Section 1- 1951-63 Flashcards
Which report led to the creation of the NHS?
The Beveridge Report 1942
What were the 5 giants?
WANT: National Insurance
DISEASE: comprehensive health service
IGNORANCE: effective education system
SQUALOR: slum clearance and rehousing
IDLENESS: full employment
How did the conservatives win in 1951?
the first past-the-post system with 321 seats
What health ailments did Churchill have?
a stroke in 1953- impaired his speech
when was the Mau Mau rebellion?
1952
what was Churchill’s relationship with the trade unions like?
avoided social and industrial conflict
who reorganised the party under Churchill?
Lord Woolton
When was the Britain’s first nuclear bomb?
1952
what were the wage rises between 1951 and 1961?
£8.30 in 1951 to £15.35 by 1961
How many houses were built under Churchill
300,000- overseen by Macmillan
What acts were introduced in 1954?
Housing Repairs and Rents Act allowed for clearance and redevelopment of unfit accommodation
Mining and Quarries Act to secure the health and safety of miners
what did labour do in 1957?
Bevan announced his opposition to unilateral nuclear disarmament – many Labour left-wingers joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)
when was the end of rationing?
1954
when was full employment achieved?
1955
when was the privatisation of the steel industry?
1953
when was churchill in power?
1951-55
when was eden in power?
1955-57
what was eden’s approval rating when he first became PM?
73%
what majority did eden win with?
345 to 277 Labour
why did people doubt his ability to rule?
His lack of experience and knowledge in domestic and economic policy
what deficit did Eden inherit?
£450 million
When was the Suez Crisis?
1956
what was eden’s relationship with trade unions
seen as constantly trying to appease them- made him look weak
what type of conservative was Macmillan?
one-nation conservative
how many seats did macmillan win with in the 1959 election?
100 seats
what acts were introduced in 1956?
Clean Air Act of 1956 and the Housing and Factory Acts
What acts were introduced in 1957?
Homicide Act of 1957 restricted usage of death penalty, whilst Wolfenden Commission of 1957 recommended that homosexuality not be illegal
What did Macmillan develop houses with?
a greenbelt which meant no surrounding factories
how much did average pay of workers increase by under macmillan?
20%
by 1963 how much had unemployment rise by?
1 million
what economic policy was used by the conservatives?
Keynesian policy
who led the labour divisions?
Bevan (left) and Gaitskell (right)
who became leader of labour in 1955?
Gaitskell
what happened at the Scarborough conference of 1960?
Gaitskell lost vote but this was overturned a year later
who became leader of the party after Gaitskell in 1963?
Wilson
when did britain first fail to join the EEC?
1963
When was the ‘knight of long knives’?
1962
When was the Profumo affair and who did it involve?
1963- John Profumo (conservative MP) was sleeping with Christine Keeler who was also sleeping with a soviet spy
what was the spy scandal in 1961?
George Blake convicted of being a soviet spy
What was the spy scandal in 1962?
John Vassall (civil servant) was passing secrets to the ussr via blackmail
How much were tax cuts under Churchill?
Tax cuts of £134 million for the middle class in ‘give-away’ budget before the 1955 election
what had helped boost the international economy?
the Marshall Plan- british demand was high
Eden and the Economy
Eden called the 1955 election as it was clear that the deflation measures were leading to increasing debt
Butler had to introduce emergency measures in October, forced to reverse the ‘give-away’ budget, and was accused of electoral opportunism
Eden understood that there were issues with inflation, but was distracted by Suez, which caused a run on the pound
Who was chancellor of the exchequer under Macmillan?
Thorneycroft
what policy did Thorneycroft advocate for?
monetarist, limiting wages and cutting government expenditure
(economy) what did macmillan aim to achieve?
full employment and high living standards, and was unwilling to sacrifice these to tackle inflation
what other policy did Macmillan use to control the economy?
‘stop-go’
‘Stop’ refers to increased taxation and interest rates in response to high prices and consumption
‘Go’ refers to cutting taxes and lowering interest rates in response to a decline in production and exports
what happened to the economy after suez under eden?
run on the pound
what was the expansionist budget 1961?
reversed shortly afterwards, with a pay pause and the government had to ask for a loan from the International Monetary Fund
what was the balance of payments deficit by 1964?
£800 million
what did the 1963 breeching report recommend?
savings by cutting the rail network, leading to the loss of 30% of it
what was the fesitval of britian 1951?
national exhibition and fair
what did weekly wages increase by?
average of £8.30 in 1951 increased to £15.35 in 1961), and private savings increased
rise of living standards
State subsidies continued to help farmers and food rationing ended in 1954
Home and car ownership increased, but council houses and renters were still the majority
More people could afford a middle-class lifestyle, with a period of conspicuous consumption
what was social class like in 1966?
