Theme 1 a 3 - A rise of consensus politics & political challenge 1945-79 Flashcards
What does consensus mean?
The broad agreement between both parties on the running of the economy and the development of a welfare state.
In the early 1940s, what principles did both Labour and Conservatives believe in?
4 Principles
- Attempting to achieve full employment, even though this might allow a degree of inflation
- A mixed economy, with heavy industry, railways and other parts of the national infrastructure in state ownership
- A welfare state and NHS
- Co-operation between the government, industry and the trade unions in managing wages and prices
Which party was in power due to a landslide victory in 1945?
Labour - As they were going to pull out of the war time coalition
- Menifesto - ‘let us face the future’
What did the Labour party promise in the 1945 election?
Acting on
- housing
- jobs
- social security
- A national health service.
What were the five main reforms the Labour Government achieved between 1945-51?
- Establish an NHS
- The national insurance act
- The national assistance act
- The housing act 1949
- The implementation of the education act 1944
What was the 2nd housing act of 1949?
It extended the local authority’s power to build the public sector housing for all income groups
Year of the 1st education act?
1944
What did the 1949 House of commons act do?
Reduced the number of Labour safe seats by redrawing consistency boundaries.
How did the proportion of the working class people change between 1931-51?
78% in 1931
72% in 1951
State the 5 reasons for the decline in Labour votes after 1950
- House of commons act 1949
- Shrinking working class
- Rationing
- Austerity
- Taxation
What were the three main causes of dissatisfaction with the Labour party in 1950?
- Rationing
- Austerity
- Taxation
Why was rationing a cause for dissatisfaction with the Labour party in the 1950s?
- Wartime food and fuel rationing continues after the war
- Eg. Bread that were not restricted during the wartime becoming rationed in the peacetime.
Why was austerity a cause for dissatisfaction with the Labour party in the 1950s?
The labour party seemed unable to revive Britain’s struggling economy in the immediate post-war years.
Why was taxation a cause for dissatisfaction with the Labour party in the 1950s?
The standard rate of taxation in 1949 was 9 shillings in every pound (45%) and the top rate of marginal tax for high earners was 90%.
What was taxing like in 1949?
9 shillings in every pound (45%)
The top rate of marginal tax for high earners was 90%.
Who was the Prime Minister after the 1950 election?
Clement Attlee - Labour
Why did Britain join the Korean war in 1950?
What was its impact?
As part of the new United Nations force.
Affect on Birtain:
- Increase military spending
- New chancellor Hugh Gaitskell announced the ‘austerity Budget’ in 1951.
What was involved in the Austerity Budget of 1951?
- Introduction of prescription charges for glasses and dentistry.
- Forced Aneurin Bevin to resign
What was the outcome of the 1951 general election?
Conservatives won
Even though labour got more votes
What did the conservative promise in the 1951 election?
- Offered to preserve the main features of the welfare state
- Return the country to prosperity
Dominated for 13 years
What name was given by the economist in 1954 to describe the conservative government?
Butskellism
Mix of Conservative chancellor Butler and labour chancellor Gaitskell
Who replaced Churchill?
Anthony Eden
- Churchill had returned to office at age 76
- Suffered a stroke in 1953
When did Britain have its lowest unemployment?
July 1955
- 215,000 people out of work
- 1% of workforce
What did the 1955 general election like?
Conservative 344 seats - won
Labour 277 seats
What part of Egypt did Britain want to protect?
Why was it so important?
The Suez Canel
- Used - Since Indian independence 1947 - Transport oil to Britain, Europe and America
What was the story of the Suez Canel crisis?
- Egyptian nationalist Gamal Abdul Nasser stated the canel should be in Egyptian hands and not Indian.
- Said he’d pay British shareholders a fair price for it
- Eden was suspicious and hostile
- Nasser occupied Canel zone from 26 July 1956
- Scared it would fall into USSR control
- France and Israel asked Britain to take part in invasion. Eden agreed secretly
- Invasion began 5 November 1956
- Britain forced to retreat due to American threats
What did America threaten Britain with during the Suez crisis?
President Eisenhower
Sell American reserves of British currency and collapse the value of the pound.
Who replaced Anthony Eden?
Harold Macmillian
What did Britain look like after Macmillian took over in 1957?
- Mixed economy
- Rising living standards
- low unemployment
- Declining social inequality
What did the 1959 general election look like?
Conservative 365 seats - Won! - Macmillan
Labour 258 seats
Who and why did Macmillian’s government’s officials resign after the 1959 general election?
- Chancellor Peter Thorneycroft
- Treasury minister Nigel Birch
- Financial Secretary to the Treasury Enoch Powell
Believed gov was spending too much and storing up economic problems for the future. Convinced inflation, not unemployment posed the greatest threat to the economy.
What effect did the resignations from the government have in 1959?
- Left at time of low inflation and low unemployment so little change.
- Next two decades inflation was the most fundamental mistake.
By 1962 why did many people think the conservatives were out of touch?
