The Affluent Society Politics. Flashcards
What is a post war consensus?
A historical view/interpretation which states that there was a political agreement on the social and economic policies that would best suit the UK
Who were the two main parties in the 1950s in the UK?
Conservative and Labour
Who ended the post war consensus?
Thatcher
Was Thatcher right or left wing?
right wing
When did the post war consensus end?
1970s
When was Attlee Prime Minister?
1945-1951
How did Attlee influence the conservatives that followed him after 1951?
He brought in much of the ideas that came to encompass the post war consensus
Who inspired Attlee’s ideas regarding the post war consensus?
William Beveridge (with regard to a welfare state) and John Maynard Keynes (with regard to a more active role of the government in the economy)
What does a big government mean?
A government that is more heavily involved in public policy and the private sector
In 1951, how strong were Britain’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force?
The Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force were second in size and power only to the forces of the United States
When was Britain the world’s third nuclear power?
In 1952, Britain became the world’s third nuclear power when it detonated an atomic bomb off the coast of Australia
Around 1951, what was Britain producing for trade?
Britain was the foremost world producer of ships and the leading European producer of coal, steel, cars and textiles
How many soldiers were killed during the Korean War?
750 soldiers were killed and many more injured or captured during the Korean war of 1950-53
What was Britain’s tax rate like post war?
Double the rate now
Why is urbanisation and industrialisation bad for people’s health?
Pollution is harmful
When and what was the London smog?
The London smog of 1952 lasted five days and killed more than 4,000 people from heart and lung diseases
What were the 5 points in the Beveridge report?
- Want
- Disease
- Ignorance
- Squalor
- Idleness
Name four policies that came from the post war consensus
1944 - Education act
1945 - Family allowance act
1946 - National insurance act
1946 - National health service act
Who won the 1951 election?
- Churchill
- Even though Labour had more votes, the conservatives had more seats
Why did Attlee call the 1951 election?
He wanted more seats in parliament to help pass legislation
What did the Beveridge Report lead to?
Establishing of NHS and welfare state
What was the overall result of the 1951 election?
Labour won more votes but conservative won more seats
Who was reelected in 1951?
Winston Churchill
Ironically, who called the election?
Attlee
Why did Attlee call the election?
he thought he would have a larger majority in parliament to pass laws
What were 5 goals of the 1955 Conservative Party General Election Manifesto?
- Prevent a third world war
- Make a hydrogen bomb
- Education
- Healthcare
- Become a property-owning democracy
Explain the Tripartite System
Created in 1944, based of the advice of the psychologist Burt, the education system was split into grammar school, technical high school, secondary modern school with an 11+ exam to decide which one a kid would go to
Who tried to promote a greater emphasis on technical education?
Eden during his brief time as PM
Name four social reforms of Macmillan
- Clean air act 1956 - prevent the smog of 50s
- Housing and Factory acts - improving living and working conditions
- Homicide Act 1957 - restricted when death penalty imposed
- 1957 Wolfenden commision - recommended homosexual behaviour should no long be a criminal act
Who is the Chancellor exchequer?
In charge of finances
Home secretary
In charge of national security
Who was Bevan?
- Minister of health in Atlee’s government
- Architect of NHS
- Left wing
- Resigned over prescription charges in 1951 - popular with MPs and many TU’s
who was Gaitskell
- Chancellor exchequer from 50-51
- Introduced prescription charges
- More right wing Labour minister
- Labour leader 1955 (defeated Bevan)
- Attempted reform
List the PMs from 1940-64
Churchill (1940-45)
Attlee (1945-51)
Churchill (1951-55)
Eden (1955-57)
Macmillan (1957-63)
Douglas-home (1963-64)
Who is against nuclear weapons yet surprisingly also opposed the unilateral nuclear disarmament?
Bevan
What is Clause IV?
It is a 1918 text of the Labour parties written constitution which set out the aims and values of the party
How was Clause IV seen as by Labour supporters?
This clause was seen by supporters as a straightforward commitment to nationalisation or the “common ownership” and it was considered a commitment to socialism
Who are against private ownership?
the Left
Who wanted to to change Clause IV in 1959 and why?
Gaitskell, the leader in 1959, wanted to change Clause IV as he believed that Labour didn’t have support as people didn’t want nationalisation
Why couldn’t Gaitskell change Clause IV?
The left wouldn’t let him
What Gaitskell left or right leaning within the labour party?
right leaning
What Bevan left or right leaning within the labour party?
Left
What did Bevanites want?
- to keep labour focused on its socialist ideals
- opposed rearmament
Who backed right wing groups within the Labour party?
Gaitskells and the right-leaning people were mainly backed by trade unions as they stopped UND
Who did Right wing groups within the Labour party support?
They supported alliances like NATO and SEATO to keep Britain strong in the cold war
What did Bevanites and Right wing groups within the Labour party think of eachother?
- Right wing groups saw Bevanites as too extreme
- Bevanites thought the moderates were betraying the Labour party’s socialist values
What is austerity?
Austerity is a set of economic policies that governments use to reduce public debt and stimulate economic growth
What was Macmillan’s nickname?
Supermac (showed he had support)
What did Macmillan say that highlights the lack of control he had?
“Events dear boys, events”
How was Britain’s economy at the end of Macmillan’s rule (1963ish)?
Britain’s economy was in trouble
What was a huge blow to pride and faith in Macmillan?
Attempted to join the EEC (European Economic Community) in 1961 but was rejected
How did the Conservative seem at the end of Macmillan’s rule?
The traditionally upper class Conservatives start to seem out of touch
When was the Cabinet reshuffle nicknamed the “Night of long knives”
Cabinet reshuffle in 1962
What did the Cabinet reshuffle (“Night of Long Knives”) entail?
⅓ of the cabinet members were sacked
What was the aim of the 1962 cabinet reshuffle?
rejuvenation
What was the result of the 1962 cabinet reshuffle?
Weakened the party as is an indication to the public that stuff is going wrong and means there are unhappy members in the conservative party
When do cabinet reshuffles typically occur?
Cabinet reshuffles occur when support in a party is lacking
Who was the conservative politician soviet double agent in 1961?
George Blake
Who was discovered to have been blackmailed to pass info to the Soviet Union in 1963?
John Vassal
Describe the Profumo affair (1963)
Secretary of state for war, John Profumo (affair with Christine Keeler who was also having an affair with a Russian spy)
Impact of Profumo Affair?
Political impact was short term but it added to the growing disillusionment with the conservative government
Why did Macmillan resign?
ill health
Who were the 2 major contenders following Macmillan?
Butler and Hailsham
Why was Douglas Home chosen over both Butler and Hailsham?
- Butler and Hailsham were creating divide within the conservative party as neither candidate had widespread or unequivocal support
- They compromised on Douglas Home as he was seen as a more neutral choice
What did Douglas Home give up to be PM?
His title as Lord so he could sit in the HoC
What did Douglas Home introduce when made PM?
Introduced formal elections for future conservative leaders (hadn’t been the case prior to 1965 and was decided through informal discussions!)
What was Thatcher’s opinion of Douglas Home?
He was a good man according to Thatcher: “You always felt that he treated you not as a category but as a person” - Margaret Thatcher
Why wasn’t DH suited to PM?
He was seen as old fashioned and people wanted progressive
Why was Wilson pleased he was facing DH in the 1964 election?
“Instead of the formidable Macmillan, with his deep knowledge of politics and administration, I was getting an opponent with very little experience of Parliament and much ignorance of economics.” - Wilson
Why didn’t Macmillan run in 1964 as he was more qualified than DH?
There was too much that he had messed up with the spy scandals so they went with Home
