The Affluent Society, 1951-1964 Flashcards

Conservative governments, economic developments, social developments and foreign relations

1
Q

What percentage of vote did Conservative and Labour win in 1951 election?
What about seats?
Why was this?

A

Conservative 48%, Labour 48.8%
Conservative 351, Labour 295
First past the post

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2
Q

What did the post war consensus involve?

A

Mixed economy, NHS and welfare state, full employment

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3
Q

When was Churchill PM?
Who were his key ministers?
How many houses a year?

A

1951-1955
Butler chancellor, Eden acting PM, Macmillan housing minister
300,000

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4
Q

When was Eden PM?
Which crisis split conservative party?
How many conservative MPs rebelled?

A

1955-57
Suez crisis 1956
40 MPs

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5
Q

When was Macmillan PM?
What did he increase majority to?
Nickname?

A

1957-63
100 seats in 1959 election
Supermac

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6
Q

What did the Wolfenden Commission recommend? When was it?

A

Homosexuality no longer criminal offence
1957

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7
Q

Why was Labour divided?

A

Bevanites (left, no prescription charges)
Gaitskellites (right, prescription charges)
CND

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8
Q

What conference increased Labour divisions?

A

1959 Blackpool Conference
Gaiskell proposed to drop Clause IV (nationalisation), had to back down

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9
Q

When was Britain’s EEC application turned down?

A

Submitted in 1961, turned down in 1963

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10
Q

What event made Macmillan look clumsy?

A

Night of the Long Knives 1962
Sacked third of cabinet

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11
Q

Which spy scandals reinforced conservative government as out of touch?

A

1961: George Blake double Soviet agent
1962: John Vassal blackmailed for info to Soviets

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12
Q

Which affair made the conservative government seem untrustworthy?

A

The Profumo Affair 1963, John Profumo lied to parliament and to PM about relationship with Christine Keeler

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13
Q

Who was new Conservative leader after Macmillan resigned in 1963?

A

Lord Douglas Home

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14
Q

In what year did food rationing end?

A

1954

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15
Q

When were the two ‘give away’ budgets?
What were the tax cuts?

A

1955: £134 million
1959: £370 million

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16
Q

What economic model was Britain stuck in?
What crisis kept happening?

A

Stop go
Balance of Payments

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17
Q

What did Selwyn Lloyd set up to improve long term planning?

A

Neddy (National Economic Development Council)

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18
Q

What did Selwyn Lloyd set up to monitor wages and prices in 1962?

A

Nicky (National Incomes Commission)

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19
Q

What did the Beeching Report recommend?

A

1963
Massive rail cuts (30% service)

20
Q

How did Maudling try and encourage economic growth?
Effect?

A

Push into ‘go’ phase by lowering bank rates to encourage consumer spending.
Growth from 4% in 1963 to 6% in 1964
But exports 20% higher than imports

21
Q

What did weekly wages rise to in 1961?

A

From £8.30 in 1951 to £15.35 in 1961

22
Q

When did ITV launch?
By 1960, ….% watched TV in the evening

A

1955
50%

23
Q

How many people went to Butlins a week in the 1950s?

A

60,000

24
Q

Which satirical TV programme set up in 1962?

A

The BBC’s That Was the Week That Was

25
Q

What percentage of women married in the 1950s, and what was the average marriage age?

A

75% married
Average age: 21

26
Q

Why did trade unions largely not support women working?

A

They thought they would lower wages

27
Q

Why were women financially dependent on husbands?

A

Mortgages and bank accounts in mens names

28
Q

How many Commonwealth immigrants settled in UK by 1958?

A

210,000

29
Q

When and what were the Notting Hill riots?

A

1958
Gangs of white youths targeted black people in racially motivated attacks

30
Q

What youth subculture existed in the early 1950s?
What about late 1950s?

A

Teddy Boys
Mods and Rockers

31
Q

Where were the 1964 mods and Rockers riots?
What was public reaction?

A

Clacton, Margate and Brighton
Moral panic, but over exaggerated in press

32
Q

Which book won a high profile court case under the Obscenity Act?

A

D.H Lawrence Lady Chatterley’s Lover

33
Q

What did Macmillan set up in 1959 to try and match EEC?

A

EFTA (European Free Trade Association)

34
Q

When did Britain first apply to join EEC?
When were they turned down?
Who vetoed?

A

1961
1963
De Gaulle

35
Q

Why did the left not want to join EEC?

A

Suspicious of free market principles

36
Q

Why did the right not want to join EEC?

A

Wanted to preserve traditional trade links with commonwealth, Australia and New Zealand

37
Q

Why did De Gaulle veto in 1963?

A

Concern that Britain a ‘trojan horse’ for US influence

38
Q

When did Churchill test Britains first atomic bomb?
Britain were the ….. country in the world to do so.

A

1952
3rd

39
Q

Which event showed Britain’s willingness to play a role in world affairs despite economic constraints?

A

Korean War 1950-53

40
Q

When was the Suez crisis?

A

1956

41
Q

How did Eden describe Nassar?

A

‘an evil dictator’

42
Q

Who did Eden conspire with about Suez?

A

Israel and France

43
Q

What was the result of Suez?

A

Britain pulled out, lost reputation as force for good. Showed that was not able to act independently of US.

44
Q

What rebellion emphasised need for decolonisation?
How many died?

A

Mau Mau rebellion 1952
10,000 May Mau died

45
Q

Which was the first Africa colony to be decolonised and when?

A

Ghana in 1957

46
Q

Which speech did Macmillan make in Cape Town calling on decolonisation?
Why was location important?

A

Wind of Change 1960
South Africa followed minority white rule

47
Q

Why can decolonisation be considered a success?

A

More swift and less violent than Belgium and Portugal