The Impact Of Thatcherism Fact Test Flashcards

1
Q

Conviction politician

A

Someone who follows policies based on their own beliefs rather than bc they’re popular or to follow what had gone before.
Thatcher.

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2
Q

Thatcher

A

. Outsider: untraditional Tory
. Middle class, daughter of a grocer
. Self reliance and self improvement lay at the heart of her upbringing and this influenced her political beliefs

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3
Q

What did thatcher say at the 1981 conference?

A

‘You turn if you want to - the lady’s not for turning’

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4
Q

Thatcherism

A

. Based on some traditional Tory thinkers and by her instincts
. Heavily influenced by ‘new right’ think tanks and academics
. For Thatcherites the free market was moral bc it encouraged individuals to take responsibility for their own actions

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5
Q

The New Right

A

. Rejected Keynesianism

. In favour of monetarism and free-market economics

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6
Q

The Wets

A

. Willie Whitelaw (Home Secretary)
. Jim Prior (Employment Minister)
. Michael Heseltine (leading conservative politician)

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7
Q

The Dries

A

. Norman Tebbit (Trade Secretary)
. Geoffrey Howe (Thatcher’s first chancellor of the Exchequer)
. Nigel Lawson (replaced Howe as Chancellor)

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8
Q

Labour left

A

. Tony Benn (ex elite left wing intellectual)
. Arthur Scargill (leader of the NUM)
. Derek Halton (strong militant and Trotskyist based in Liverpool)
. Ken Livingstone (‘red Ken’, controversial, epitome of ‘New Left’)

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9
Q

Labour Centre

A

. Neil Kinnock (Labour leader in 1980)
. Michael Foot (soft left, Labour leader before Neil)
. Peter Mandelson (spin doctor, Labour moderniser)

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10
Q

Gang of 4 (Labour right)

A

. Shirley Williams
. David Owens
. Roy Jenkins (former chancellor and Home Secretary)
. Bill Rodgers
They all left to form the Social Democrat Party

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11
Q

SDP - Crosby election

A
. Conservative area
. Williams won by majority of 5289
. Tory candidate was John Butcher
. Williams got into trouble w her vague views on abortion (it was a Catholic area)
. Won 26 Nov 1981
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12
Q

SDP - internal disputes over reselection of MPs

A

. National Executive Committee who ran Labour + were dominated by the left were picking MPs
. The Right knew they’d lose their jobs
. Williams watched her party move further to the left

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13
Q

SDP - Roy Jenkins n the Dimbleby election

A

. Jenkins called for a new centre party
. He was influential, People listened to him
. Williams thought they should stay and fight

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14
Q

SDP - 1980 Special Conference

A

. About changing voting procedures
. Left wing people deciding on party leadership
. Not good for right

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15
Q

SDP - Blackpool Conference

A

. Williams, David Owens + Bill Rodgers wanted a more Social Democrat Party
. Tony Benn made a speech against it
. The hard left loved this speech
. They realised the party needed to be formed through revolution
. Williams was spat at

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16
Q

SDP - resignation of Callaghan and leadership context

A

. 2 options: Dennis Healey and Michael Foot
. Healey made no effort so Foot won by 10 votes
. Labour left appalled at appointment
. Williams refused to stand

17
Q

SDP - Limehouse Declaration

A

. SDP formed
. Declaration of official formation
. £75,000 donation + letters wrote to them
. Limehouse - one of the gang lived on this street

18
Q

SDP - Warrington by election

A

. Roy Jenkins stood - defeated by Labour

. However brought Labour majority down from 10,000 to under 1000

19
Q

What factors account for the re-emergence of the Liberal Party in the early 1980s?

A

. Position of Liberals improved after 70s especially in rural Scotland, Wales + the South East
. Resignation of Jeremy Thorpe embarrassed party
. David Steel became party leader
. The Liberals developed successful strategies after 1979 election of tailoring campaigns to local issues
. Share of Liberal vote wasn’t reflected in no. of seats they won. They campaigned for PR + in these circumstances an alliance w SDP made sense.

