright pupils from underprivileged backgrounds unprecedented opportunities to enter universities and careers
• This created a climate in which young people aspired to create a new modern, classes Britain run with professional scientific competence which benefitted the Labour party who opinion polls showed was significantly more popular with voters under the age of 44

Question 14

Give 6 Issues faced the Labour Governments between 1964 and 1970

Answer 14

1. The Labour Government’s small majority
2. Labour infighting over foreign affairs
3. Build up of social change demanded, not addressed by the Conservative Governments
4. Issues in educational provision
5. Economic Difficulties - Stagflation
6. Trade Unions

Question 15

What was the Labour government’s majority in 1964 compared to that of 1966?

Answer 15

• 1964: 4 seats
• 1964: 96 seats

Question 16

Give 3 examples of Foreign or Colonial issues that split the Labour Party

Answer 16

1. The Vietnam War
2. Southern Rhodesia
3. The Common Market

Question 17

Why did the Labour party disagree over Vietnam?

Answer 17

• The left of the party regarded US policies as imperialist and aggressive
• However, Wilson believed that Britain’s economic recovery and security depended on close alliance with America
• Therefore made ‘absolutely plain’ his support for the American invasion, but fell short of sending British troops when Johnson requested, criticised US bombing of North Vietnam in 1966, and attempted to broker a peace deal in 1967
• These actions irritated Johnson without going far enough to satisfy the Labour left

Question 18

Why did the Labour party disagree over Southern Rhodesia?

Answer 18

• Ian Smith’s white minority government that illegally declared independence in Southern Rhodesia in November 1965 divided the party
• The left wanted Wilson to send troops to crush the rebellion
• Wilson tried to use economic sanctions which failed and then tried personal diplomacy twice - proposing an offer which allowed Smith’s government to remain in power provided that majority rule was introduced at some time in the future
• Smith’s rejection of this allowed Wilson to maintain his stance as an opponent to the rebellion, who had nevertheless striven to find a peaceful solution

Question 19

Why did the Labour party disagree over the Common Market?

Answer 19

• The left did not want to join the EEC
• Wilson believed applying to join the EEC might help them alleviate some of their economic issues
• However when DeGaulle repeated his veto of Britain’s application into the EEC in 1967, Wilson was able to maintain party stability, as he had appeased the pro-Europeans by applying, and the anti-Europeans by not actually joining

Question 20

Give 3 reasons why the Labour Governments of 1964 and 1966 be seen to have been successful?

Answer 20

1. Roy Jenkins as Home Secretary undertook a series of social reforms
2. Anthony Crossland as Education Secretary began the process of transitioning away from grammar schools to comprehensive schools, and Wilson opened the ‘Open University’ which offered adults the chance to work for a degree on a part time basis
3. Economic developments had been made

Question 21

Give 6 examples of social reforms that occurred under the Labour government

Answer 21

1. Race relations laws made discrimination illegal
2. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18
3. Capital punishment was ended
4. The equal pay law meant men and women had to receive the same pay for the same work
5. Abortion was legalised and NHS sponsored contraception was made available to non-married couples
6. Sexual acts between consenting adults of the same sex in private were legalised

Question 22

Why was the transition from grammar schools to comprehensive schools seen as significant?

Answer 22

Grammar schools were seen as flawed as at age 11, children would be split into academic achievers who went to grammar schools, and the remainder who attended secondary modern schools. Comprehensive schools taught for children of all abilities.

Question 23

Why was the transition away from grammar schools seen as controversial?

Answer 23

Grammar schools were seen as offering the sort of opportunity usually only open to those who attended independent schools

Question 24

Give 4 economic developments that were made by the Labour Governments of 1964 and 1966

Answer 24

1. The balance of payments deficit was improving by 1969
2. The value of sterling had been maintained to the benefit of the financial sector
3. The Government encouraged industrial developments in key south Wales and Merseyside
4. There were developments in road transport as motorways were built in the north

Question 25

Give 2 reasons why the Labour Governments of 1964 and 1966 were unsuccessful

Answer 25

1. Economic problems continued throughout the period and forced the government to abandon several manifesto policies
2. Industrial relations deteriorated over the time period, as Wilson attempted to crack down on the power that the unions held

Question 26

What economics problems did the Labour Governments of 1964 and 1966 endure?

