Labour Divisions

Question 1

What did Morgan argue about the period of Wilson’s administration?

Answer 1

• Period of economic disarray
• political indirection
• paranoia from Wilson

Question 2

Who was Wilson fearful of rivalry? *

Answer 2

• Feared he might face a leadership challenge from Brown, Callaghan and Jenkins
• Brown hugely resentful that he had lost the leadership elections (and that denounced to FO)
• Jenkins - a Gaitskellites –> Seaman’s Strike of 1966 caused sterling crisis Jenkins tried to get the cabinet to support devaluation.
• Wilson interpreted as a plot to replace him and Brown with Callaghan and Jenkins –> paranoia

Question 3

What did Morgan argue about Wilson’s skills?

Answer 3

• suitable for political survival
• remained master of his party in parliament and in the country
• popular personality
• Out maneuvered the Tories and often made heath seem humorous and foolish

Question 4

What was the Donnelly-Wyatt Revolt and when?

Answer 4

• 1965
• Came from the Right, it concerned the re-nationalization of the steel industry
• By 1965 Labour’s overall majority reduced to three
• Two labour backbenchers (Wyatt and Donnelly) blocked the nationalisation Bill
• Wilson forced to surrender and steel nationalisation was delayed until after the 1966 elections.

Question 5

In 1965 who was Harold wilson’s opponent in the 1966 election?

Answer 5

Edward Heath

Question 6

What did Wilson do that was regarded as a missed opportunity ?

Why?

Answer 6

• Dismissed a 1965 election causing many to believe he had missed a golden opportunity
• A Hull by-election in Jan 1966 vindicated Wilson’s decision to hang on

Question 7

What was Wilson’s campaign in the 1966 elections?

Answer 7

• Labour had done what they promised now needed opportunity to finish the job
• Labour handled economy better than the tories
• if there were still difficulties it was because of the previous administration
• Labour would negotiate its way into the Common Market in compared to Heath’s anti-European stance

Question 8

What was the result of the 1966 elections ?

Answer 8

• The 1966 result was only the second election to give labour a big enough majority to secure full parliamentary term without third party support

Question 9

How did Wilson attempt to reform the House of Lords?

Answer 9

• Wilson attempted to fundamentally restructure the House of Lords in 1968
• Hereditary peerages would now be replaced by a two-tier system of appointments, while all peers entitled to vote would be appointed by the Prime Minister
• This aroused fears
• 27 Labour MPS voted against it
• In 1969 the Bill was withdrawn

Question 10

How did Wilson attempt to reform the Local Government? *

Answer 10

• The Reedcliffe-Maud report of 1969 proposed that the land be divided into 8 provinces, with 3 metropolitan authorities in Merseyside, Birmingham and Manchester
• Met with much resistance and in early 1970 nothing achieved by time of 1970 election

Question 11

What did Wilson do in terms of nuclear power? *

Answer 11

• WIlson’s administration abandoned labour’s identification with unilateral disarmament
• Ignored the election pledge to get rid of nuclear weapons
• canceled the Polaris project
• Went ahead with four of the five projected submarines and to ensure their deployment as part of the NATO defence.

Question 12

What nationalist movements emerged in 1960s? *

Answer 12

• significant movements of both Scottish and Welsh nationalism
• Both the Scottish Nationalists and the Plaid Cymru performed poorly at general elections down to 1966

Question 13

How were nationalist movements reinforced in Wales?

Answer 13

• By the growth of The Welsh Language Society, with a strong student following + with nationalist leader , Saunders Lewis
• The Welsh language movement saw direct physical action against government building, post offices, television masts ect.
• english-only road signs destroyed all over Wales

Question 14

How was Wales doing in by elections ? *

Answer 14

• In Wales, by-election of July 1966 saw the election of Gwynfor Evans (Plaid Cymru leader) –> able to build on public disillusion with Labour’s economic policy and it’s newly created Welsh Office

Question 15

How was Wales doing in terms of elections?

Answer 15

• Welsh nationalism growing
• In Rhondda West in 1967 and Caerphilly in 1968, Plaid Cymru came very close to winning these traditionally rock-solid Labour seats.
• Official labour seemed old and demoralised

Question 16

How was nationalism doing in Scotland?

Answer 16

• The nationalist challenge was more powerful still
• Labour majority of 16,000 at Hamilton was overturned by Mrs. Winifred Ewing of the SNP in Nov 1967
• -> sweeping Nationalist gains in local elections followed

Question 17

What did Wilson do in response to Nationalism? *

Answer 17

• Wilson turned to the old remedy of a Royal Commision on the constitution
• This would consider the issue of Scottish and Welsh government, or self government but would take several years over it
• There were more subtle strategies:
• George Thomas, the Welsh Secretary orchestrated the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969, as a boost to unionist feeling

Question 18

How was Ireland divided?

Answer 18

• 6 counties (Ulster) remained part of UK and other 26 counties would be part of the Irish Free state –> later the Republic of Ireland
• controversion

Question 19

How was Northern Ireland divided?

Answer 19

• Majority of people in Ireland as a whole were Catholic but the majority of people in Northern Ireland were Protestant
• Ulster remained dormant under one-party Protestant Unionist rule
• Catholic complains of discrimination in jobs and housing, of political gerrymandering and of a one-religion police force ignored.

Question 20

What happened due to Catholic unrest? *

Answer 20

• Summer of 1968, the long campaign of civil rights which had begun in 1964 exploded in violence in the Catholic areas of Londonderry’s Bogside and the Falls Road in Belfast
• Civil Rights marches to protest discrimination were attacked by loyalists
• Catholics complained that the RUC failed to protect the them
• Violent clashes between RUC: 10 people killed, including 9 year old boy

Question 21

What happened to the situation with Northern Ireland in 1969? *

Answer 21

• Situation deteriorated even further
• The Loyal Apprentice Boys went ahead with their annual march in Derry and were attacked by nationalists
• RUC tried to storm the Bogside but were held back in 2 days of rioting
• TV cameras broadcasted across the world showing RUC officers beating Catholics
• Riots spread

Question 22

How did Callaghan handle the crisis of Northern Ireland?

Answer 22

• home secretary –> handled with great skill
• Callaghan visited Northern Ireland and virtually took control.
• British troops sent in to take over from RUC
• The hated B specials, a Protestant paramilitary force was abolished
• RUC left unarmed
• He turned vigorously on socio-economic causes of discontent
• A Downing Street Declaration led to a new non-party commision for housing, an attack on discrimination in jobs and political manipulation, and long term economic initiatives to combat Ulster’s heavy unemployment problem

Question 23

What were the effects of Callaghans handling of Northern Ireland?

Answer 23

• calm returned and the British army were hailed as protectors of their freedom by Catholic communities
• In early months of 1970 seemed peace had returned to Northern Ireland –> political victory for labour
• However, alarming signs of activity from the left wing and terrorist Sinn Fein whilst Ulster loyalist were also arming –> but people of Ulster plunged back into abyss following Bloody Sunday in 1972

Question 24

How was the Post-War Consensus breaking down?

Answer 24

• Breaking down by 1970
• Britain’s economic problems did not seem to have been solved by consensus policies
• Trade unions were seemingly uncooperative
• The Left of the Labour was dissatisfied by moderate consensus Labour Policies
• Social problems and poverty not ended
• Conservative questioning the effectiveness of key elements of the Post-War Consensus