Thatcher & end of consensus 1979 - 97 Flashcards
- Election victories - Thatcher and her ministers - reasons for support and opposition - social and economic policies incl. monetarism, free-market, supply-side economics and privatisation - social policies and unrest - unemployment and the Trade Unions, the Miners’ Strike - fall of Thatcher and replacement with Major - Conservative divisions under Major and electoral defeat 1997
1
Q
Reasons for Conservative win 1970
A
- New PM - Heath who promised to restore honesty & integrity
- Policies - promised reduction of taxes & wildcat strikes, help poor & elderly
- New style of government
2
Q
What was the election result of the 1970 election?
A
CONSERVATIVES WON
C: 330 seats L: 287 seats
3
Q
Labour party failings - 1970 election
A
Economic policies: post-war consensus not working, too much money spent on defence, not enough on education, welfare, economic regeneration. Working class made poorer by gov’s policies
- defeat of ‘in place of strife’.
4
Q
A
5
Q
A
6
Q
A
7
Q
Character of Thatcher
A
- not trad. tory background: middle class & raised w Victorian ideals
- opinionated and acted out of principles than pol. expediency
8
Q
Thatcherism ideology
A
- strong aversion to consensus politics - blamed the system for Britain’s problems.
- ideas influenced by Hayak and Joseph, who argued the role of state should not be to provide welfare, but to provide the conditions where individuals can make their own choices.
- Critic of heath and U-turns.
9
Q
Thatcher was a good PM
A
- Victory of the Falklands war - patriotism
10
Q
Thatcher was a bad PM - failures
A
- Policy of deflation = 2m manuf. job losses
- ## Sowed the seeds for the privatisation of the NHS
11
Q
‘The poll tax was the main reason for Thatcher’s fall’
A
- poll tax not main but highly significant as exacerbated long-running econ. & social issues, reducing any remaining support for Thatcher
- poll tax simply exposed the underlying issues that compounded to topple Thatcher
- Division over Europe = unwilling to be diplomatic & unify party
- Thatcher’s relationship w/ ministers = main as undermined authority
12
Q
Poll Tax
A
- riots in Trafalgar - public outrage
- tory party lost appeal damaging rep.
- caused further divisions in Govt. - mps urged her to not continue w/ position
13
Q
Divisions over Europe
A
- unwillingness to back down on stance over ERM = intransigence
- fatal divisions - clashes w/ Lawson & Howe
14
Q
relationships w/ ministers
A
- public resignations: Howe, Lawson, Heseltine = no control over her cabinet
- Heseltine’s betrayal - last remaining memeber of her og cabinet & most loyal mp
- heseltine’s challenge to her leadership - wins in tory ballot - signals to public that MPs lack confidence in her leadership
