Why Were The Conservatives Able To Dominate British Politics For So Long Flashcards
After the 1951 election how long and when were the Conservatives in power?
13 years (1951-1964)
How many Prime Minister during the conservative domination after WW2?
4
Why did Britain have better industrial growth after WW2?
The higher levels of industrial output and increase in trade after WW2 and the Korean War
How much of Britain’s share of the world trade shrank after WW2 under the Conservatives, and compared to other nations?
from 25% to 15%, while Germany’s grew from 7% to 20%
How can Britain’s decline in world trade be accounted for?
Britain’s high defence expenditure, with less money going on research and defence, and the government failing to modernise state and traditional industries
In Terms of GDP, how much did Britain spend on defence?
10% of its GDP
What did Britain spend 34.5% of funds for research and development on?
Maintaining military bases and an independent nuclear arms program
What did many Labour critics call this Conservative period?
‘thirteen wasted years’
What was the GDP growth rates, in percentage growth, in this period?
Italy - 5.6%
Germany - 5.1%
France - 4.3%
Britain - 2.3%
What had an continuous rise during this period?
Living standards
What was the average weekly wage in 1951 for an adult?
£8.30
What was the average weekly wage in 1964 for an adult?
£18.35
What did wages rise faster than during this time period?
Prices
What were chancellors able to do before both 1955 and 1959 elections?
Cut income tax (1955: 2.5p, 1959: 3.75p)
What is examples of the increasing purchasing power of the electorate?
500% rise in car ownership, and tv ownership went from 4% to 91% during this time
What did the improvement in living standard create a greater availability of?
Credit, for people to borrow money
How many house did the Conservatives build during this period?
1.7 million homes
What did the 1957 Rent Act do?
Abolished rent controls, leading to more houses to rent but rising rent prices
What is the number of people who owned property before WW2 and 1964:
Pre WW2: 25%
1964: 44%
Who was the chancellor during 1951 to 1955?
R.A. Butler
How much did spending on the Welfare State in terms of GDP during this period?
1951: 16.1%
1964: 19.3%
What was the term for the similar economic policies of conservatives and labour parties at the time?
‘Butskellism’ (named after R.A. Butler and Gaitskell)
How did the conservative attempt to control inflation or deflation?
Using interest rates and import controls
What did many commentators suggest the overall economic policy was?
‘Stop-go’
What economic hardship happened at the second half of the period?
Stagflation
What is a key reason for industries such as textiles and shipbuilding declining?
Not enough direct investment into industries
Which industries were expanding during this period but their production cost were high and uncompetitive in the export market?
Aircrafts, cars and chemicals
What level of unemployment did the Conservatives never get below?
250,000 people unemployed
What is some key unemployment figures for the period?
1951: 367,000
1952: 468,000
1956: 297,000
1957: 383,000
1959: 621,000
1961: 419,000
1963: 878,000
1964: 501,000
What had WW2 done for class distinctions?
Weakened and blurred class distinctions
What did the conservatives build more of than labour in the second half of the 20th century?
Comprehensive schools
Which report in 1963 wanted to expand universities and provide larger grants so that’s students were not deterred by lack of funds?
Robbins Report
Which act accelerated the end of the death penalty?
1957 Homicide Act
How many more schools and universities were built in this time?
6000 schools and 11 universities
