The 60s

Question 1

Wilson’s ideology and leadership

Answer 1

• Initially left, resigning over prescription charges
• Then switched to the right, standing in Gaitskells cabinet.
• Consistently challenged gaitskell, making him the ideal candidate, as he seemed balanced.
• Not an old etonian
• educated at a state secondary school.

Question 2

Wilsons aims 64-70

Answer 2

• Break away from the stop go model

Question 3

Wilson Economic policy

Answer 3

Set up the DEA in 1964
* They were unable to achieve much as they competed with Callaghan
* Wilson removed the DEA in 1967.

NUS strike in 1966, labour crushed it.
* Wilson was very critical of the strike, leading to union members e.g Frank cousins resigning.

Question 4

Devaluation crisis

Answer 4

The labour government survived Sterling crises in 1965 and 1966.

In 1967, oil supply was cut due to conflict in the middle east, resulting in Wilson devaluating the pound by 14%.

Question 5

Roy Jenkins
67-70

Answer 5

Roy Jenkins replaced Callaghan in 1967.

He raised taxes and reduced government spending.

By 1969, He achieved a BOP surplus, despite inflation still being at 12%.

This made labour confident going into the 1970 election.

Question 6

Industrial relations under Wilson (64-70)

Answer 6

64: Frank cousins made minister of technology
66-67: wildcat strikes begin to emerge. (NUS and dockers)

1969:Barbara castle presents In place of strife
* 28 Day cooling period after strikes
* Industrial relation courts to punish those who broke rules
* Strike Ballots

Question 7

Reaction to Barbara Castle’s “in place of strife” 1969

Answer 7

Voters liked Castle’s proposals, and right wing labour MPs backed it.

The left wing of the labour party hated them.
* Protested by Jack Jones, callaghan and 50 labour MPs were ready to rebel.

Wilson was forced to back down in June 1969, The TUC negotiated a compromise, which was seen as a humiliating climbdown for the government.

Question 8

Domestic policies under Wilson
64-70

Answer 8

Wilson aimed to make the labour party the party of technological modernisation.

Roy Jenkins, the first minister of aviation admitted to struggling to understand much of his briefings.

Frank cousins showed little interest in technological development.

Despite Tony Benn Ameliorating the situation, replacing Cousins in 66, the UK lacked behind the US.

The Concorde was developed by britain and france in this period.

Question 9

Labour divisions 64-70

Answer 9

Brown resented Wilson because:
* He lost the leadership election to wilson (1963)
* He was not made foreign secretary

Wilson did not trust Jenkins:
* Jenkins was a gaitskellite.
* Wilson did not back the liberalising reforms
* Jenkins attempted to get the cabinet to back devaluation in 1966, after the seaman’s strike. Wilson viewed this as a plot to replace him and Brown with Callaghan and Jenkins.

Callaghan could not work with Jenkins as Jenkins was pro-europe.

Jenkins could not work with Callaghan as Callaghan had blocked devaluation and had weakened unions.

Question 10

The Troubles

(causes)

Answer 10

In 1969, Wilson sent troops into Northern Ireland to maintain peace.

The IRA fought as they felt that the RUC was discrimintating against catholics, leading them to attack the Apprentice boys in 1969.

The RUC made some concessions to the catholics, leading to the unionists rioting.

Question 11

When were the different social reform acts passed?

Answer 11

1965: Circular 10/65 circulated by Tony Crosland
1967: Sexual offences act
1967: Abortion Act
1969: Divorce reform act

Question 12

Roy Jenkins’ divorce reform act

Answer 12

Private members bills were used in the 60s to pass liberalising laws throguh “free votes”.

The main reforms were:

1969: THE DIVORCE REFORM ACT, which allowed for divorce if the couple had lived apart for 2 years and wanted to divorce, or if they had lived apart for 5 years and 1 party wanted to divorce.

Divorces increased from:
1950, 2/1000 marriages
1970, 10/1000 marriages

Question 13

David Steel’s abortion act

Answer 13

The abortion act permitted the termination of pregnancy within the first 28 weeks.
The cause for abortion could be cited as “mental suffering” and not just physical condition.

Abortions increased from:

4/100 live births in 1968
17.6/100 live births in 1975.

Question 14

The sexual offences act

Answer 14

The 1967 sexual offences act decriminalised homosexuality as long as:
* both parties were over 21
* both parties consented
* It was done in private.

It was celebrated by LGBT
However, “in private” meant that no one else was in the same building, meaning that it was not the complete end of prosecutions for homosexual practices.

Question 15

Circular 10/65

Answer 15

Circular 10/65 was a circular issued by the DES, ordering all schools to begin converting to comprehensive schools.

Successes:
* By 1970, 1/3 of all pupils in the UK were taught at comp schools.
* due to grammar schools merging with modern schools, class divisions may have been reduced.

Failures:
* significant disruption in the early days due to mergers between modern/grammar/technical schools.
* Despite Wilson claiming that the comp schools offered a “grammar school” education to all, the middle classes did not believe it. SOme turned to the direct grant schools and independent schools.

Question 16

The open university + polytechnics

Answer 16

Polytechnics replaced colleges of technology (30 by 1968)

The Open University, spearheaded by Jennie Lee was opened in 1969. It became a rapid success. It used TV/Radio to promote long distance learning and attracted the disadvantaged + women.

