The Prime Ministers 1918 -79 Flashcards
DLG
1916-1922
COALITION LIBERAL w/ conservatives
DLG: Key Points
- Split liberal party to form a coalition w/ tories to strengthen support
- cash for peers scanal
- promised a ‘land fit for heros’ post-ww1
- Retrenchment
Bonar Law
1922 - 1923
CONSERVATIVE
Bonar Law: Key Points
- Two-party system begins as Liberal go into decline
* Electoral reform/re-brand means the tories become an MC & WC (for the aspirational WC) party
(1st term) Baldwin
1923 - 24
CONSERVATIVE
(1st terms) Baldwin: Key Points
- PM because Bonar Law resigned
- called a GE to seek support for a policy of trade protection
- failed to win a majority so a few months later his gov resigned
(1st term) MacDonald
1924-24
LABOUR
(1st term) MacDonald: Key Points
- Minority Gov (coalition w/ liberals)
- strained relations w/ The National Executive Committee of the Labour party
- led to several notions of no confidence
- The Campbell Case
(2nd term) Baldwin
1924-29
CONSERVATIVE
(2nd term) Baldwin: Key Points
Lots of achievements * expansion of pensions & housing * local gov reform * 1928 - women 21+ got the right to vote * 1925: return to the GOLD STANDARD "Saftey First" approach
(2nd term) MacDonald
1929-31 LABOUR
1931 - 35 NATIONAL GOV
(2nd term) MacDonald: Key Points
- minority gov - support from liberals
- cooperation allowed for social reforms (1930 Housing act, 1930 Coal mines act, unemployment insurance act)
- called a GE & remained as head of the national gov
- gold standard abandoned 1931
(3rd term) Baldwin
1935 - 37
NATIONAL GOV
(3rd term) Baldwin: Key Points
- rise in extremism in Britain & across Europe (Hitler & Mussolini)
- Severe housing shortages
Chamberlain
1937 - 40
NATIONAL GOV
Chamberlain: Key Points
- policy of appeasement - a desire for peace
- debate whether to begin rearmament or not
- economic recovery: falling unemployment & stable prices
(1st term) Churchill
1940 - 45
NATIONAL/WARTIME GOV
(1st term) Churchill: Key Points
The nation loved his heroicness as he promised “blood, toil, tears and sweat”
Attlee
1945-51
LABOUR
Attlee: Key Points
- landslide victory
- ‘New Jersualm’
- Creation of the Welfare State - NHS
- reform of voting system (got rid of plural voting)
(2nd term) Churchill
1951 - 55
CONSERVATIVE
(2nd term) Churchill: Key Points
- post-war consensus
- Butskellism
- Keynesian economics
- resigns due to ill health - his foreign affair guy stepped up
Eden
1955 - 57
CONSERVATIVE
Eden: Key Points
- gained more seats than help in 1951
- achieved lowest unemployment figures in recent history
- Suez crisis
Macmillan (supermac)
1957 - 63
CONSERVATIVE
Macmillan: Key Points
- ‘stop-go economics’
- ‘night of long knives’
- Profumo scandal
Douglas-Home
1963 - 64
(1st term) Wilson
1964 - 70
LABOUR
(1st term) Wilson: Key Points
- devalued the £
- sg economic & social reforms
- Abortion Act 1967
- Sexual Offenses Act 1967
- In place of strife 1969
Heath
1970 - 74
CONSERVATIVE
Heath: Key Points
- promised radical political change at the beginning
- tax cuts for rich & public spending cuts
- Inflation on the RISE
- 3 DAY WORKING WEEK (1973 - 74)
(2nd term) Wilson
1974 - 76
LABOUR
(2nd term) Wilson: Key Points
- hung parliament (meant they had to call a GE which they won by a slender majority)
- the ‘social contract’ = a policy attempting to return to corporatism
- Party divided into three factories:
1. centre right
2. ‘soft’ left
3. ‘hard’ left
Callaghan (Sunny Jim)
1976 - 79
LABOUR
Callaghan: Key Points
- proposed a ‘siege economy’
- began to abandon key aspects of the post-war economic consensus
- Ruskin College Speech (1976)
- Winter of discontent (1978 - 79)
Thatcher
1979 - 90
CONSERVATIVE – NEW RIGHT