Answer 26

• There were ongoing problems with the balance of payments deficit and rising prices, which forces the government into introducing unpopular spending cuts and higher taxes
• Unemployment remained a problem for much of the time period, and by 1967 it was at a post-war high of 2.5 million
• Britain was forced to devalue the pound in 1967 because of lack of overseas confidence in the economy

Question 27

Were Wilson’s economic policies between 1964 and 1970 successful

Answer 27

No - most policies failed to deliver positive results, investment did not lead to modernisation and attempts at economic planning in the National Plan and the new Department of Economic affairs achieved little

Question 28

What issues did Trade Unions pose to the Labour Governments of 1964 and 1966?

Answer 28

• Strikes caused major issues and a seamen’s strike in 1966 damaged the economy and led to the loss of confidence which brought about devaluation
• Strikes for higher pay were disrupting production, forcing up labour costs and contributing to inflation and Britain’s poor export performance
• Closed shop, requiring workers to join a particular union, enhanced union bargaining power

Question 29

Why was Wilson unsuccessful in dealing with the Trade Unions?

Answer 29

• The TUC (Trade Union Congress) and the left wing Labour MPs did not appreciate Barbara Castle’s ‘In Place of Strife’ and as one trade union leader put it, legal sanctions would ‘introduce the taint of criminality into industrial relations’
• More than 50 Labour MPs rebelled when ‘In Place of Strife’ was debated in the House of Commons

Question 30

Give 3 Reasons why the Labour lost the 1970 General Election and 2 reasons why the Conservatives won the 1970 General Election

Answer 30

Labour Lost It
1. Wilson’s Complacency
2. The disillusionment of Labour supporters
3. The failure of ‘In Place of Strife’

Conservatives Won It
1. Conservative policy proposals
2. Edward Heath’s Leadership

Question 31

Why did Wilson’s complacency cost Labour the 1970 General Election?

Answer 31

• An opinion poll taken just before the election suggested that Wilson had a 51% approval rating compared to 28% for Edward Heath
• Wilson also believed he was better at running an election than Heath was
• However, Wilson probably too relaxed and likely did not fight as hard as he should have

Question 32

How did the disillusionment of Labour supporters cost Labour the 1970 General Election?

Answer 32

• Too many Labour supporters didn’t bother to vote and became disillusioned with the party
• Party membership fell from 830,000 in 1964 to 680,000 in 1970, reducing the number of local activists willing to campaign for it
• They believed that Labour had become too right wing, especially in its economic and foreign policies believing that Britain had been too supportive of US foreign policy, especially over Vietnam, too much money had been spent on defence and not enough on welfare, education and economic regeneration and the government had abandoned its historic commitment to socialism and the interests of the working class, especially in its attempts to curb trade union power with ‘In Place of Strife’

Question 33

How did the failure of ‘In Place of Strife’ cost Labour the 1970 General Election?

Answer 33

Wilson seemed too weak after his failure to fulfill his promise to modernise the economy, with the unions seeming stronger than the government as they rejected ‘In Place of Strife’

Question 34

How did the Conservative policy proposals win the Conservatives the 1970 General Election?

Answer 34

• The Conservatives proposed to reform industrial relations law, reduce state intervention in industry, stop attempting to control wages and prices and apply to join the EEC
• Many of these policies were seen as a novelty and challenged the post war consensus which had been accepted for so long

Question 35

How did Heath’s leadership win the Conservatives the 1970 General Election?

Answer 35

• Heath relentlessly attacked the economic record of the Labour Government
• Heath dealt with firmly with the challenge of Enoch Powell in 1968 after his ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech proving that he did not tolerate old-fashioned racist ideas
• The press almost unanimously agreed and attributed the Conservative victory to Heath himself

Question 36

Specifically what part of Labour’s economic record did Heath attack in 1970?

Answer 36

• Since 1964, inflation, as measured by the Retail Price Index had risen by 33%
• Unemployment had increased by 200,000 since 1964
• The devaluation of the pound sterling in 1967 from 2.80 to 2.40 dollars to the pound lead to higher prices for imported goods despite Wilson saying it would not affect ‘the pound in your pocket’

Question 37

Give an example of a newspaper that attributed the 1970 General Election victory to Heath himself

Answer 37

The Daily Express who praised his ‘guts and leadership’

Question 38

Give 6 problems that Heath’s government faced

Answer 38

1. Inflation proved difficult to control
2. In 1971 America moved away from the gold standard letting the dollar fall in value which made British exports more expensive
3. Questions over joining the EEC still hovered
4. Industrial relations proved difficult to manage
5. Certain industries began to struggle
6. War in the Middle East in 1973 raised oil prices

Question 39

Was Heath successful in dealing with Europe?