By 1980, the OU had 70,000 students and was awarding more degrees than oxford and cambridge combined

Question 17

Impact of mass media

Answer 17

1961: 71% own TV
1971: 91% own TV
Radios became cheaper
ITV, BBC 2 Founded

BBC2s launch in 1964 allowed BBC1 to become more populist.

Reduced regionality and created 1 “british” culture.

Question 18

Leisure activities in the 60s.

Answer 18

Public transport declined as cars grew from:
* 39% of trips in 1954
* 77% of trips by 1974

Britannia Airways founded in 1974, but the cost of air travel remained high, leading to only the upper middle class being able to afford holidays abroad.

Question 19

Reductions in censorship

Answer 19

PMB abolished theatrical censorship in 1968.
Controversial plays:
“Hair” in 1969, where cast stood naked for 30 seconds.

Films such as “darling” and “Alfie” were allowed. Sex, violence became more acceptable in TV by the end of the 60s.

Question 20

Feminist progress in the 60s

Answer 20

In 1961,the Family Planning Act, which allowed for the sale and advertising of contraceptives. This change gave women more control over their reproductive rights and helped to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

In 1970, Wilson introduced the Equal Pay Act, which aimed to address wage disparities between men and women.

• Labour-saving devices in the home
• Increased education access
• Greater control over family planning
• Easier divorce

Question 21

Lack of progress in terms of feminism

Answer 21

Advertising of “labour saving devices” reinforced housewife stereotypes.

Career progression was not adressed. (many were still secretaries)

Women were still held back by children.

Easier divorces were inaccessable to women who depended on their spouse financially.

Question 22

Opposition to the new “permissive society”

Answer 22

Mary whitehouse attempted to contest permissive ideas spread by the media, but had no real impact.

The Catholic church was opposed to same sex marriages and the pill.

The Hippy culture had given way to drugs. Cocaine consumption grew by 10x in the 60s.
* Dangerous drugs act 1967 made it unlawful to possess drugs
* The Wooton report, 1968, suggested legalising bud, but was rejected by callaghan who wanted to “call a halt to the rising tide of permissiveness”.

However, surveys by Michael Schofield in 1965 found that most young people were either virgins on marriage or married their first sexual partner.

Question 23

Youth Culture in the 60s

Answer 23

Mods turned into skinheads

Hippies appeared, pushing flower power, which wafavoured environmentalism, free love and peace.

Cheap plastic record players made music accessible to all

Drug intake rose.
More promiscuity at “youth clubs”

Question 24

Race relations

Answer 24

Race relations seemed to improve in the 60s.

A North London survey in 1965 showed that 1/5 people would not work with a black/asian. 9/10 dissaproved of mixed race marriages.

In 1965, The Race relations act was passed, forbiding discrimination in public places. However, discrimination in housing or employment were excluded.

The Race relations board was set up in the same year to compromise between whites and blacks. However, they did not have the power to summon witnesses and 74% of their cases were dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Question 25

Race relations: Powell and the reaction to his sacking.

Answer 25

In 1968, Powell read out his “rivers of blood speech” in response to the huge influx of south asians from kenya.

Heath sacked him from the shadow cabinet. In response, there were strikes from the dockers and meat porters and a march on downing street.

A Gallup poll found that 75% of the population agreed with what powell said

A further race relations act was put in place in 1968, It banned racial discrimination in housing, the workplace, insurance and more.

However it only upheld 10% of the complaints it recieved from 68-72.

Question 26

Reduction in racism in the late 60s.

Answer 26

• Hippies of the late 60s wore indian and africans cottons, kaftans.
• Notting hill carnival became an annual event from 1964.
• The beatles conversion to eastern ways under the supervision of maharaja Mahesh Yogi also helped reduce racial tensions.

Question 27

Foreign affairs in the 60s, main points

Answer 27

• Special relationship with Lyndon B johnson
• EU
• continuing decolonisation

Question 28

The Atlantic alliance

Wilson’s opinions, disruptions in the harmony of this “alliance”

Answer 28

• Wilson is very pro America, and wants to ensure that they remain committed to defending europe.
• He was worried about the soviets, who invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968.

HOWEVER:
* 1964: vietnam breaks out, Wilson is half hearted in his support of it as it is unpopular domestically, but he needs american support to sustain the economy.
* No troops were sent, angering Johnson.

Question 29

The EU (1964 onwards)

Answer 29

Wilson was not as committed to the EU as Macmillan had been.
Initially was more concerned with keeping labour united. Europhiles vs the left, who wanted to remain autonomous and avoid european capitalists.

• Applied in 66, refused to forego the atlantic alliance, was rejected by de gaule.

Question 30

Withdrawal from east Suez

Answer 30

• 1964: Denis Healey begins cutting Labour’s defence spending, aiming for under 2 billion by 1970.
• This process is rapidly accelerated by the 1967 devaluation crisis.
• The development of TSR2 was abandoned.

Question 31

Withdrawal from Rhodesia

Answer 31

• Britain had proclaimed that Rhodesia would not be granted independence until majority rule replaced the white domination.
• In 1965: Ian Smith issued a unilateral declaration of independence for rhodesia.

Wilson attempted to reconcile, on the HMS tiger in 1966, but smith shrugged it off.

Wilson attempted oil sanctions in 66-67, but Rhodesia diverted their trade to portuguese colonies such as mozambique.

Wilson failed + made Britain look weak.