UK 15: Impact of Thatcherism on Society Flashcards
What were 3 key factors affecting demographic change in Britain after 1975?
- One was, as always, immigration
- The continuing shift of population from rural to urban areas.
Sharpening of the north-south divide, as old, traditional industries contracted, leaving large areas of dereliction.
- The continuing shift of population from rural to urban areas.
What were demographic changes in manufacturing and the population?
· Far fewer people were now employed in manufacturing – from 7.1 million (1979) to 5 million (1990).
· Economic activity shifted south and towards London.
The population rose from 56 million (1975) to 58 million (1990) but growth was not always constant – population actually fell between 1975 and 1978, reflecting the economic and social background of the time.
How did immigration change and what did the conservative government do about it?
· Immigration continued to be a source of concern – there was a steady flow of immigrants from the sub-continent (e.g. India and Pakistan).
· Sudden rush of immigrants from Bangladesh after it broke away from Pakistan in ’74.
· By the late 1970s, the Brick Lane area in London became known as ‘Banglatown’.
· The Thatcher government believed immigration was a growing problem and passed the Immigration Act in 1981.
· On the other hand, Britain could not have continued without the migrants’ contribution.
Transport system, hospitals and hotel industry all heavily recruited workers from abroad.
Why did Thatcher put emphasis on privatisation and the sale of council houses?
· Thatcher put an emphasis on turning Britain into a property-owning democracy.
· Between 1979 and 1990, the number of individuals that owned stocks and shares trebled, from 3 million to 9 million.
· Privatisation made jobs less secure, as private enterprises sometimes cut back on staff – now long-term job security could not always be relied on.
· The Housing Act of 1980, giving the ‘Right to Buy’ to council house tenants, was hugely successful – by 1988, around 2 million had taken advantage of the scheme.
· One reason for this was that they were given huge discounts (33%-50%): the purchase price was much lower than on the open market.
This also took power away from local councils who were mainly Labour
Success of Right to Buy scheme and consequences
· The 1980 Act is regarded as one of the most successful of all of Thatcher’s policies. It was a symbol of her success.
· Labour initially opposed this scheme but dropped its opposition because it was so popular, more with the south
· On the other hand, the ‘Right to Buy’ had many consequences.
· The sale of most council housing was in better-off areas and did not have a big impact in less desirable estates.
· Councils were ordered to use profits to reduce debts, not build new houses.
· Subsequently, waiting lists for rented homes got longer – many were housed temporarily in B&Bs which was expensive for the councils.
· Such problems caused ‘Right to Buy’ to be terminated in Scotland in 2005.
Why did industrial disputes become more common?
· By 1975, local wildcat strikes became much more common.
· Union bosses were losing control and came under pressure from younger radical activists.
· The public sector strikes in the winter of discontent were a symbol of these changes.
· The role of unions became constrained as employers tried to keep union members out of their workplaces.
· 1980 Secondary Picketing was outlawed and in 1984, unions were put under pressure to hold ballots before strike action was called
Impact on Communities of Industrial Disputes
· Examples of TU: COHSE Confederation of Health Service Employees) and NUPE (National Union of Public Employees)
· Newspaper proprietors went all out to reduce power of the print unions, led by press baron Rupert Murdoch.
· Workers found their skills not in demand as they were replaced by mechanisation.
· The defeat of the NUM reduced the influence of the whole union movement.
· Old certainties of the working class were being eroded away, as was their way of life in their communities.
· There was high male unemployment; in many homes, women became the main breadwinner.
There were also increased problems of ill health, depression, alcoholism and drugs.
What was the miners strike, 1984-85?
· There were numerous confrontations between miners and the police.
· The biggest battle was the Battle of Orgreave in the early phases of the strike.
• Mass picket of the coke plant at Orgreave by 5000 miners faced by 8000 police officers -> 50 picketers and 70 police injured. -> long controversy over police brutality
· The outcome of Scargill’s attempt to prevent pit closures was an utter failure.
· Coal industry employment fell from 200,000 (1979) to 60,000 (1990) and still falling.
Limitations of Scargill
· Arthur Scargill launched the miners’ strike to prevent downsizing of the coal industry
· He never got the support of Labour leadership so it was easy for Thatcher to demonise Scargill as a dangerous revolutionary
• Neil Kinnock commented: “The miners didn’t deserve him, they deserved much, much better. My view is that Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill deserved each other.”
What was the social impact of the miners’ strike?
· A myth about the coal industry was the fierce loyalty and solidarity between miners – in fact, there had always been intense regional rivalries within the NUM.
· The strike launched in 1984 was never genuinely a national strike – no national strike ballot was ever held.
· The important Nottinghamshire coalfield with about 30,000 miners refused to join and eventually formed a moderate breakaway union, the Union of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM).
· Scargillites accused the UDM of being traitors; the UDM accused Scargill of caring more about hard-left politics than the interests of the miners he was leading.
Conclusion of the miners’ strike
· The last months of the strike were particularly demoralising.
· There was a steady drift back to work while hard core strikers relied on charitable handouts.
· The failure of the strike almost certainly made the pit closure programme happen quicker than it would have done.
· By 1990, total union membership was 2/3 if what it had been and negotiation power was greatly reduced
· The defeat of the strike was seen as a defining moment of Thatcherism, Norman Tebbit reflected on the strike “had the Thatcher government been broken and the craven Mr Kinnock been installed in office by Scargill’s thugs Britain would have been a grim place indeed”.
What was the poll tax and why was it introduced?
· Thatcher’s final attempt to reform local government finances, aimed to make local councils more accountable to their electors by ensuring that everyone contributed. - belief that if everyone contributed it would be fairer and they thought councils would be forced to be more efficient
· Eventually, ministers struggled to justify why the poor had to pay the same amount as a millionaire and it was extremely unpopular amongst the public
· The poll tax was tested in Scotland which had already been damaged by deindustrialisation and recession - further harm to Conservative party
What were the anti-poll tax riots?
· Thatcher was determined to push it through despite being advised to drop the policy
· A huge demonstration was planned in 1990 in Trafalgar Square.
· Around 200,000 to 250,000 turned up – only 60,000 were expected to attend.
· The square got overcrowded and fights and scuffles broke out.
· The disturbances escalated into a major riot.
· Nearly 5,000 were injured, mostly rioters, but numerous police officers too.
· Cars were set on fire and shop windows were smashed, followed by mass looting.
· Over 300 were arrested – the police were seen to have lost control.
There were more criticisms about the politicisation of the police and the event was compared to the Battle of Orgreaves.
Extra-Parliamentary reponse from Education and Arts
· Oxford University voted against giving Thatcher an honorary degree because of cuts to public spending in higher education
· Artistic establishment was anti-Thatcher for the same reason
· Playwrights such as Caryl Churchill, David Hare and Alan Ayckbourn wrote plays that satirised Thatcherism
· TV programmes like ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ showed the social consequences of Thatcherite policies
Spitting Image and Private Eye continued a barrage of satire, mostly (but not quite always) critical of Thatcher.
Extra-Parliamentary reponse from The Church
· The Church of England, often seen as part of the Establishment, intervened in the public debate over social breakdown.
The document Faith and the City produced in 1985 was seen as a criticism of Thatcher’s government and was seen as ‘interfering in politics’.
