Major Government 1992-97 Flashcards
Pre-election economy
- 1990 inflation ⬆️ to almost 11%.
- By 1992 unemployment ⬆️ to 2.6mn.
- Homeowners in negative equity + many homes repossessed.
- Affected traditional Tory votes as well as working class + northern communities as in ‘80s.
- Imminent election➡️M govt spending, focused transport + NHS.
Why did John Major come to power in 1992?
- 1990 Thatcher resigned➡️Major became PM.
- 1992 M called election at last possible moment.
- Opinion polls: Cs 29%, L 41% ➡️defeat seemed inevitable (T v unpopular).
- Cs won 10% more votes + 65 more seats than L.
How did Major win the 1992 election?
Conservative strengths🔵💪🏼
🔹M defused row over poll tax (abandoned 1991 for new council tax).
🔹Presented himself as candidate for change - attractive after 11yrs of T.
🔹Good campaign - M won respect w/ old-fashioned ‘soap-box’ politics in Luton - image as “honest John”.
🔹Seen as best Party to get B out of economic recession.
🔹C successful “Labour’s Double Whammy” + “Labour’s tax bombshell” campaign posters over L’s shadow budget.
🔹M visited Brixton where he grew up - image as in touch w/ ordinary B people + untainted by Thatcherism.
How did Major win the 1992 election?
Labour weaknesses🔴👎🏼
- L lost biggest electoral assets when T resigned.
- Many voters felt L hadn’t reformed enough from ‘80s (Militant Tendency).
- The Sun spread anti-Labour messages (read by 22% adult pop).
- Neil Kinnock announced L would invite Lib Dems to join negotiations on proportional representation - LDs seen as L’s “Trojan horse”➡️K image as untrustworthy + weak. Potential LD voters voted C instead.
- “Jennifer’s Ear” made L seem more untrustworthy.
- Sheffield Rally claimed to be reminiscent of Nuremberg Rally.
- Some blamed the 1992 defeat on K.
What was Black Wednesday 1992
- B had joined Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) 1990 - aimed to prepare EEC member countries for single currency.
- 1992 B currency under pressure, ⬇️ in value + interest rates ⬆️ to 15% (protect stability of sterling).
- M govt determined to remain in ERM + avoid devaluation of £.
- Severe crisis - value of £ continued ⬇️ ➡️B forced to leave ERM.
Economic consequences of Black Wednesday💰
✅Leaving ERM beneficial➡️economy stabilised immediately➡️B didn’t need to keep high interest rates➡️exchange rates ⬇️ - helped B exporters.
✅Unemployment rates slowed📉 + housing market improved.
✅US economy out of recession➡️world trade expanding🗺.
✅By 1997 unemployment low, productivity ⬆️ (❌not by much), consumer spending ⬆️, house prices ⬆️ (➡️end to negative equity), businesses supportive of govt policies.
Political consequences of Black Wednesday🔵
❌Long-standing C electoral asset of being trusted on economy gone.
❌People reluctant to credit M’s govt for economic stability.
❌C behind L in opinion polls
❌M’s personal authority weakened + criticised by newspapers which prev supported him🗞.
Problems with political policies
- 1991 Citizen’s Charter - attempt to make public services consumer-friendly.
- Failed + ridiculed - ‘Cones Hotline’ target of satire + abandoned.
- Overall cost in its first 5yrs = £18mn w/ no real ⬆️ in quality - cemented govt’s image of incompetence.
- Govt continued privatisation - 1994 coal industry privatised⛏ but public concern➡️govt abandoned scheme to privatise Post Office.
- Continued pit closures🦺 - 1991 Michael Heseltine announced closure of 31 pits inc in Nottinghamshire➡️opposition from Cs who remembered Nottinghamshire miners who opposed Arthur Scargill➡️Heseltine forced into short-term U-turn.
Sleaze and scandals👙
- M govt discredited by senior Cs double standards after M’s 1993 “Back to Basics” speech which preached for higher moral standards.
- Numerous sex scandals - 1992 David Mellor (senior cabinet minister) resigned after admitting affair w/ actress👙. M himself admitted to 4-yr affair w/ C minister Edwina Currie prior to his premiership.
- 1994 “Cash-for-questions” scandals: MPs Neil Hamilton + Tim Smith accused of accepting gifts from Harrods owner (Mohammed Al-Fayed) in exchange for asking certain qs in House of Commons.
- 1997 Hamilton lost parliamentary seat to Martin Bell who stood against him w/ anti-sleaze message as anti-corruption candidate.
➡️satire of M govt - not vicious, but reinforced image of M as well-meaning but inadequate leader. ‘Spitting Image’ presented M as dull + boring.
