The Sixties Political

Question 1

Wilson

Answer 1

• 1964-70
• Good bridge between left and right of labour party
• Resigned over prescription charges but served in Gaitskell’s cabinet. Had left-wing support for running against Gaitskell in 1961
• Relaxed personality, yorkshire accent and smoked a pipe - appealed to the public; ‘man of the people’ (went to a state school)
• Wants the Labour Party to be seen as modern

Question 2

Elections

Answer 2

1964 general election - 317 Labour seats

1966 general election - 363 Labour seats

Question 3

Key Policies

Answer 3

• ‘White Heat’ - new technology and modernisation
• Liberal reforms
• Education reforms

Question 4

Conservative Failure

Answer 4

• Macmillan’s fall from power and loss of reputation
  1961-63 Macmillan faced:
• Losing control of his cabinet
• Night of the Long Knives 1962 = sacking one third of his cabinet
• Being seen as outdated
• Spy scandals
• Rejection from the EEC
• Being unwell

Question 5

Opposition

Answer 5

• Conservatives reformed leadership election system and chose Ted Heath in 1965
• Post-War Consensus began to break down, state intervention was lagging and Trade Unions had become uncooperative.
• Mary Whitehouse - criticised the new “permissive society”; mass media, liberal legislation and the contraceptive pill
• Catholic church hostile to changes