Labour party during Thatcher's years

Question 1

Labour’s problems

Answer 1

Between 1979-92, they lost 4 elections in a row.
Winter of discontent during Callahan leadership.
Labour party’s strong links with unions were seen to the voters as a contributory factor to the industrial strife.
Labour presented the image of a divided party.
Micheal Foot’s election marked the success for the left wing backbench MP.

Question 2

The Labour left

Answer 2

Benn had interpreted Labour’s defeat in 1979 that it wasn’t left wing enough.
At Labour’s party conferences in 1980-81, the left forced through resolutions that required all MPs to seek re-election. The aim was to give greater power to left-wing activists.

Question 3

SDP

Answer 3

For Labour moderates, these changes signalled the takeover of the party by extremist groups.
A number of Labour MPs broke away to from a new social democratic party.
In alliance with the Liberals, the SDP gained quarter of the popular votes in the 1983 election. It was never able to establish itself as a credible alternative to the major parties.

Question 4

The 1983 general election

Answer 4

Foot led the party and the campaign in an uninspiring way.
Party was weakened by serious and public internal disputes.
Party’s ill-though-out manifesto was largely a concession to its left wing.
Thatcher was riding high on the Falklands factor.
Apparent pacifism of Foot and Kinnock during the Falklands war made them seem unpatriotic.

Question 5

Kinnock’s reforms

Answer 5

He replaced Foot as leader in 1983.
He was on the left, but realised that the hard left path was unlikely that lead labour back to power.
He began a range of wife-ranging policy review, which rejected many of the programmes, which the party had saddled itself with under Foot.
A key moment came in 1985, when he denounced the Militant tenancy councillors, whose extreme activities had earned the contempt of the electorate.
A reformed but still radical Labour Party meant there was no need for an SDP.