Theme 1: A changing political and economic environment Flashcards
Key information to answer: 'To what extent did the political landscape change between 1918-79?'
What was the Liberal Split?
LG (Lloyd George) was the PM and leader of those liberals who supported the coalition. Many opposed of the manner in which LG defeated Asquith as PM in 1916 which resulted in a split between LG supporters and Aquith’s
What was the Maurice Debate?
Public argument between LG and Asquith about troops on the Western Front
What was the Coupon Election?
Election that took place in 1918, during the time of the Liberal split, where LG formed a coalition with the Conservatives which led to further division between Asquith’s supporters and Lloyd George’s supporters
What was the 1918 Representation of People Act?
An act that allowed all British men over the age of 21 the ability to vote, and women over the age of 30 the ability to vote if they owned property or were a member of a local government register/married to a man who was part of a local government register
What was the Cash for honours scandal?
A scandal that emerged as a result of accusations that LG had promised the award of honours to people who made large donations to him, and that he wouldn’t use this money to support the Liberal party until it united under him
What was the Zinoviev Affair?
An affair that emerged which damaged Labour’s election campaign due to a publication of a story in the Daily Mail (Conservative-supporting newspaper) that claimed that a letter from a Russian communist revolutionary Zinoviev to the British Communist Party had been discovered, and that the letter incited revolution. The Daily Mail hoped that it would dissuade people from voting left-wing/Labour
What is protectionism?
Economic policy where a government implements measures to shield domestic industries from foreign competition
What is free trade?
The opposite of protectionism, which involves the government placing restrictions on international trade to protect domestic industries
What is the 1948 Representation of the People Act?
This act allowed a ‘plural’ vote with some traditional middle class being allowed to vote in multiple constituencies
What is Proportional Representation?
The percentage of seats won in an election is roughly the same as the percentage of votes received
What was the Irish Free State’s independence effect?
The Liberals lost 80 Irish nationalist MPs whilst the Conservatives maintained 10 MPs from Northern Ireland
What is the First Past the Post system?
An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes win. Favours a 2-party system in the UK
When was the National Government formed?
It was formed in 1931 when King George V persuaded MacDonald to form a new government
What was the National Governmet?
A coalition that formed when the Conservatives decided to support the new government. It was built as a response to the economic problems and the depression
What is the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
A secretary of state for the economy of Britain
What was the Abdication crisis that took place in 1937?
When King Edward VIII chose to abdicate from the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, despite opposition from the government, the Church of England, and the public
What is the BUF?
The British Union of Fascists, formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley after his party only secured 0.2% of the vote and he became disillusioned with politics
What is the CPGB?
The Communist party of Great Britain
What was the war Cabinet?
A mixture of Labour and Conservative MPs which helped Churchill organise Britain’s war effort
What is Consensus politics?
Between 1945-79, a rise and the decline of a particular style of party politics and the broad agreement between both parties (Labour and Conservatives) on the running of the economy and the development of the welfare state
What was the ‘Home fit for heroes’ proposed by LG?
A policy in Britain post WW1 from LG which made a promise to provide decent housing for returning soldiers promise. This was a key factor in Liberal party successes during the 1918 election
What is the Beveridge Report (1942)?
Published by Sir William Beveridge, it outlined a comprehensive plan to address what he termed “the five giants”: want, disease, idleness, ignorance, squalor. The report proposed a universal system of social insurance funded by contributions from employers and employees, to provide benefits and support to individuals from “cradle to grave”
What is a manifesto?
A public declaration of a party’s policies and main aims
What is Collectivism?
The ideology that working together as a collective is more effective than focusing on individual efforts and that the needs of the group over individual freedom and right
