Macmillan 1957-63 Flashcards
Who were the key players in Macmillan’s gov?
- Selwyn Lloyd: Foreign Secretary
- Peter Thorneycroft: Chancellor
- R.A. Butler Home Secretary
What year was the Ministry of Defence’s Duncan Sandys White Paper published and what did it propose?
1957, it proposed independent nuclear detergents, the reduction of conventional forces and the phasing out national service.
What year did Macmillan attend the Bermuda Conference and for what purpose?
1957 to try and smooth over US/UK relations after Suez.
In what year did the Treasury front bench resign, who resigned and what did this signify?
Chancellor Peter Thorneycroft, Enoch Powell and Nigel Birch resigned in 1958 which signified first act of dissent among Tory party post-war, dissatisfied with Keynesian expansionism and desired reductions in expenditure.
What did Macmillan do in 1958 to aid his international profile?
Macmillan toured the commonwealth which aided his cause for the need for decolonisation.
How much did Amory’s 1959 budget cut from income tax? How much did their majority increase as a result.
9p. Majority went from 58 to 100.
What year did Eisenhower visit the UK and what did Macmillan do to reassure relations after Suez were smoothed?
1959, Macmillan exploited photo opportunity.
In what year was Britain’s application to the EEC vetoed and for what reason?
1961, because UK/US relations were too close.
In what year did Selwyn Lloyd set up a planning council and for what purpose?
1961 with the purpose of establishing prices and wage demands.
What was ‘the night of the long knives’ and when did it happen?
On 13th July 1962, with a backdrop of declining Conservative popularity, Macmillan dismissed 7 members of his cabinet in an attempt to reinvigorate the party.
What key piece of home affairs legislation was introduced under Butler as Home Secretary?
The Homicide Act 1957 ended the death penalty for everything but the murder of police officers, a huge step towards liberalism.
Butler also began to open up the debate surrounding the legalisation of homosexuality.
In what year was the National Economic Development Council set up?
In 1962 to try to prevent strikes by holding meetings between trade unionists and their employers but it was largely useless.
What effect did Macmillan have on the education system?
There were demands to replace grammar schools with comprehensives that would accommodate all students.
Whilst many Conservatives resisted this, comprehensive schools expanded and were more frequently built under Macmillan’s government.
What year was the Robins Report and what did it lead to?
The Robbins Report 1963 led to an increase in the grants provided for poorer students so that they could attend universities.
What was the Commonwealth Immigrants act and when was it introduced?
1962, it limited immigration according to ethnicity; many branded it as racist, though Labour would later extend the Act in 1968.
