Thatchers Government Flashcards
What was Margaret thatchers background/ leadership like?
Prime minister (1979-1990)
-was an conviction politician
-heavily dismissive of post war consensus
-Believed in self reliance/importance
-middle class (daughter of a grocer)
-went to Oxford
-became a lawyer
What was Margaret thatchers ideology?
Thatcherism:
-based in traditional conservative thinking (Enoch Powell thoughts)
-her own political and social instincts
-“New right’ think tanks:
•challenged Keynesian orthodoxy
• favour monetarism and free-market economics as it encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own actions
•associate moral decline with consensus. Norman Tebbit (1985) speech emphasises permissive socitoy for creating violence
-emphasised ‘there are families’ that consisted the majority of society. So. Threats to families were threats to social order
-tight on law and order policies: support police, later seen as becoming politicised to fight industrial disputes
What were the “wet” ministers in the Conservative Party?
-not as convinced with monetarist policies
Included: Willie whitelaw [ Home Secretary] , Jim prior [ employment minister, until 1981]
What were the “dry” ministers in the Conservative Party?
-dedicated with monetarist policies
Included:
• Geoffrey Howe [chanceller of exchequer then Home Secretary]
• Nigel Lawson [ Howes no2 and 1983 was chancellor]
What was the SDP and how did it emerge?
-social Democratic Party founded in (1981)
-leaders: Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, bill Rodger’s, David Owen
-had more centralist approach
-felt Labour was being too extremist so departed from them
-worked together with liberals in (1983) & (1987) elections
What were Labour divisions like during the 1980s?
-Micheal foot was elected Labour leader (1980) replaced by Neil Kinnock (1983)
-Labour was predominantly hard left
Kinnock took on problem in the Labour Party like the militant tendencies, ‘bennites’ and union leaders . So by (1986) militant tendencies were expelled
How did Labour lose support after they had lost governmental control?
-lost support from SDP & liberals rise, press coverage, voters converting opinions to conservatives , and from those that abstained from voting for anyone that previously voted first them
How did demographic changes affected labour ?
Loosened loyalties of working class
Union were no longer a source in strength
Labour strongholds In Local government lost touch with its poeple
What was the results of the 1983 election?
Votes
-Liberals & SDP 25.4%
-Labour 27.6%
-Conservative: 42.4%
Seats
-liberals & SDP 23
-Labour 209
-Conservative 397
What were the reason for the result of the 1983 election?
Falkland’s victories helped increase confidence in poeple & thatcher . Labour divisions and splintering of opposition contributed to thatchers win in the election
What were the results of the 1987 election?
Votes
-Liberals & SDP 22.6%
-Labour 30.8%
-Conservative: 42.2%
Seats
-liberals & SDP 22
-Labour 229
-Conservative 375
What issues were going on in Northern Ireland when thatcher took over as prime minister ?
-(1980) hunger strikes led by Bobby sands in protest for special category status reinforced.
Was nominated for stand in by election as anti H block candidate (& won seat) but died few weeks later
-thatchers refusal to agree to Republican views caused her to be hated
-Gerry Adam’s became leader of swim from party(1983) & vegan to focus on winning more parliamentary seats
What shocked thatcher in Britain in 1984?
IRA Bombing in grand hotel of Brighton in an attempt to assassinate Margaret thatcher (failed)
What ‘trouble’ developments were made after 1984 bombing
(1985) Anglo Irish agreement set up permanent intergivernak cooperation between UK & Republican of Ireland
= hoped to increase security cooperation and strengthen nationalist against sion fein & gave Irish government a role In Northern Ireland
What were the consequences of the Anglo-Irish agreement (1984)
-was opposed by Republican
-caused a rally of 200,000 in Belfast , Northern Ireland
-caused new party, Ulster resistance party to be step up in (1986)
