Power and the People KI4 Flashcards
What caused protest and fight for women’s suffrage?
Political: women in households were represented through their husbands and didn’t have say in parliament.
Compare the methods used by the suffragists compared to the suffragettes.
Suffragists: Sympathetic MPs such as John Stuart Mill regularly updated. Interrupted political meetings.
Suffragettes: “deeds not words”
Mary Richardson slashed paintings and went on several hunger strikes.
How successful were the suffragists and suffragettes?
The suffragists= no impact. “women= emotional, couldn’t fight in war.”
Suffragettes: publicity, but alienated supporters and MPs who liked peaceful protest.
In fact the NUWSS grew from 12,000 to 50,000 members.
7.25m women employed in war effort. Attitudes reversed Eg sympathetic MP Lloyd George.
1918 women>30 could vote. 1928 everyone>21.
Give longer term impacts for the campaigning of women suffrage
pill available on NHS since 1974.
1975 employment protection of pregnant women.
equal pay act of 1970: Julie Hayward went to court with her employers claiming a pay gap and won.
1968, 187 women at Ford motors went on strike for three weeks because they were paid 15% less. They negotiated with Barbara Castle to earn 8% less
Why were factory workers unhappy during the General Strike of 1926?
As trade was expanding, Britain had more competition.
Working conditions deteriorated.
Owners wanted to cut wages by 13% and go from 7 to 8 hour shifts.
To prevent more strikes government subsidised wages in 1925 for one year.
who was involved during the General Strike of 1926?
Railway workers,
800,000 coal miners. Transport workers.
What methods were put into effect during the General Strike of 1926?
first started peacefully. Step-by-step the TUC called out workers till several million involved.
Clashes between strikers and police, striking miners derailed the flying Scotsman.
Stones thrown, Communist speeches
Was the General Strike of 1926 a success?
Government spent 9 months prep for the strike.
Volunteers took jobs, army unloaded food from docks and escorted supplies.
Used Emergency Powers Act of 1920.
Published its own newspaper ‘British Gazette’
Labour was wary of supporting the strike.
Strikers ordered to return to work on 13th May. Troublemakers were blacklisted.
Give short and longer term impacts for the general strike
Showed strong solidarity for working-class.
1927 trades disputes act prohibited sympathy strikes and mass picketing.
500,000 members left the unions in 1927 alone.
The Great Depression greatly impacted workers.
Violent methods of protest and Communist sympathisers discouraged support.
why was Arthur Scargill and coal miners affected by Thatcher’s union power policies?
In 1979 the chair tried to reduce union power as the last government was destroyed by the miners strike. Stockpiled coal, stations converted to oil and gas. Arthur Scargill claimed thatcher= enemy of the working class.
1984: government announced closing of unproductive pits. Scargill furious and called for strike. Labour and TUC tried to settle during 1984 but it continued into 1985.
What aims and methods were used by the striking coal miners?
Prevention of mines closing and loss of jobs through negotiation and demonstrations
People contributed funds to support the miners, others declared their support.
Give short and longer term impacts for the The Miners’ Strike
Thatcher wouldn’t give into union pressures. Critics argue that Scargill played into Thatchers hands- Miners were forced to work again. The last deep coal mine closed in December 2015.
The defeat enabled government to remove unions from the political agenda.
In most industries you no longer have to join a union. Employers enforce zero hour work contracts.
Give the causes which led to the Brixton riots
Desire for social change: migrants came at Britain’s request only to do dirty, unskilled jobs.
Eg landlord Peter Rachman exploited and bullied black tenants. Police 8x likely to search black ppl.
In the 1964 election labour MP lost safe seat in Smethwick to racist conservative.
1968: ROB speech, Powell sacked from Edward Heath’s cabinet. London dock workers strike in support.
1962 immigrants Act restricted passport holders. Instead migrants brought their families.
Describe events of the Brixton Riots
After 13 black youths perished in a house fire and no one was arrested, ppl believed police were racist.
Michael Bailey: stabbed, rushed to hospital. People thought he died from police brutality.
April 11: brutal rioting. 300 police injuries,
250 vehicles and buildings destroyed, 82 arrested.
Riots in Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham too.
Give short and longer term impacts of the Brixton Riots.
Scarman report insisted police were racist.
Led to setup of Independent Police Complaints Authority.
Thatcher: “nothing justifies what happened!”
Wider response blamed 55% unemployment on black people.
Demonstrated the racism of police on a national scale.
Showed solidarity of black people and raised a question of civil rights in Britain.
