Thatcher 1979-90

Question 1

Why did voters prefer to vote for the conservatives in the 1979 election?

Answer 1

• Punish labour for its failure to deal with inflation, unemployment and Trade Unions. (winter of discontent.)
• Middle class were resentful about strikes and trade union power.

Question 2

What happened to the liberal democrats in the 1979 election?

Answer 2

Held most of their seats but lost over a million votes due to people associating them with keeping Callaghan’s gov in office.
- This gave more votes to the conservatives.

Question 3

What happened to Labour in the 1979 election?

Answer 3

• They maintained their votes from the industrial north, wales and Scotland

Question 4

How popular were the conservatives by 1981? What happened despite this?

Answer 4

Not as popular due to the rise in unemployment and economic problems such as the recession.

Conservatives won the 1983 election despite a reduced popular vote.

Question 5

What did the Falklands war show?

Answer 5

British victory showed confidence and unity

Question 6

Why did the labour party to split in 1981?

Answer 6

The SDP formed an alliance with the Liberals.
- this split the anti-thatcher votes and allowed the conservatives to gain some labour seats.

Question 7

What is significant about the 1987 election?

Answer 7

The conservatives won more seats than in 1979 or 1983, but lost 21 seats.

Question 8

Why did the conservatives lose 21 seats in 1987?

Answer 8

The weaknesses of the labour party and their split wasn’t important anymore, the same with the Falklands victory and the winter of discontent.

Question 9

Why were the conservatives leading in the opinion polls?

Answer 9

• Government policy of selling off council houses was popular to middle class voters.
• This caused the belief that the government supported their desire to gain wealth and status.
• Decrease in unemployment and strong pound.

Question 10

Who was Neil Kinnock and what did he do?

Answer 10

The new labour party leader, gained Labour 1.5 mil more votes than in 1983 and won 20 more seats.

Question 11

What were Thatcher’s economic policies?

Answer 11

• Privatisation of industries.
• Government no longer supported failing industries and they were to close despite causing unemployment.
• Less gov spending and raised taxes to reduce money circulation.
• Value of £ rose (more valuable for investors abroad.)
• Taxes on businesses reduced to increase investment.
• High interest rates.

Question 12

What was the impact of Thatcher’s economic policies?

Answer 12

• Prices fell by 13.5% in 3 years.
• Unemployment rose to 3 million by 1983.
• Increased foreign investment (Nissan established a plant in the north east)
• New businesses didn’t reduce unemployment.

Question 13

Was there an economic revolution?

Answer 13

• Shift from public sector to private sector.
• Encouragement of enterprise, small business and stock market investment.
• More homeowning
• Businesses were more competitive.
• More consumer choice.
• Employment moved away from traditional industries.
  BUT:
• Encourages a ‘get rich quick’ culture which meant less concern for the rights of workers.
• Lost 15% of its manufacturing base.

Question 14

What legislation did Thatcher put in place to tackle TU’s?

Answer 14

• 1980 employment act: outlawed secondary picketing, gave more rights to workers not in unions and encouraged secret ballots in unions.
• 1982 employment act: restricted sympathy strikes, compensation to anyone fired for not wanting to be in a union.
• 1984 Trade union act: required unions to hold secret ballots on industrial action.

Question 15

Why did the miners strike of 1984-85 happen?

Answer 15

• National Coal Board was making a £250 million loss between 1983-84 alone.
• Government were serious about shutting down loss-making industries.
• Coal strike began in March 1984 after announcement that there would be 20,000 job losses.

Question 16

Who was Arthur Scargill?

Answer 16

• Leader of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
• He wnated a national strike but some miners in different area voted against strike action.
• He sent flying pickets to stop people from working and prevent coal movement.
• Caused violence between workers and the police.

Question 17

How did the government prepare for the strikes?

Answer 17

• A secret gov committee was set up in 1981 to stockpile coal.
• Home secretary, Leon Brittan, set up the National Reporting centre to ensure the control of policing and to move police to troubled areas.

Question 18

Why was the miners strike defeated?

Answer 18

• Miners weren’t united, the Union of Democratic Mineworkers was created in Dec 1984.
• Strike in Spring and Summer when there was less demand for coal.
• Violence undermined publics support for the strike.

Question 19

What was the impact of the Miners strike?

Answer 19

• NUM membership dropped by 150,000 in 8 years.
• Bankrupt.
• Divided opinion on Thatcher.

Question 20

What was Thatcher’s social policy involving council houses?

Answer 20

• She believed if people owned something then they were less likely to be socilalist
• 1980 housing act allowed long term council tenants the right to buy their homes.
• Tax relief on mortgages for people who own their house.
• Government subsidies for mortgages doubled.
• Property ownership grew by 12%.

Question 21

What was Thatcher’s social policy involving the NHS?

Answer 21

• Hospitals were allowed become self governing NHS trusts and control their own budget.
• GP’s controlled their own budgets.

Question 22

What was Thatcher’s social policy involving schools?

Answer 22

• 1986: O levels and CSE’s were replaced with GCSE’s.
• 1988: national curriculum established.
• State schools given option to be self controlled and have their own budgets.

Question 23

What was Thatcher’s social policies involving Universities?

Answer 23

• 1981: cut in University budgets, forced to seek more revenue and accept more students.
• University Funding Committee created in 1988 to ensure education focused on benefiting the economy and not research.
• Removal of polytechnics.
• Grants for young people to attend uni.

Question 24

Was Thatcher popular within the party?

Answer 24

• Didn’t have backings of senior members.
• Many were loyal to Heath and disliked Thatcher.
• Established a small band of loyalists.

Question 25

Who were the wets and dries?

Answer 25

Wets: those older ministers who were concerned about her economic policies and action against TU’s.
Dries: Thatcher’s allies.

Question 26

How was Thatcher’s relationship with US president Reagan?

Answer 26

Strong political and personal relationship.

Question 27

What was the Brighton bombing?

Answer 27

Irish terrorist group tried to kill Thatcher and her cabinet by bombing the hotel they stayed at for a conference
- Unsuccessful at killing her.
- Continued to make the speech at conference.

Question 28

Why was Thatcher called the ‘iron lady’?

Answer 28

For her leadership style and economic policies and her action against Trade Unions.

Question 29

Why did the poll tax cause Thatcher to resign in November 1990?

Answer 29

The Poll tax: introduced a flat rate tax on home ownership regardless of income etc.
- Many people in the party disagreed with the tax as they saw it to be very unpopular.
- Demonstration in Trafalgar Square London where 300 people were arrested and 400 policemen hurt.
- Thatcher went ahead with the policy regardless.