Topic 5: Major's 1st Government (1990-92) Flashcards

1
Q

3

Describe the ideology of Major

A
  • Proclaimed aim of classless society upon entry to Downing Street
  • Not even Labour went this far
  • Symbolic depature from Thatcherism
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2
Q

5 - don’t need all

Describe the first cabinet of Major

A
  • CX - Norman Lamont (leadership campaign manager)
  • HS - Kenneth Baker
  • FS - Douglas Hurd (retained)
  • Env - Heseltine (back in cabinet for first time since Westland affair)
  • Edu - Ken Clarke (retained)
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3
Q

4

Describe the early problems facing Major

A
  • Heseltine appointment a sign Major couldn’t afford loyalist Thatcher-esque cabinet
  • Campaigned vigorously against poll tax
  • Labour soon regained poll lead as recession continued
  • 1991 local elections - Con lost 900 council seats
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4
Q

4

Describe Major as Chancellor

A
  • Had persuaded Thatcher to abandon long-standing opposition to EMS
  • Oversaw ERM entry in Oct 1990
  • Took strength out of central plank of Labour’s economic policy
  • TESSA (new tax-savings scheme) proved popular
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5
Q

3

Describe economic positives 1990-92

A
  • Interest rates cut
  • Balance of trade deficit fell due to reduced demand for foreign goods
  • Inflation fell (9.5% 1990, 5.9% 1991) due to pegging against German mark
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6
Q

6

Describe economic negatives 1990-92

A
  • Unemployment grew from 1.9m to 2.6m across 1991
  • Housing market remained at most depressed rate post-war
  • Business and consumer confidence remained poor
  • Record numbers of business failures and repossessions
  • Constant attempts to reduce stocks failed to relieve retail trade
  • Inflation remained higher than other nationalised industries
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7
Q

4

Describe the Citizens Charter

A
  • Introduced 1991
  • Public sector users provided with information about standards they should expect
  • Aimed to give users more power over the quality of services they received
  • e.g. schools would have to publish results
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8
Q

3

Describe the problems with the Citizens Charter

A
  • not completely effective
  • ‘Cones Hotline’ - allowed motorists to call number if motorway lane was closed with no sign of roadworks
  • Became a meaningless complaint line
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9
Q

2

Describe NHS policy under Major

A
  • Further reorganised to create ‘internal market’ through Community Care Act 1990
  • GP fundholding scheme created 1991 - gave some GPs control over budget for hospital care of patients
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10
Q

2

How was the NHS reorganised to create the ‘internal market’ under Major?

A
  • Purchasers and providers split
  • NHS trusts replaced wider regional boards
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11
Q

2

Describe criticism of NHS policy under Major

A
  • Widespread complaints of bureaucracy
  • GPs without fundholding got worse deal for patients
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12
Q

5

Describe education policy under Major

A
  • LEA power largely ceded to independently-managed schools
  • SATs gradually introduced from 1991-98
  • ‘School league tables’ introduced in 1992 - based on standardised examination results
  • Reports of falling standards led to revision of teacher training to old methods
  • Education Act 1992 established OFSTED - imposed system of national inspection

Education Act 1992 shortly before re-electon

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13
Q

1

Give an example of old-style teacher training methods

A

Instruction to whole class rather than individual learning

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14
Q

4

Describe opinion polling leading up to the 1992 election

A
  • By-elec results, opinion polls and european parliament elecs all pointed towards Conservative defeat
  • April opinion poll: Lab 41%, Con 35%, LD 20%
  • ICM poll day before elec put Con and Lab equal at 38%
  • Even largely-accurate exit poll suggested hung parliament
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15
Q

4

Describe the results of the 1992 election

A
  • Con 336 (-40), Lab 271 (+42), LD 20 (-2)
  • Major won narrow unexpected victory
  • High turnout of 78% - high Lab polling drew back ‘shy Tories’
  • Majority climbed down from 102 to 21 - would cause problems in succeeding years
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16
Q

2

Describe the success/failure of Labour in the 1992 election

A
  • Labour made some gains in Scot, Wales and traditional northern areas
  • Yet failed to secure more than half wc vote
17
Q

4

Describe the formation of the Lib Dems

A
  • Alliance pop vote faded to 23% and 22 seats in 1987
  • David Steel took initiative to merge parties in 1988
  • Owen strongly opposed this - formed ‘continuing’ SDP
  • Liberal Paddy Ashown elected leader
18
Q

3

Describe the failure of the Lib Dems in 1992

A
  • support dwindled to 18% (from 23%)
  • failed to replicate past by-election success
  • e.g. Ribbie Valley 1991 where they overturned 40% Conservative majroity
19
Q

3

Describe how the electoral system impacted the 1992 election

A
  • 250k poll tax evaders not on electoral register, harming Labour
  • 11 marginal seats secured with less than 60 votes difference
  • Conservatives won 4 seats by under 100 votes
20
Q

4

List the reasons for Conservative victory in 1992

A
  • Tory election campaign
  • Impact of Press
  • Some economic/social policy successes
  • Failure of Labour
21
Q

3

Describe the salient issues of the 1992 campaign

A
  • Broad agreement on foreign affairs
  • Main issues: economy, taxation, welfare
  • Conservatives largely perceived as mismanaging govt - but Lab didn’t appear particularly strong either
22
Q

3

Describe the Conservative election campaign in 1992

A
  • Utilised rhetoric of classless society + citizens charter
  • Saatchi ‘Labour’s Tax Bombshell’ billboards - suggested Labour spending plans would lead to increased £1250 tax for ordinary people
  • ‘The Best Future for Britain’ manifesto focused on its perceived Conservative strengths
23
Q

3

Describe Major’s campaigning in the 1992 election

A
  • Major sought to win over wavering LD voters
  • Exploited his own personal charm and humble upbringings in Brixton
  • Soap box campaigning
24
Q

4

Describe the impact of the press in the 1992 election

A
  • Kinnock mercilessly vilified by Tory sections of press
  • Of national daily papers, 7/11 backed the Conservatives
  • Conservative-supporting papers made up 67% of newspaper sales
  • ‘The Sun Wot Won it’
25
Q

3

Describe the ‘Sun Wot Won It’

A
  • Circulation at 3.6m, over double nearest competitor
  • Election day headline: ‘if Kinnock wins today, will the last person to Britain please turn the lights off’
  • Claimed ‘The Sun Wot Won It’
26
Q

2

Describe limits to the impact of the press in the 1992 election

A
  • TV coverage was more equal
  • 60% Sun readers still backed Labour
27
Q

2

Describe the Labour successes in the 1992 election campaign

A
  • Promoted image of social democratic party embracing moderation
  • Kinnock positioned as enthusiastic and effective campaigner
28
Q

3

Describe the Labour failures in the 1992 election campaign

A
  • ‘Shadow budget’
  • Sheffield Rally
  • left-wing play ‘The Absence of War’ criticised Kinnock for ideological betrayal
29
Q

4

Describe the ‘shadow budget’

A
  • Introduced by John Smith (Shadow CX)
  • Top rate of income tax to be increased from 40% to 50%
  • Would fund increased welfare benefits
  • Reinforced unpopular Old Labour image
30
Q

2

Describe the Sheffield Rally

A
  • introduced shadow cabinet as actual cabinet
  • ‘we’re all right’