- Macmillian’s privileged background
- Large number of upper-class cabinet members 35 former Etonians in his gov
What was the night of long knives?
Why was it needed?
- Macmillian sacked 7 ministers from his cabinet and replaced them with younger men.
- Demonstrated he was capable of taking action.
- Show that he was still in control of his government.
What were the names of the three spy scandals that rocked the conservative government?
- John vessall
- Harold ‘Kim’ Philby
- John Profumo
Explain the John Vassall scandal
- 1952-62 he was a naval attache in the British Embassy in Moscow.
- He was blackmailed by KGB and were passed large amounts of info on Navy.
- Caught when Soviet spied told MI6
Explain the Harold ‘Kim’ Philby scandal
- Most senior intelligence agents Jan 1963.
- British Counter Intelligence.
- Investigated by Macmillian who exonerated him making it embarrassing when revealed.
- Official secrets act - revealed it in 1968
Explain the John Profumo scandal
- Secretary of state for war.
- Affair admitted with Christine Keeler.
- Previously denied.
- She was in a relationship with Russian attache, Yevgeny Ivanov.
- Press focussed on spy angle to the story.
Who replaced Macmillian 1963?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
Last House of Lords with title Earl.
Less than a year
Give example of Satire show ridiculing Douglas-Home
Private Eye
How did Harold Wilson present the Labour Party?
As meritocratic and classless.
Used TV to show the face of modern Britain.
Who was Harold Wilson’s chancellor?
James Callaghan
What was the budget deficit left to Wilson after 1964?
£800 million
What had Wilson over promised before becoming PM?
- Improve pensions
- Build half a million new homes a year
- Maintain military dominance overseas.
- 1/5 British spending.
What did Wilson have to do to lessen the pressure on the economy?
Devalue the pound - 1967
Who won the 1966 general election?
Labour - Harold Wilson
What social and educational reforms did Labour make in its 6 years in office? (1960s)
- New universities and polytechnics were built.
- Open universities were established
- Laws on abortion, homosexuality and the death penalty were liberalised.
Why did Wilson’s popularity decrease at the end of the 1960s?
Unemployment rose
Strike days rose
Who was seen as possible replacements for Wilson in the 1960s?
Roy Jenkins
James Callaghan
Barbara Castle
What did Heath’s government do prior to the 1970 general election?
- Met Selsdon Park Hotel
- Plan new manifesto - New principle refers to ‘Quiet revolution’
- Moving state away from people will make it more enterprising.
- Featuring tax cuts and spending cuts and wages set by the market, not gov.
What is the Barber Budget?
aka Barber Boom
Large Cuts Failed and contributed to inflation causing Heath to make a U-turn in his policies.
What was Heath’s biggest problem?
Gov relation with Trade Unions
1974 - 2 miners strikes
Causing criticisms and betraying promises.
Forming Selsdon group
What was the Selsdon Group?
Conservative MPs within the party dedicated to introducing free-market policies and reducing state intervention.
What was the significance of the 1973-4 mining strikes?
- Heath had to declare a state of emergency and a three day week.
- Heath called for an election and was defeated.
- This was not, however, a widespread success for Labour and they had to rely heavily on Liberals. 1974
What were the results of the 1974 election?
Conservatives - 297
Labour - 301 Won! Harold Wilson Had to rely a lot on liberal support
What did a Hung Parliament mean for Wilson’s second term?
- He needed to call a second election in 1974.
- Where he managed to get a slender majority of three seats.
- Less than first.
What were the results of the October 1974 election?
Conservatives - 276
Labour - 319 won by 3 seats
- 2nd general election in the year
What was Wilson’s third governments top priority?
- End union unrest by repealing Industrial Relations Act
- A return to corporatism with a policy called social contract.
What agreement did Wilson make with Unionists?
- In return for agreeing not to pursue wage claims, Wilson agreed not to present offer subsidies to the cost of living.
- Worked short term in stopping miner’s strikes but the social contract didn’t deal with underlying causes of strikes which was inflation.
What was Wilson’s party divided between?
- Centre-right - Close to left conservatives and 1975 Chancellor Haeley went further embracing monetarism abandoning full employment.
- ‘soft’ left - Micheal Foot pro-union but not back Tony Benn’s radical economic ideas.
- ‘hard’ left - Tony Benn leads more extremist believing Britain should become a ‘siege economy’ in response to 1976 IMF crisis.
Year - IMF crisis
1976
- Same year Harold resigned
How proceeded Harold Wilson during his second term?
James Callaghan - 1976
- Centre-right of Labour Party
What were James Callaghan’s ideas about the country?
Breakaway from consensus policies not thinking the gov could continue to spend its way out of difficulties and believed the British must ‘pay its way’ in the world.
What happened to the relationship between James Callaghan and Tony Benn?
C - siege economy to protect state spending on welfare.
B - Break from EEC and become more independent
What proportion of people believed Margret Thatcher would make a good leader?
45%
- Compared to 69% satisfied with James Callaghan
When did Margret Thatcher become PM?
1979 - Proceeding James Callaghan