Internal Party divisions🔹❌
❌Party divisions worsened.
❌Particularly split over Europe - Eurosceptics wanted to push govt to edges of Europe or out of EU. M wanted follow middle way on Europe.
❌T encouraged Eurosceptics rebels by demanding referendum on Europe.
❌Disaffected cabinet ministers➡️possible challengers for leadership (Michael Portillo + John Redwood).
❌Right-wing press hostile, calling for strong leader to replace M.
❌By 1995 M felt insecure➡️called for leadership election to silence critics + reestablish authority.
- Main challenger - Redwood backed by Thatcherites + Eurosceptics.
- Before ballot M agreed Heseltine to become deputy MP➡️H encouraged people vote for M➡️decisive win by 129 votes➡️no 2nd ballot❌didn’t strengthen M’s position.
Northern Ireland Troubles✅
❌Under T: Gibraltar 1988➡️accusations of “shoot to kill” policy☠️➡️worsened Troubles➡️killings between loyalists + republicans, IRA targeting mainland B.
✅1993 political breakthrough: govt receiving secret messages that Sinn Fein (political wing of IRA, Gerry Adams leader 1981) ready to discuss peace agreement☮️.
❌Unionists fearful of being “sold out by B”. Deep-rooted hostility to B on republican side.
✅M good working relationship w/ Taoiseach (Irish MP) Albert Reynolds.
✅US President Bill Clinton encouraged Sinn Fein away from armed struggle🔫🚫.
✅1993 M + Reynolds went public w/ joint Downing Street Declaration.
✅1994 IRA announced ceasefire➡️loyalist paramilitaries matched w/ own ceasefire.
❌Getting final agreement difficult: unionists didn’t believe IRA’s commitment to☮️➡️IRA impatient➡️returned to violence e.g. 1996 bombing which destroyed centre of Manchester💣.
✅Peace process continued.
Social liberalism in Britain in the 1990s✅
✅M outlined idea of classless society. People ⬆️ challenging traditional sources of authority. ⬆️ criticism of monarchy showed decline in respect to establishment. Public support for monarchy at low 1997 after ☠️ of Princess Diana.
✅1987 Princess Diana challenged popular prejudices by shaking hands with an AIDS patient.
✅ ⬇️ age of consent for gay men to 18.
✅Divorce rate hit record highs in 1990.
✅Start of third-wave feminism - emphasis on breaking down stereotypes about women. ‘Ladette’ emerged.
✅Mid-90s ‘girl power’ message popularised by Spice Girls.
✅By 1996 50% employees were women.
✅1994 rape within marriage became criminal offence.
Social conservatism in British in the 1990s❌
❌Fear of AIDS after 1st UK case 1981➡️negative attitudes to homosexuality reached peak 1987. ‘Loony left’ councils accused of promoting homosexuality by funding support groups.
❌1988 Section 28 passed - banned promotion of homosexuality by local authorities. Believed to have banned discussing homosexuality in schools.
❌M’s “back-to-basics” speech 1993 promoted social conservatism, return to traditional values.
❌Full equality in age of consent for gay men not achieved until 2000.
❌1993 Child Support Agency (ensured absent parents paid maintenance for children) not v effective – poorly run.
❌Tensions between black men and police - Stephen Lawrence’s murder 1993 not investigated properly. Reopened enquiry in 1998.
❌Women’s pay still 80% of men’s earnings.
❌Social change more caused by change in people’s attitudes, not action by govt.
What was Britain’s relationship with Europe like from 1986-97?🇪🇺
✅1986 T signed Single European Act❌later claimed didn’t realise would limit influence of individual nation states.
❌1988 T’s speech in Bruges opposed federalism + idea of ‘closer political union’➡️infuriated other European leaders + raised doubts about B’s commitment to further European integration. Enthused Eurosceptic MPs.
✅In office T never openly anti-European.
✅After collapse of communism T wanted expand EEC to inc Eastern European to extend free trade.
✅1990 B entry into ERM.
✅1992 signing of Maastricht Treaty to extend inter-govt cooperation in EU➡️Eurosceptics inc John Redwood could voice concerns.
❌Maastricht Treaty didn’t end divisions over Europe - Eurosceptics continued oppose M.
❌1994 Sir James Goldsmith set up Referendum Party demanding referendum on B’s relationship w/ Europe.
✅1995 expansion of EU from 12 states to 15.
The Gulf War 1990
-What role did Britain play in key international issues?
- 1990 Saddam Hussein (President of Iraq) sent forces to conquer oil-rich Kuwait.
- 1991 UN-sanctioned☮️USA-led coalition (inc 54,000 B soldiers) expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait - oil important to West.
-Hussain still in power.
