Major: society, sleaze and scandal

Question 1

define sleaze, and when was it coined?

Answer 1

-referred to cases of financial/sexual misconduct and hipocracy
-coined by the press in 1993

Question 2

how were the 1990s a time of greater social liberalism?

Answer 2

-society was more tolerant of a wide range of behaviours, lifestyles and sub-cultures
-greater meritocracy
-homosexual age of consent lowered to 16
-divorce rate increased
-number of unmarried couples living together increased
-number of children born to unmarried parents increased
-1992 = TV show brookside aired the first on-screen lesbian kiss

Question 3

describe political satire:

Answer 3

-readership of private eye increased in the 1990s, and there was a weekly column called the secret diary of john major which portrayed him as being boring
-spitting image - also portrayed major as boring

Question 4

describe political scandals:

Answer 4

-‘cash for questions’ oct 1994 - MPs e.g. Hamilton accepted money from private individuals/ businesses (e.g. Al Fayed) to raise questions in HoC
-‘Arms to Iraq’ - ministers had broken the rules in enabling an arms company to supply to Iraq
-over 12 sex scandals e.g. Mellor’s affair
-Major himself had an affair but this wasn’t public until early 2000s
-Aitken and Archer, high profile Conservatives, were charged with perjury

Question 5

why was this sleaze and scandal significant?

Answer 5

-increased criticism of tory gov. as they were seen as very hypocritical after 1993 back to basics speech where they preached traditional values
-cash for questions scandals was particularly damaging as it kept tory sleaze in the new right through the 1997 election campaign