Answer 39

• When De Gaulle left office in 1970, Britain sensed an opportunity to join the EEC
• However, Pompidou demanded that Britain sacrifice any remaining preferential trade deals Britain held with the Commonwealth and accepted the EEC’s policies of heavily subsidising French farmers as a condition to Britain joining
• Britain conceded and became a full member of the EEC on January 1 1973
• Membership had little impact on Britain’s economic performance

Question 40

Give 3 reasons why industrial relations policy were important to the Heath Government?

Answer 40

1. Unless costs were kept competitive, Britain would not benefit from the preferential trade agreement with other European countries made available through membership with the EEC
2. Inflation was becoming a prevalent issue
3. Conservatives saw an opportunity to succeed where Labour had failed with ‘In Place of Strife’

Question 41

What was the name of the legislation introduced by Heath’s government to attempt to deal with industrial relations?

Answer 41

In 1971, the Government introduced the Industrial Relations Act

Question 42

Give 4 things that the 1971 Industrial Relations Act did

Answer 42

1. Ended the closed-shop (meant that worker’s didn’t necessarily have to join a union)
2. Gave the government the right to insist on a 60-day cooling off period before a strike was called
3. Insisted that all trade unionists were balloted about a potential strike
4. Created a new Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) and National Industrial Relations Court (NIRC) to help negotiate to avoid strikes

Question 43

Why did the Industrial Relations Act fail?

Answer 43

• Many of the policies were similar to ‘In Place of Strife’ so it was no surprise that the act was unpopular with most union members
• Many union members, especially at local or shop-floor level were militant in the early 1970s and hoped not only to destroy the Industrial Relations Act but also bring down the Heath Government
• The TUC set about making the Act unworkable by telling its members to de-register and defy the NIRC

Question 44

How successful was Heath’s government at dealing with industrial relations and the economy?

Answer 44

• Inflation increased from 5% to 10% over the course of their term from 1970-1974
• The number of working days lost in strikes increased from 10.9 million in 1970 to 23 million in 1972
• Overall, the number of working days lost to strikes during the Conservative’s 4 years in power was double that of Wilson’s 6 years
• Heath inherited a balance of payments surplus but left a substantial deficit

Question 45

Give an example of a significant strike under Heath’s government

Answer 45

1972 Miner’s Strike where 280,000 coal miners came out on strike demanding a 47% pay rise (well above the 8% offered by the National Coal Board) which the government was forced to award

Question 46

Give 2 reasons why the 1972 Miner’s Strikes were successful

Answer 46

1. The miner’s were well organised by Arthur Scargill who utilised flying pickets (groups of miners who would travel to the pits and attempt to persuade other miners to join and then travel to power stations and fuel depots to prevent the movement of coal by road)
2. The government was poorly organised to cope with the strike and the severe winter weather meant it had an immediate impact on the country’s power supplies

Question 47

What was the significance of the 1972 Miner’s Strike? (4)

Answer 47

1. It encouraged other workers to strike for pay increases
2. It added to inflationary pressure
3. The government looked weak compared to the unions
4. It emphasised the failure of the industrial relations act

Question 48

How did Heath attempt to deal with the economic issues that plagued the UK?

Answer 48

Championing laissez-faire economics Heath was known as the ‘Selsdon Man’, as he believed ‘lame duck’ industries should not be saved by the government

Question 49

Was the Selsdon Man successful?

Answer 49

No - Heath was forced to U-Turn, nationalising the aircraft devision of Rolls-Royce in 1971 which was regarded as vital to Britain’s defence industry and granting 35 million pounds to Upper Clyde Shipbuilders to safeguard its 3000 jobs

Question 50

What was the significance of the October 1973 Oil Shock?

Answer 50

• Britain depended on oil for 50% of its energy needs
• The balance of payments deficit rising to 1 billion pounds
• Annual inflation rose to 16%
• The value of the sterling dropped to $1.57
• Interest rates were raised to 15%
• A record budget deficit occurred
• Between 1974 and 1976, the unemployment figures more than doubled to 1.44 million - remaining high for the rest of the decade

Question 51

What were the impacts of the 1973 Oil Shock and November Miner Overtime Ban?

