THEME 1: a - politics

Question 1

Key Beliefs - Liberals (1918)

Answer 1

• Free Trade

* Limited role of gov. intervention

Question 2

Key Beliefs - Labour Party (1918)

Answer 2

• Social democracy (rather than all-out socialism)
• State Planning of economy
• More state intervention (but democratically)

Question 3

Key Beliefs - Conservative (1918)

Answer 3

• limited/little change

* little gov. intervention

Question 4

Main Figures - Liberals (c. 1918)

Answer 4

DLG 1916 - 22

• head of liberal/tory coalition (ended ‘22)
• made several mistakes (cash for peers scandal, split party after 1918 coupon election, war with Turkey)

Question 5

Main Figures - Labour (c.1918)

Answer 5

MacDonald

• won first gov (minority)
• kicked out of labour party after proposed 10% cut in employment benefit
• Urged by the King to form & lead a National Gov.
• Head of National Gov. (1931 - 35)

Question 6

Main Figures - Conservatives (c.1918)

Answer 6

Stanley Baldwin

• wanted to appeal to all social classes - led to them presenting themselves as an MC & aspiring WC party
• ‘Saftey First’ approach
• father figure to the nation

Question 7

What key legislation helped the rise of the labour party? (c.1918)

Answer 7

1911: Wages for MPs
* WC could now afford to work as MPs and represent the party on a more wide scale

1918: ROPA
* enfranchisement went from 7.7 bil to 21.4 bil

Question 8

Why did the Liberal Party go into DECLINE?

Answer 8

• DLG’s mistakes & unpopularity (short term)
• Rise of the Labour party (long term)
• Conservative Dominance

Question 9

Why was the first labour gov. a failure? (1924)

Answer 9

• Media comparisons to Soviet Russia & suggests their cabinet contained communist sympathisers
• Strained relations w/ the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party
• Couldn’t cause radical change as it would risk the support of the LIberals (minority gov)
• motion of no confidence - MacD won
• The Campbell case

Question 10

What happened to the Labour campaign for the 1924 GE?

Answer 10

• ruined by the story published by the tory supporting, DAILY MAIL
• claimed a letter sent from a Russian revolutionist (Zinoviev) to the CPGB was discovered
• The letter encouraged a revolution & told British communists to get ready for overthrowing the gov
• Although it was fake, the Tories hoped it would discourage people from voting Labour