Why did the Labour Party win the election in 1964?

Question 1

Labour party opinion poll and approval ratings of Harold Wilson in October 1963 (when Harold Macmillan resigned)?

Answer 1

12% over the Tories

60% approval rating

Question 2

No. seats won in October 1964 elections?

Answer 2

Conservative = 304
Labour = 317

Question 3

What were the 4 main reasons for Labour’s victory?

Answer 3

• Harold Wilson’s leadership of the Labour Party
• Electorate regard of Conservatives
• Revival of the Liberal Party
• Changes in British society during the 1950s

Question 4

How did Harold Wilson gloss over the divisions within the labour party?

Answer 4

Presented the party as modern, dynamic and progressive.
- Full employment
- Faster economic growth
- Improved welfare and health services
- Housing
- Better programme for comprehensive education

Question 5

What did Wilson promise to achieve?

Answer 5

‘harness science to our economic planning’ and create a ‘Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this [scientific and technological] revolution’

Question 6

How did Wilson present himself?

Answer 6

• Despite being a former Professor of Economics at Oxford University he stressed that he was different from the Old Etonians of the Tory Party.
• He stressed that he was Yorkshire-born, grammar-school boy and football fan.

Question 7

Why did Harold Wilson label 1951-64 as ‘thirteen years wasted’?

Answer 7

• Economic problems evident in 1960s.
• Tories had no solutions

Question 8

Weaknesses of Sir Alec Douglas-Home?

Answer 8

• Scottish aristocrat
• Fourteenth Earl of Home
• Gave up his peerage to become Prime Minister October 1963.
• 60 years old in 1963 vs Harold Wilson at 47-years

Question 9

Evidence of the Liberal Party overturning Conservative votes?

Answer 9

• Orpington 1962
  Conservative majority of 14,700 was overturned by victorious Liberal candidate who won 7850 majority.
• 1959 - 64, Liberals doubled their votes but gained only 3 more seats.

Question 10

Liberal impact for Labour victory?

Answer 10

• Took conservative votes in Dover, Wellingborough and Bolton East.

Question 11

By how much did labour votes decrease between 1959 and October 1964?

Answer 11

9724

Question 12

Development of the fashion industry in 1950s?

Answer 12

Nylon (stretchy fabric) was more comfortable.
Polyester was easy to print designs on.

Question 13

Development of music?

Answer 13

Transistor (record players)
- Eg. Dansette

Question 14

Films released in 1950s?

Answer 14

• Dracula (1958)
• The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
• Scrooge (1951)

Question 15

How close was the election?

Answer 15

• If 900 votes had gone to Conservatives instead of Labour, Conservatives would have won.

Question 16

How far ahead were Labour than Conservatives in voting after Profumo June 1963?

Answer 16

20%

Question 17

Reputations of Douglas-Home vs Wilson?

Answer 17

Douglas-Home - modest and decent
Wilson - Political cunning

Question 18

Who was Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1963?

Answer 18

Reginald Maudling

Question 19

Actions of Reginald Maudling as Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Answer 19

• Cut taxes in 1963
• This contributed to a trade deficit of £800 million
• This also narrowed gap between parties as earnings rose and unemployment dropped from almost 900,000 (Feb 1963) to 300,000 (July 1964)

Question 20

How did the Conservatives appeal in Smethwick near Birmingham?

Answer 20

Ran an overly racist campaign.
- Turned 3500 Labour majority to a Tory victory of 1700 votes.
Immigration was sensitive

Question 21

Why were people less enthralled by Labour?

Answer 21

• Party had no commitment to Nationalisation
• Still divisions