Major 1990-97 Flashcards
What was Major’s policy on the Poll Tax?
Reformed to council tax but did this slowly to avoid splitting party, achieved in November 1991
What were the main reasons for the Conservatives’ 1992 election victory?
Major personal popularity and lingering distrust in Labour
What happened on ‘Black Wednesday’?
Britain was forced to withdraw from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM)
Why was Black Wednesday such a political failure for Major?
He was Chancellor when Britain entered the ERM and he personally advocated for it before the 1992 election
What were Black Wednesday’s long-term economic effects?
Actually beneficial - meant Britain could reduce interest rates. Unemployment slowed down and housing market picked up
How was the economy by 1997?
In a good state - unemployment down, productivity up, consumer spending up
Why was Major’s government given little credit for the economic recovery of 1992-97?
Feel good factor was missing, sleaze and scandals (cash for questions) led to distrust in govt
What was the ‘Cones Hotline’?
A hotline that someone could call to report on roads closed unnecessarily
Why was the Cones Hotline ridiculed?
Seen as a waste of government resources
Which aspects of Thatcherism did Major continue with?
Pit closures, privatisation
What role did Major play in the Northern Irish peace process?
Major had a good relationship with NI leader Albert Reynolds - managed to achieve a ceasefire
Why did Major call a Conservative Leadership election in 1995?
Significant criticism in party - felt critics should ‘put up or shut up’
What were the results of the 1995 Conservative Leadership Election?
Major won fairly convincingly, with 218 votes to John Redwood’s 89 (70%)
What were Neil Kinnock’s reforms to the Labour Party?
Ended closed shop agreements (hiring only union members), appointed Peter Mandelson director of communications
What was John Smith’s main reform?
Removal of trade union block voting in favour of ‘One Member, One Vote’ (OMOV)
What was the Blair-Brown pact? (Granita agreement)
They agreed that Brown would allow Blair to stand as leader whilst Brown would have greater control over policy
What was Labour’s Clause IV and why did Blair remove it?
Clause IV committed a Labour govt to nationalising - Blair removed this to bring the Labour party closer to the centre
What was Brown’s economic pledge in the run up to 1997?
To follow the Conservatives spending plans
What was the press’s influence on the 1997 election?
Many traditionally pro-Tory papers switched support to Labour
What was Britain’s influence in the unrest in Eastern Europe during the 1990s?
In August 1992, Major hosted a summit in London to set up a peacekeeping force to help with troubles in Yugoslavia
How effective was the UN/EU peacekeeping force in Serbia?
Ineffective - Srebrenica massacre where over 8000 were killed
What was the Maastricht Treaty?
The foundation treaty for the eventual EU - signed by Major in 1992
What gay rights reform was there in the 1990s?
Age of consent for gay men reduced from 21 to 18 in 1994 - still unequal as heterosexual age of consent was 16
How did numbers born outside of wedlock change in the 1990s?
30% of those born in the early 90s were out of wedlock compared to only 12% in the early 1980s
What was the Child Support Agency and when was it formed?
Formed in 1993, the Child Support Agency was set up to ensure absent parents paid maintenance for their children
What was the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act?
Gave the police more powers to break up free parties (raves)
What was third-wave feminism?
A step further than 1960s second-wave feminism - breaking down stereotypes about women. Linked to ‘girl power’, e.g. spice girls
What law was passed to further equality within sexual relationships?
Rape within marriage became a crime in 1994
What % of women of working age were employed in 1993?
68%
What % of employees were women by 1996?
50%
How were women impacted financially by the changes in the 1990s?
Women’s pay improved relatively but was still only at 80% of men’s, were able to be taxed separately from husbands for the first time
Who was Stephen Lawrence?
Stephen Lawrence was a black student who was murdered by a gang of white youths at a bus stop. The identity of the youths was believed to be known but the CPS decided there wasn’t enough evidence to convict them
Did race relations improve during the 1990s?
It could be argued yes as there were no major outbreaks of disorder with a racial component. This was major progress from previous decades
How did Major ensure the Maastricht treaty was passed in July 1993?
He threatened a vote of no confidence - this worked as the Tories were behind in the polls by July 1993
