The Impact Of Thatcherism Fact Test Flashcards
Conviction politician
Someone who follows policies based on their own beliefs rather than bc they’re popular or to follow what had gone before.
Thatcher.
Thatcher
. 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
What did thatcher say at the 1981 conference?
‘You turn if you want to - the lady’s not for turning’
Thatcherism
. 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
The New Right
. Rejected Keynesianism
. In favour of monetarism and free-market economics
The Wets
. Willie Whitelaw (Home Secretary)
. Jim Prior (Employment Minister)
. Michael Heseltine (leading conservative politician)
The Dries
. Norman Tebbit (Trade Secretary)
. Geoffrey Howe (Thatcher’s first chancellor of the Exchequer)
. Nigel Lawson (replaced Howe as Chancellor)
Labour left
. 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’)
Labour Centre
. Neil Kinnock (Labour leader in 1980)
. Michael Foot (soft left, Labour leader before Neil)
. Peter Mandelson (spin doctor, Labour moderniser)
Gang of 4 (Labour right)
. Shirley Williams
. David Owens
. Roy Jenkins (former chancellor and Home Secretary)
. Bill Rodgers
They all left to form the Social Democrat Party
SDP - Crosby election
. 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
SDP - internal disputes over reselection of MPs
. 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
SDP - Roy Jenkins n the Dimbleby election
. Jenkins called for a new centre party
. He was influential, People listened to him
. Williams thought they should stay and fight
SDP - 1980 Special Conference
. About changing voting procedures
. Left wing people deciding on party leadership
. Not good for right
SDP - Blackpool Conference
. 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