Thatcher - Politcal Impact

Question 1

What happened to the Labour Party in 1980?

Answer 1

Callaghan resigns and is replaced by Michael foot. Foot is very left wing and triggers a split in the party

Question 2

1) What happens to the Liberal party in 1979?

2) what is the SDP?

Answer 2

1) Won a few seats and leader David Steel negotiates the SDP- Liberal alliance.
2) 1981-82 a couple of dozen MP’s leave Labour to form the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which then forms alliance with Liberals

Question 3

How effective is the alliance in the early 1980’s?

Answer 3

Wins several good bi-elections victories between 1981-1983 and promises to ‘break the mould’ of UK politics. Still only came 3rd in 1983 election

Question 4

What events occurred in the mid 1980’s and what impact did it have on the Conservative party?

Answer 4

• 1984-85 miners strike polarised opinions but thatcher won it
• 1986 ‘westlands crisis’ saw criticism of Thatcher’s style within her cabinet
• Still went on to win 1987 landslide victory

Question 5

What happened to Labour in 1983? And how well do they do in 1987 election?

Answer 5

• Labour’s left wing manifesto described as the longest suicide note in history. Confirmed by abysmal 1983 election result
• Neil Kinnock becomes leader and starts to lead party away from extreme left wing policies.
• Lose badly in 1987

Question 6

What happens to the SDP-Liberals alliance in the mid 1980’s?

Answer 6

• SDP moves right by Liberals are further left

- Leads to another disappointing campaign in 1987

Question 7

What happened to the Conservative party in the late 1980’s?

Answer 7

• Divisions in party over Europe emerge
• 1989-90 poll tax undermines confidence in thatcher weakening the party.
• She resigns November 1990

Question 8

What happened to the Labour Party in the late 1980’s?

Answer 8

• 1987-92 Kinnock continues to move Labour away from left -unilateral nuclear disarmament is abandoned
• Had to resign after defeat in 1992

Question 9

What happens to the Liberal party in the late 80’s early 90’s?

Answer 9

• Alliance parties merge and get one leader, paddy Ashdown
• Achieved good result in 1992 election
• Continues to progress under Paddy Ashdown and does well in 1997 election.

Question 10

Who is thatcher replaced by and what is his effects?

Answer 10

• John Major
• Milder figure than Margaret but his policies were no dissimilar
• Won 1992 election
• Party split over Europe in 1992 parliament
• Increasing number of scandals seem to symbolise running out of steam
• Lost badly in 1997 election

Question 11

What happens to Labour in the mid 1990’s?

Answer 11

• John smith becomes leader but dies of heart attack
• Blair takes over and brings in a new bran “New Labour”
• Blair moved even further left and appealed to many who wanted change
• won 1997 election well

Question 12

What impact did Thatcher have on the 3 parties?

Answer 12

• Conservative = became more radical, major did not abandon Thatcher’s core approach
• Labour = Lurched left in early 1980’s and then they moved back to centre ground. Moved a long way right as they accepted parts of Thatcher’s agenda
• Liberals = initial benefit from Labour split created alliance, became electorally more successful with conservative decline in 1990’s. Policies fairly stable

Question 13

1) What happened to the conservative party in 1979?
2) What happened to the Conservative party as a result of the Falklands war?
3) What happened to Conservative party in 1983?

Answer 13

1) Won election and introduced a radical agenda
2) Influence of wets (thatcher haters) diminishes as Falklands helps thatcher overcome economic and social controversy
3) Won election convincingly