unit 3: why were the conservatives able to dominate british politics for so long? Flashcards
1
Q
how important was the economy?
A
- industrial growth was very low during the war so economic growth was inevitable; growth helped the conservatives
- the aftermath of the korean war also saw an increase in trade
- britain’s growth rate was not as impressive as that of italy and germany
- britain’s share of world trade shrank from 25% to 15% whilst germany’s grew from 7% to 20%
- some of this can be attributed to britain’s defence expenditure, which amounted to 10% of its GDP. the high cost of maintaining military bases and independent nuclear arms programme meant that 34.5% of funds for research and development was spent on defence rather than providing funds for industrial growth
2
Q
how was the party criticised?
A
- labour party referred to their policies limiting industrial growth as ‘13 wasted years’
- criticising for failing to modernise staple and traditional industries and instead prioritised investment overseas and maintaining a strong sterling area. (the countries that had the British pound as their reserve currency such as commonwealth countries).
- the government justified this by saying that people spent their money on consumer good rather than investing it and industry was disrupted by strike action. but, the number of hours lost to strikes was fewer than most countries
3
Q
how did wages and living contribute to conservative success?
A
- wages rose faster than prices so people were able to buy more with the money they earned
- in 1951 the average weekly wage of an adult was £8.30, but by 1964 it had risen to £18.35
- chancellors were able to cut income tax before 1955 and 1959 elections, reducing by the equivalent of 2.5p and by 3.75p in 1959
- helped increase the amount of money people had to spend: feel good factor
- 500% rise in car ownership
- labour saving white goods e.g washing machines also rose
4
Q
how did credit contribute to conservative success?
A
- borrow money and make small monthly repayments spread over a number of years
- able to purchase items that they couldn’t in the past
- tax cuts, a consumer boom began and many were able to go on holiday abroad
5
Q
how did economic policy contribute to conservative success?
A
- chancellorship of RA Butler from 1951-1955
> increased borrowing allowed government expenditure: health, education and housing - the welfare state: increase in spending
> GDP rose from 16.1% in 1951 to 19.3% in 1964 - government attempted to achieve full employment
- avoid high inflation of deflation, using interest rates and import controls to manage the economy
> increased if wages rose too quickly: import controls prevented purchases from abroad
6
Q
how did housing policy contribute to conservative success?
A
- government had promised to build 300,000 new houses per year
> 354,000 in 1954, 1.7 million homes while in office - 1957 rent act: abolished rent controls. waiting lists for housing declined
7
Q
how did unemployment contribute to conservative success?
A
- overall trend was upward and government were never able to get the figure below 250,000
- inflation and unemployment
- ## the former was partially controlled by taxes and interest rates, but the latter was more difficult
8
Q
how important was social policy?
A
- the second world war had brought massive social changes to which the conservatives needed to adapt, particularly after their election defeat in 1945.
- the war had weakened and blurred class distinctions, and this was further reinforced by both the creation of the welfare state and the growing affluence of the 1950s and 1960s.
- in many ways they were able to adapt to these changes by increasing spending on welfare and building more houses, as well as introducing changes to the education system.
- the three tier secondary education system of grammar, technical and secondary modern schools had only served to reinforce class divisions.
- although many conservatives, particularly at a local level, disliked the comprehensive system, party policy accepted it.
- the minister for education, edward boyle, pushed for the abolition of the 11 plus and the first comprehensive schools were constructed under the conservatives.
- more comprehensive schools were opened in the second half of the 20th century under the conservative than under labour: a sign not only of official conservative acceptance of change, but also of the consensus between the two main parties.
- this change was taken even further in 1963 with the robbins report which attempted to take the comprehensive principles into higher education by expanding universities and providing larger grants so that students were not deterred by lack of funds.
9
Q
what was the impact of this policy?
A
- the greatest impact was in the field of education with over 6000 new schools and 11 universities built
- there were some liberal reforms carried out by butler as home secretary, most notably the 1957 homicide act, which greatly accelerated the process which ended the death penalty
- however, in the social field the list of achievements, particularly when compared to the previous labour governments, appears limited, despite the dramatic improvement in the supply of housing
10
Q
how important was leadership in maintaining power?
A
the conservative party had four different leaders during the period from 1951-1964:
- winston churchill won the 1951 election, having lost in both 1945 and 1950
- anthony eden won the 1955 election
- harold macmillan won the election in 1959
- alec douglas home lost the 1964 election
however, the election results alone are not enough to judge the qualities of their leadership. Both eden and douglas home served as prime ministers for only a short time: eden was forced out by public opinion, following the suez crisis, within a year of increasing the conservative majority; and douglas-home lasted just under a year before electoral defeat. How important were the leaders in maintaining conservative power?