20
Q

Northern Ireland - Hunger Strikes

A

. Began in 1980 in protest by the IRA prisoners to be treated as political prisoners
. Led by Bobby Sands

21
Q

Northern Ireland - Special Category Status

A

. What the IRA prisoners wanted

. Didn’t achieve it - 10 strikers died and the protest was called off in October 1981

22
Q

Northern Ireland - Sands by election

A

. Bobby Sands nominated to represent Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA to replace independent Republican MP in Fermanagh, south Tyrone, after his death
. Sands won but died from a hunger strike a few weeks later

23
Q

Northern Ireland - Brighton Bomb

A

. October 1984
. IRA bomb exploded in Grand Hotel during the Conservative Party Conference
. Thatcher, the main target, was unhurt, but five were killed

24
Q

Northern Ireland - the Anglo Irish Agreement

A

. November 1985
. Signed at Hillsborough
. Set up permanent intergovernmental co-operation between UK and the Republic of Ireland
. Conservatives hoped it’d enhance security co-operation between them, + aimed to strengthen moderate nationalists against Sinn Fein and was supported by the SDLP + the alliance.
. Republicans opposed it as it confirmed that Northern Ireland was part of the UK

25
Northern Ireland - Ulster Resistance
. A new unionist paramilitary organisation set up in 1986 in response to the Hillsborough Agreement giving the Irish government involvement in Northern Ireland
26
Bobby Sands
. Joined IRA as a teen in 1972 bc of experiences growing up in Belfast . Protestants intimidated his Catholic family out of their home 3 times . Forced by gunmen to leave his job . Arrested in 1972 for possession of firearms . After release in 1976 he was involved in a bombing of furniture showroom + sentenced to 14yrs in prison . Died age 27: martyr for Republican Movement
27
Gerry Adams
. Leader of Sinn Fein in 1981 . MP for West Belfast in 1983 but refused to go to 'English parliament' bc it'd mean swearing allegiance to the Queen . An architect of Sinn Fein's twin track strategy, using the armalite and the ballot box . 1990s: played a leading role in IRA ceasefires and peace process, led to the Good Friday Agreements
28
Reverend Ian Paisley
. Led Loyalist opposition to Catholic civil rights movement in 1960s + was involved in setting up paramilitary loyalist organisations . Evangelical Protestant, established Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951 . Outspoken in criticism of Catholics, famously denouncing Pope as the Antichrist . MP from 1970-2010 and MEP from 1979-2004 . First Minister of Northern Ireland 2007-2008 under his terms
29
1983 Election - the result
. 397 seats for Conservatives (42.4%) . 209 for Labour (27.6%) . 23 for Alliance (25.4%) . Swing of 3.8% from Labour to Conservatives . Largest majority in post-war history after Attlee's majority in 1945
30
1987 Election - the result
``` . Conservative majority of 102 down from 144 . 1.2% swing to Labour . 376 Conservative seats (42.3%) . 229 Labour seats (30.8%) . 22 Alliance seats (22.5%) ```
31
1983 - Defense
. Key to Labour's downfall: Foot forced to modify manifesto's defense commitments, saying Labour would 'move towards' a non-nuclear defense policy + the removal of bases . Speech shot down by Callaghan: Polaris was effective deterrent according to Callaghan . Falklands war won - made Tories look good
32
1987 - Defense
. Confusion over Labour's defense policy | . Led to Tory campaign poster showing a British soldier surrendering: "Labour's policy in arms".
33
1983 - Economy
. Private documents released by Labour . Report by National Economic Development Council - Labour claimed Ministers had suppressed it to hide truth about Britain's economic performance
34
1987 - Economy
. Thatcher suggested fees may be intro'd for state ed - worried voters . Tories attacked Labour on tax: Labour's proposals costed at £35bil . Nigel Lawson argued it'd mean income tax of 58% or VAT of 50% . Bryan Gould admitted top 5% of earners would be hit
35
1983 - Campaign
. Tory manifesto 3 pillars: defense, employment, economic prosperity . Committed to EU, independent nuclear deterrent, trade union reform, privatisation, tax reduce . Labour's manifesto: "longest suicide note in history" . Soft Labour policies: 12 point plan - cancellation of Trident, abolition of House of Lords, withdrawal from Common Market
36
1987 - Campaign
. "Wobbly Thursday" Daily Telegraph poll showed Tory lead down to 4% . Advertising guru Tim Bell spent £2mil in a single week to save them . "Britain is great again. Don't let Labour wreck it." . Labour's manifesto was sleek + professional . "The first Kinnock in a thousand generations" popular