the thatcher governments

Question 1

thatcher background

Answer 1

came from a middle class trading family - father was a grocer

went to oxford and became a lawyer

elected as MP for finchley 1959

education secretary after 1970

Question 2

thatcher ideology

Answer 2

thatcherism was based on traditional conservative thinking

influenced heavily by ‘new right’ think thanks

rejected keynsianism and favoured monetarism and free market economics

Question 3

thatcher and society

Answer 3

thought there was no such thing

‘there are induvidual men and women and there are families’t

Question 4

thatcher and law and order

Answer 4

supportive of the police

tough on law and order

Question 5

1979 conservative manifesto

Answer 5

heavy on general issues but light on specific committments

promised to reduce government spending, toughen trade union rules and control the money supply

Question 6

labour in 1979

Answer 6

winter of discontent haunted the labour party

electorate wanted a change in economy

Question 7

wets in thatcher’s cabinet

Answer 7

whillie whitelaw - home secretary

jim prior - employment minister
many disagreements between prior and thatcher over anti-union legislation

most wets were marginalised after the 1983 election victory

Question 8

dries in thatchers cabinet

Answer 8

majority of cabinet

geoffrey howe - chancellor

keith joseph - department of industry

Question 9

opposition to thatcher’s leadership

Answer 9

mostly personal disagreements

largest was westland affair - some very significant resignations

Question 10

SDP

Answer 10

internal labour divisions reached extreme

key personalities broke away and founded social democratic party

david owen, roy jenkins, shirley williams and bill rogers

followed by 28 labour MPs

Question 11

demographic change in labour support

Answer 11

could no longer depenend on its traditional working class support
- working class wanted a fancy lifestyle

some supported the far left

some became thatcherites

unions no longer a source of strength

Question 12

why did conservative win 1983 election

Answer 12

falklands victory signified thatcher’s bold leadership

support from national press

thatcher gained in self confidence and was able to dominate the conservative party

Question 13

labour downfall 1983

Answer 13

leadership lacked credibility

performed badly on tv

bad manifesto dominated by left wing promises - ‘longest suicide note in history’

Question 14

SDP-liberal alliance in 1983 election

Answer 14

shows distorting effect of fptp

alliance only got 1/2 million fewer votes than labour BUT 186 fewer seats

Question 15

why did conservatives win the 1987 election

Answer 15

fought on issues of strong defence, growing economy and lower taxes

continued to have backing of the press

labour still weak

Question 16

SDP in 1987

Answer 16

began to shrink

lost momentum since 1983

labour was improving again so they were regaining supporters

Question 17

car bomb 1979

Answer 17

Tory MP Airey Neave murdered by car bomb at HOC

had done a lot to get Thatcher elected

Question 18

bobby sands

Answer 18

led hunger strikes

began in 1980

gained lots of media

bobby sands and 9 more hunger strikers died

Question 19

impact of hunger strikes

Answer 19

thatcher’s refusal to agree meant she became a hate figure for republicans in NI

bobby sands and others became republican heroes

Question 20

1984 brighton bomb

Answer 20

IRA exploded a bomb during the conservative party conference

thatcher was the main target

5 people killed

Question 21

anglo-irish agreement

Answer 21

set up permenant cooperation between the UK and republic of ireland

established an inter-governmental conference between the british and irish governments

recognised that no change in the political status of NI would occur without the conesent of the majority

Question 22

did republicans support the anglo-irish agreement

Answer 22

NO

as it confirmed that NI was part of the UK