Answer 51

• On 13th December, Heath declared a State of Emergency, announcing a 3 day work week to take effect from the 31st December
• To save petrol, a 50mph speed limit was imposed on all roads
• TV was required to close down at 10:30 each evening

Question 52

What was the name of the 1974 General Election?

Answer 52

‘Who Governs’ after Heath felt overwhelmed by the power the unions held - Heath did not win

Question 53

Give 7 problems did the 1974-79 Labour Governments face?

Answer 53

1. Splits in the party remained
2. Industrial relations continued to sour
3. Inflation continued to rise, reaching an average of over 25% a year - and hit 30% in 1975
4. The 1973 oil shock increased oil prices around the world
5. Stagnation - low growth rates, low productivity, and low investment
6. Initial minority government in Feb 1974 - transformed into a majority in an election in Oct 1974 - whittled down again by by-election losses
7. Value of the pound fell following Wilson’s unexpected resignation over concerns of his mental capacity

Question 54

Give 2 ways that the Labour party remained divided between 1974 and 1979

Answer 54

1. The appointment of two prominent left-wing MPs, Michael Foot, and Tony Benn indicated a shift to the left who clashed with some of the more moderate leaders
2. The party was also divided over entry to the EEC and Wilson had to hold a referendum in 1975

Question 55

What did Labour try do to address industrial relations in the 1974 Government?

Answer 55

Labour reached an agreement with the TUC in 1974 known as the Social Contract

Question 56

What the 1974 Social Contract entail?

Answer 56

• The unions agreed to co-operate in trying to control wage increases
• The government promised to try keep down price increases and provide improved welfare benefits
• There would be a return to free bargaining over wages and no statutory incomes policy

Question 57

Was the Social Contract successful?

Answer 57

No - the 1974 Miner’s Strike led to the government conceding a pay rise of 29%, and inflation hit 30% in 1975. It also indicated that the unions were more powerful than the government. It was unofficially abandoned in 1975 when Denis Healey implemented a formal income policy.

Question 58

How did the 1974 Labour Government address its small governing majority?

Answer 58

• In October 1974 it called another General Election which gave it a majority up from a minority in February
• It signed the Lib-Lab pact in 1977 to stay in power

Question 59

Give 3 ways the 1974 Labour Government attempted to deal with its economic issues

Answer 59

1. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Healey, increased taxes and decreased spending hoping that taking money out of the economy would reduce prices
2. Introduced formal incomes policy setting a 6 pound per week ceiling on wage hikes in 1975 which was reduced to 4 pounds in 1976
3. The Government received a 3.9 billion pound IMF loan in 1976promising to decrease spending by 2 billion pounds

Question 60

Were the 1974 Labour Government’s economic solutions effective?

Answer 60

Not particularly - unemployment doubled by more than 1.44 million between 1974 and 1976 remaining high for the rest of the decade HOWEVER, the IMF loan was crucial in helping stabilise the economy

Question 61

What caused the Winter of Discontent?

Answer 61

• Pay settlements being achieved by many union workers in the private sector led to public sector unions beginning to make demands
• Government cuts in expenditure affected them the most

Question 62

Who went on strike in the Winter of Discontent?

Answer 62

• 1.5 million public sector employees led by the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) demanded a 40% pay rise
• Following this success, selective strikes were organised in areas specifically calculated to attract media attention including rubbish collectors and grave diggers

Question 63

What were the results of the Winter of Discontent

Answer 63

• The increased militancy amongst public sector employees made the Labour government seem weak and Labour alienated large sections of their natural supporters
• This ultimately resulted in Labour being pushed out in the 1979 General Election as Callaghan seemed out of touch with what was going with his statement on the matter famously being paraphrased into the tabloid headline “CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?”

Question 64

What factors contributed to the end of the Labour Government in 1979?

Answer 64

1. The winter of discontent
2. The expiration of the Lib-Lab pact
3. The loss of support from Nationalist Parties (SNP and Plaid Cymru)

Question 65

Why did Labour lose the support of the Nationalist Parties in the 1979 General Election?

Answer 65

• The government promised to devolve power to Scotland and Wales
• However, in March, referenda in Wales and Scotland failed to win enough votes in favour of devolution to proceed
• The nationalist MPs felt let down by the government, and at the end of march, joined the Conservatives in voting against the government in a no-confidence motion which the government lost by a single vote