liberal legislation

Question 1

when + what was the 1st race relations act?

Answer 1

-1965
-it banned racial discrimination in public places and set up the race relations board

Question 2

when + what was the 2nd race relations act?

Answer 2

-1968
-discrimination in housing, employment and access to public services was made illegal, power of race relations board were extended

Question 3

what was the public opinion surrounding the race relations’ act?

Answer 3

went against public opinion - half of londoners said they would refuse to live next door to a black or asian person in 1965

Question 4

when + what was the commonwealth immigrants act?

Answer 4

-1967
-was designed to stop Kenyan asians from coming in large numbers to escape africanisation
-only people born in the UK, or those who had parents/grandparents here, could settle in the UK - favoured white commonwealth citizens

Question 5

when + what was the NHS planning act?

Answer 5

-1967
-health authorities could give contraception to anyone, regardless of marital status

Question 6

what was the public opinion surrounding the NHS planning act?

Answer 6

not controversial, widely supported

Question 7

when + what was the family planning/abortion act?

Answer 7

-1967
-legal termination of a pregnancy within the first 28 weeks was allowed
-took an all night sitting of parliament to pass

Question 8

what was the public opinion surrounding the abortion act?

Answer 8

very divisive issue, society split on it

Question 9

when + what was the sexual offences act?

Answer 9

-1967
-homosexual acts were decriminalised as long as both partners consented, they were over 21 and it was in private
-labour wanted to pass this bill to prove they were the most progressive party

Question 10

what was the public opinion surrounding the sexual offences act?

Answer 10

relatively supported - public opinion softening towards gay rights
1963 poll = 93% of people viewed homosexuality in men as an illness therefore it should not be punished

Question 11

when + what was the abolition of theatre censorship?

Answer 11

-1968
-taboo topics and criticism of the establishment became allowed in theatre
-nudity on stage was allowed

Question 12

what was the public opinion surrounding abolition of theatre censorship?

Answer 12

widespread support

Question 13

when + what was the education reform act?

Answer 13

-1965
-requested that local education authorities began converting their secondary schools to the comprehensive system
-by 1970 there were over 1,000 comprehensive schools
-in 1965 tony crossland became education minister and as he was a comprehensive supporter, he pushed for this to happen

Question 14

when + what was the open university?

Answer 14

-1969
-established unis that offered training in arts and sciences to people who never had the chance to go to a campus uni
-addressed need to skill and re-skill the people
-by 1980 the open uni had over 70,000 students
-appointed jennie lee to oversee project - wouldn’t have happened without her
-wilson saw it as his legacy

Question 15

when + what was the divorce law reform act?

Answer 15

-1969
-couples could divorce if they had lived apart for 2 years and both people agreed
-also allowed a divorce if the couple had lived apart for 5 years and only one person wanted a divorce (‘no fault divorce’)

Question 16

when + what was the matrimonial property act?

Answer 16

-1970
-gave more financial rights to the woman and men had to financially contribute

Question 17

when + what was the equal pay act?

Answer 17

-1970
-work of barbara castle
-prohibited any less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment
-also created a legal basis to make a complaint as a woman
-triggered by ford’s dagenham plant strike in 1968 after a pay deal favoured male workers

Question 18

when + what was the abolition of the death penalty?

Answer 18

-abolished for a trial period in 1965, then made permanent in 1969
-replaced the death penalty with a mandatory sentence of imprisonment for life

Question 19

what was the public opinion surrounding the abolition of the death penalty?

Answer 19

it was decidedly against the majority of public opinion which wanted to keep it

Question 20

when + what was the representation of the people act?

Answer 20

-1969
-reduced the voting age from 21 to 18

Question 21

what was the public opinion surrounding the representation of the people act?

Answer 21

widely supported

Question 22

what was the importance of private members’ bills?

Answer 22

-much of the legislation passed under wilson was private members’ bills - abortion bill, family planning bill, sexual offences bill
-important backbenchers = Leo Abse ( sexual offences act) David Steel (abortion act)
-they were successful because jenkins (HS) was sympathetic, so enabled enough parliamentary time to be available for the bills to be passed
-under wilson, private members’ bills prompted, directly or indirectly, the legalisation of homosexuality and abortion, and the end of capital punishment (promoted by labour backbencher) - these significant social changes wouldn’t have happened otherwise

Question 23

what was the importance of Wilson in passing the liberal legislation?

Answer 23

-he appointed liberal ministers e.g. jenkins, barbara castle
-some acts he personally felt very strongly about e.g. race relations acts and open university
-he put the needs of the people before the view of his own party, and was willing to face public criticism to do what he believed was right