Political Developments: Conservative Weaknesses by the 1997 Election Flashcards
How had the Conservatives been weakened in terms of public perception by media presentation?
Scandals
How had the Conservatives been weakened by party divisions over Europe? (2 Ways)
1993 Vote of No Confidence Threat, 1995 Back Me or Sack Me Leadership ballot
Name 2 Scandals in the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997
Neil Hamilton Cash for Question Scandal, Mellor Affair Scandal
Who did Neil Hamilton accept bribes from in his scandal?
The owner of Harrods
Who did Mellor have an affair with?
An actress
What event weakened the financial credibility of the Conservatives?
Black Wednesday Event
When was Black Wednesday, to the month?
September 1992
What happened to the pound in Black Wednesday?
It was devalued heavily
What was a negative public impact for the Black Wednesday event?
Many houses went into negative equity
How many houses in negative equity in January 1992?
300,000
How many houses in negative equity in December 1992?
900,000
What did John Major eventually have to put interest rates up to due to Black Wednesday?
15%
How had the Conservatives been weakened in terms of their Citizens Charter policies with the NHS by 1995?
By 1995, over 30 NHS trusts were in deficit
How much was NHS Managers’ income in 1990 and 1994?
1990: 150 million a year. 1994: 600 million a year
What did many media forms do to the Conservative party in terms of their presentation of them?
They satirized them
How was John Major portrayed in Spitting Image?
As entirely grey
How was John Major portrayed in The Guardian Newspaper?
As a grey superhero
What was the situation for Major in dealing with Northern Ireland during his time as PM?
He could not create a long-term peace treaty
What did John Major create for Northern Ireland in 1993?
The Downing Street Declaration
What did the IRA do in August 1993 after the Downing Street Declaration was made?
They called a ceasefire
When did Loyalist Ulster groups call a ceasefire in 1993?
October 1993
How many people were killed by the IRA in 1994?
9 people
Name a large IRA bombing event in 1995
Canary Wharf Bombing
How many were injured in the 1995 Canary Wharf Bombing and how much were the damage costs?
100 people injured, £100 million damage cost
What did the BBC organise for the 1997 election?
To have one of their presenters run against Neil Hamilton in his home constituency
What was Neil Hamiltons home constituency?
Tatton
Which BBC presenter ran against Neil Hamilton?
Martin Bell
What did Labour and the Liberals do for their candidates in Tatton in the 1997 election? Why?
They withdrew them, to see how much of a victory Martin Bell would get
What popular vote majority did Martin Bell get in the 1997 Tatton election?
Popular vote majority of 19,000
