Why were the Conservatives under Major so badly defeated in 1997?

Question 1

Why did Major lack authority?

Answer 1

The majority of Conservatives just didn’t want Heseltine

Thatcher’s supporters voted for him because she appeared to mark him out as her successor

Limited experience

Question 2

Who did he appeal to?

Answer 2

Those tired of Thatcher

Question 3

What was ridiculed in the media?

Answer 3

His uncharismatic personality

Question 4

What did he gain some credit for and why?

Answer 4

The unexpected victory in the April 1992 election

His vigorous campaigning won him admiration

Question 5

What happened to the Conservative majority?

Answer 5

Slashed to 21 seats

Question 6

What was the unemployment rate in 1992?

Answer 6

Close to 3 million

Question 7

What did the Eurosceptics loathe?

Answer 7

What happened to the Conservative majority and what problems did it give him?

Question 8

What was there a sizable section of?

Answer 8

Members of the party who believed that Britain should play its full part in Europe

Question 9

What happened in December 1991?

Answer 9

Maastricht Treaty where members committed themselves to full integration

Question 10

What did Major succeed in doing?

Answer 10

Negotiating opt-outs from the Social Chapter and the euro

Question 11

What did he have a fierce battle doing and what did he face

Answer 11

Securing ratification of the Treaty, facing an alliance between sceptics and Labour

Question 12

What did rebels succeed in doing?

Answer 12

Twice inflicting defeats on the government

Question 13

What did Major have to do?

Answer 13

Force the bill through parliament by telling his MPs that, unless they voted in favour, the government would resign

Question 14

What happened to the pound?

Answer 14

Fell sharply as bankers sold it at its artificially high rate

Question 15

What did Major and Lamnt do?

Answer 15

Tried unsuccessfully to sustain the pound’s values by pushing up interest rates to 10%

Getting the BOE to buy pounds

Question 16

What happened on 16 September and what was the impact?

Answer 16

Withdrew from the ERM

Ruined the Conservatives’ reputation for sound economic management

Emboldened the Eurosceptics

Interest rates rose to 12% and later 15%

Question 17

What was Major severely weakened by?

Answer 17

Public displays of dissent

Didn’t sack dissenting members of the Cabinet

seemed that he wasn’t in control

Question 18

What happened in July 1995?

Answer 18

Held a leadership election, telling MPs ‘back me or sack me’

Challenged by Redwood

Won but 1/3 of the party didn’t vote for him, emphasising divisions

Question 19

What had Neil Kinnock done but what happened in 1992?

Answer 19

A great deal to make the party electable, expelling members of the extreme left

Blamed for over-confidence in the 1992 election

Question 20

Who became the leader in 1994?

Answer 20

Blair

Question 21

What did he set about doing and what happened in April 1995?

Answer 21

Reconciling Labour to Thatcher’s reforms

Abolished Clause IV

Question 22

What was the party rebranded as?

Answer 22

New Labour

Question 23

Who did Blair appeal to and how?

Answer 23

Hitherto Conservative-supporting businessmen and City bankers by reassuring them about Labour policies

Question 24

Who did Labour win the support of?

Answer 24

Leading figures in the media, especially Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Sun

Question 25

What was the result of the 1997 election?

Answer 25

Labour won a majority of 179 seats, winning 43.2% of the vote

The Conservatives won 30.7% of the vote and 165 seats

Question 26

Why did the Conservatives lose?

Answer 26

Damaged by Black Wednesday

Damaged by a series of scandals despite running the Back to Basics campaign

Cash for questions: Neil Hamilton and Mohamed Al-Fayed

Time for change

Question 27

Why did Labour win?

Answer 27

Blair’s youth and optimism appealed to voters with a slick and effective media presentation

Made nonsense of the message that Labour were socialists in disguise

Question 28

What was inflation in 1990, 1995, and 1997?

Answer 28

1990: 8%

1995: 2.7%

1997: 2.2%

Question 29

What was unemployment in 1991, 1995, and 1997?

Answer 29

1991: 8.5%

1995: 8.7%

1997: 7%

Question 30

What did public spending grow by?

Answer 30

An average of 2.4% a year

Question 31

What was GDP per capita growth in 1990, 1995, and 1997?

Answer 31

1990: 18%

1995: 17.73%

1997: 9.6%

Question 32

What was the change in manufacturing output as a percentage of GDP in 1990, 1995, and 1997?

Answer 32

1990: 16.5%

1995: 15.3%

1997: 14.9%

Question 33

What was the cost of Black Wednesday?

Answer 33

£3 billion

Question 34

What happened by December 1996?

Answer 34

Majority eroded

Question 35

What happened to the Conservatives share of the intended vote in October 1992?

Answer 35

Plunged from 43% to 29%