67% classified themselves as working class, 29% as middle class, and 1% as upper class
by 1960 what was consumer goods like?
most people had a television, but working-class families (especially in the north) did not see significant changes in lifestyle: 4/5 had no car, 2/3 no washing machine, and 9/10 no refrigerator
what happened in the inaugural European Cup in 1955?
chelsea was banned by domestic authorities
immigration and emigration
‘New Commonwealth’ immigrants began arriving in large numbers after Empire Windrush in 1948
Numbers increased annually and by 1958 around 210000 Commonwealth immigrants had settled in Britain
Emigrants outnumbered immigrants by 1.92 million to 1.25 million in the early 1960s
relations with usa and ussr- churchill
Churchill positioned Britain as one of the ‘Big Three’ during the Second World War but US impatience soon became apparent – particularly between Churchill and Eisenhower at talks in Bermuda in 1953
Churchill aimed to hold a conference to prevent the perceived threat of nuclear warfare, but Eden and the rest of government doubted his abilities – only occurred in Geneva in 1955
relations with usa and ussr- eden
Eden had some successes, particularly in South-East Asia and with West Germany, but he overestimated Britain’s global position, leading to the Suez Crisis
relations with usa and ussr- macmillan
Macmillan’s main aim was to restore the Special Relationship , and he managed to foster a good rapport with both Eisenhower and Kennedy
Macmillan’s ‘grand design’ was to become a leading figure in the EEC
Made a visit to Moscow that was considered hugely successful for enhancing his role as a world statesman
Advocated and achieved a summit conference in Paris 1960
Convinced Kennedy to supply Polaris nuclear missiles to Britain, allowing it participate in the 1963 Test Ban Treaty
when was the korean war?
1950-53
the korean war
To secure the Special Relationship, Britain felt obliged to fight at the side of the US
Military support, in the form of two brigades, was provided after the UN responded to North Korean aggression
Defence spending rose from 8% to 14% of GNP in 1959, and by 1952 was 25.9% of total government expenditure, and National Service increased from 18 months to two years
Armistice negotiations began in 1951 but did not finish until 27 July 1953
when was the suez crisis?
1956
causes of the suez crisis
Egyptians became increasingly hostile to British presence, and in October 1951 Egyptian PM Mustafa al-Nahhas announced the unilateral abrogation of the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, proclaiming a state of emergency and demanding that British forces immediately evacuate the Canal Zone
what happened on the 25th January1952?
Churchill ordered Foreign Secretary Eden to maintain British presence, leading to numerous clashes, including a gun battle that left fifty killed and a hundred more injured
what happened to King Farouk (Suez Crisis)?
sacked all his ministers, but was then overthrown in July and replaced by nationalist Mohammed Neguib, who was replaced two years later by Gamel Abdel Nasser
what happened in February 1955(Suez Crisis)?
Nasser received Eden to discuss the significance of the Baghdad Pact as a ‘NATO for the Middle East’, but this was seen as a sign of further British control, and so Egypt declined in contrast with other Arab countries, leaving them sidelined
Eden also refused to sell Nasser a consignment of armaments to fortify the Egyptian army, meaning that Nasser turned to Czechoslakia
what happened july 1956(Suez Crisis)?
Finally, on 19 and 20 July 1956 the American and British governments withdrew their $200 million funding for Nasser’s Aswan Dam
economic effects of suez crisis?
Balance of payment deficit put sterling under increasing strain without US support
£129 million lost from sterling accounts in August, and a further £85 million in October
Eden believed that resolution of the crisis would also solve the economic issues, despite advice from his economic adviser
end of the Suez Crisis
Macmillan phoned Washington on 6 November for assistance and was informed that if the government agreed to a ceasefire before midnight it could receive a loan from the IMF
Both Macmillan and Lloyd advocated ending hostilities
Eden telephoned Eisenhower to concede defeat, and received a hostile reception to this news in the Commons
Britain was forced to completely leave Egypt in order to receive US financial support
Eden, in ill health, left for Jamaica, increasing public hostility, and after a disastrous return resigned on 9 January 1957
Trade unions provided most funding for parliamentary campaigns, but these were a diverse group- how much did they provide?
Transport and General Workers (1.3 million), Amalgamated Engineers (1 million), General and Municipal Workers (800’000), National Union of Mineworkers (586’000) / London Jewish Bakers (51), Wool Shear Workers (56), Spring Trap Makers (90)
