Lesson 5 UK Flashcards
When was Thatcher Prime Minister?
What was the consensus period?
Tories and Labour agreed on things like keynianism, maintaining the welfare state.
British voters were fine with both parties in power
What happened since the postwar economic miracle economy of the UK plummeted?
Politicians started to disagree on everything
1970s :
Rise in oil prices
Globalisation reduces UK exports
Unemployment got multiplied by 3
More imports and less manufacture
GNP falls
Being “on the dole” means
Having lost your job and you live on benefits
How was Britain called during the 70s?
The sick man of Europe
Why was Britain called the Sick man of Europe?
There was political unrest
Falling industrial output
Strikes
3 day week
What led to the election of Margaret Thatcher?
Everything kinda went to shit before she got elected
There was a huge debt
She did a succesfull motion of Confidence against Callahan
Then she won the election in may 1979
How is the year 1979 known as?
The winter of discontent
That’s when Thatcher started her campaign
Margaret Thatcher born and died?
1925 - 2013
What was special about Thatcher?
She went to a grammar school
Went to Oxford
From a middle class family
She was a barrister (a kind of lawyer)
MP for Dartford
Secretary of State for Education and Science
How can you test the popularity and the confidence in the PM if you’re the opposition?
The Motion of no Confidence
If that person loses, they have to resign, and there’s need for new elections
Callahan (Thatcher’s predecessor lost by one vote)
What was the inspiration for Thatcher’s economics?
Milton Friedman (she thought Keynesianism was naive and did not work during crisis)
Monetarist policy
Non interventionism
And Alan Walters
Who was Alan Walters?
A Eurosceptic guy who was her personal adviser
Opposed to the single currency (the Euro)
Quote from Thatcher:
There is no such thing as society there are individual men and women, and there are families.
