Living Standards Flashcards
Boom
DLG wanted ‘a land fit for heroes’ which seemed to be achievable.
Firms recalibrated for peacetime production
Prices continued to rise
Gov did little to regulate production.
Soldiers returned to work – seemed that living standards would rise and that families had money to spend.
Crisis 1920s and 1930s
End of 1920 – 1 million unemployed, 1/3 ex-soldiers – beggars appeared with medals.
Unemployment – never fell below 1 million during the 1930s resulting in a decline of living standards
New industries = was lessened in some areas. In 1932 – rise of white collar educated jobs (12% in electrical appliance manufacture were unemployed VS. 70% in ship building)
Young women could maintain employment as teachers or nurses
Resentment over fripperies at Woolworths while men were unemployed
Regional differences
The decline of heavy industry (ship building/coal, iron, and cotton production) - huge impact on the areas where they were concentrated
The rich and poor divide widened in the 1920s and 1930s.
1932 – London (Southeast) had 11% unemployment VS. 40% in Wales
Areas like the south Wales coal fields, the ship- building regions of the Clyde and the Tyne and formerly busy ports like Liverpool slumped.
Improvements in the 1930s
Consumer Boom
Household electrical appliances often bought on credit – middle-class families throughout the 30s – washing machines and vacuum cleaners,
1930 200,000 vacuum cleaner sales a year, which rose to 400,000 8 years later.
Supplied by new chains like M&S and Sainsbury’s and the advertising and public relations industries helped to create growing consumer demand for new products.
The beginnings of ‘teenage’ culture can be seen in the 30s with young people spending more money on clothes, records and leisure activities
Improvements in the 1930s
Food
Wider variety of fresh fruit imported meant improved diets - although some believed fresh fruit was harmful to children and most fruit still came in tins
Prices for basic foods like tea, sugar, vegetables, and milk fell.
By the late 20s, there were 20,000 fish and chip shops in Britain – fish at less than 2p and chips at 1p
Improvements in the 1930s
Housing
More homes had electricity, many being built in new suburban housing estates, and indicates that electrification of homes had a significant effect in improving living standards.
Of the 1.1 million council houses built during the interwar period, 90% were on new estates.
The impact of ‘total war’ 1939-51 working conditions
A large number of new jobs created during the war for civilian munitions workers offered a good standard of pay and condition as a result of TU negotiations
Average pay increased for workers during the war even though it could only buy what their rations allowed
To allow women workers, creches were established in the factories of many essential war industries with the first in 1941 and a further 667 within 6 months being opened or established
Effect of Austerity 1954-51 - rationing
Lasted till 1954
Forced to ration bread 1946-48- the most hated measure ever
Other non-foodstuff remained rationed- clothes till 1949 along with wood
Furniture production (1942-52) was designed to use as little wood as possible- ‘utility furniture’ and was restricted to newly married couples or people who had been ‘bombed out’ during the war
The effects of Austerity 1945-51 - food and spending commitments
Britain was bankrupt by the war: 55% of British food was imported but Britain didn’t have foreign currency reserves to pay for all the needed imports, USA ended Britain’s wartime financial lifeline in 1945 the Lend-Lease Agreement
Raising living standards immediately after the war was difficult
Overseas spending commitments such as feeding parts of Germany that were under British control, re-establishing British control in Asian countries, impacted spending at home
Expensive British defence commitments grew again in 1950 with the Korean War- diverted resources away from the civilian consumer economy and into rearmament (23% of GDP in 1950 on defence)
The Harsh Winter
1946-47
Extreme snowfall exposed the fragility of the British economy
Coal stocks had depleted as a result of the war leading to shortages
Coal rationed until 1958- cooked on coal ranges and relied on coal-fired boilers for hot water
Families who relied on coal to heat homes used electric fire instead, placing a strain on the national grid so electrical supply was cut to 19 hours by the gov
Resulted in cold homes, factory closures and unemployment
The gov feared it would run out of food - ¼ of all British sheep were lost, root vegetables were frozen into the ground and food reserves declined, meat was further rationed
Canadian and Australian citizens began to post food parcels to British families
Prefabricated housing
Product of the 1944 Housing and Temporary Accommodation Act.
Small two-bedroom bungalows – max. of ten years (still have some in 2015) and had wooden walls and flat roofs.
Problems with damp and cold – many owners recorded immense satisfaction and happiness with life on prefab estates and were reluctant to leave.
Blocks of flats
Easy solution to the loss of working-class houses in the inner-city areas.
1951 – the Lawn Flats in Harlow
All the flats were accessible from a central landing and elevator.
Seen as an attractive, modern, and scientific solution to Britain’s housing needs.
Lansbury Estate in Poplar (East London) - planned in 1943 and work began in 1949.
Designed so that the neighborhoods within it would have close access to their amenities which would help to create communities.
1st New Towns Act
1946
Gov was keen to improve working-class living standards.
14 new towns across Britain – Stevenage
To relieve the overcrowded working-class districts of cities like London and Birmingham.
Designed using modern architecture and town planning.
For many working-class families who had lived in crowded slums pre-war, they represented a considerable improvement in living conditions. It was the 1st time many working-class people had lived in suburban estates.
Housing conditions and full employment led to a consumer society.
The growth of a consumer society 1950’s-1970s
1957 - £1 billion on consumer goods and £1.5 billion by 1960 - Harold Macmillan – most of our people never had it so good
Growth in labour saving devices ownership. 1955 – 17% had a washing machine and 60% in 1966
1966 - Credit cards were introduced and began being used.
1974 Consumer Credit Act – rights and responsibilities of lenders and borrowers. Paved the way for the explosion of borrowing in ’80s and 90’s.
Foreign holidays
How widespread was affluence? Positives
1967 New Towns Act – a final series of towns were created, including Milton Keyes.
Inner-city families who moved to the new towns could because of an increase in affluence
1953 – Study of teenage girls’ habits – American actresses’ clothes and hair affected the spending habits of girls
Admass –1960s – 70s – J.B Priestley invented the term to describe the new society of mass consumption and advertising which in his view encouraged superficiality
