Wilson 1st term Flashcards
When did Harold wilson become prime minister
1964
In what years were there general elections within the ’60s
1964 and 1966
What did Harold Wilson do in 1950, leading to the belief he was on the left of the labour party
resigned over prescription charges-however he also served in gaistkells rightwing cabinet leading some to think of him as an opportunist rather than a genuine idealist
Why was wilson appealing to the electorate in ‘64
he had a classless image removed from the etonian style of Eden Macmiallan and Douglas-Home-smoked a pipe and came off well on tv
Who allegedly dominated Wilsons team of advisors, in part due to wilsons own lack of confidence in his own abilities to rule
Marcia Williams who, aas part of the ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ reinforced notions of favouritism, party rivalries and conflict
What deficit did labour inherit in ‘64 and what were the two classic solutions
£800 million and devaluation or deflation
Why were deflation and devaluation neither considerd to resolve the budget deficit
deflation-old stop go economics- tried before impermanent and fears it would prevent labour meeting their spending commitments on welfare and technology
devaluation-imports more expensive-despite exports more competitive- make brtiain look weaker and harm national pride- labour would be known as the party of devalaution- attlee did it in 1949
What solution did wilson settle on to solve the budget deficit
DEA department of economic affairs-lead by George Brown-set growth targets and voluntary agreements about wages to keep inflation in check to prevent stop go policies
Why did the DEA fail
George Brown-unreliable alcoholic. no united govermental support- the DEA was in conflict the ChofExcq-callaghan and the treasury, which was traditionally anti-labour. Wilson blamed for picking people for political reasons then based on merit. DEA abandoned in 67 and Brown resigned 68.
What replaced the DEA and was it successful
Prices and incomes Board-however this faced a sterling crisis in ‘66, caused by a seamen strike which was eventualy defeated but many participants of the scheme needed to prevent wage growth were shocked by wilsons attitude to the strikers so cooperation was difficult. Frank Cousins resigns
What eventually causes devaluation and by how much
‘67 six day war in middle east- oil supplies affected+dock strike in August affecting BoP meant devaluaiton was unavoidable. Pound devalued 14% to 2.40 USD and defence cuts and higher interest rates instituted
Why did Wilson come under criticism for devaluation and his general management of the economy
He had promised not to devalue yet did exactly that in 1967. He promised lower unemployment but had to accept a higher level of joblessness in ‘70 then previous tory govts.
His pound in your pocket speech came off as patronizing and disengenious
What policies did Roy Jenkins pursue after replacing Callaghan as chancellor in ‘67
Having been in favour of devaluation since ‘64, Jenkins pursued deflationary methods, raising taxes and limited govt spending, resulting in unpopularity but by ‘69 had achieved a a surplus in the BoP though inflation was still at 12%
what did Roy Jenkins think of the EEC
Strongly in favour
What are wildcat strikes
Sudden and unofficial strikes taking place without reference to national leadership; their prevalence in the later 60s indicated a loss of traditional union leaderships control. This lead to Heath in oppostion creating the ‘Fair Deal in Work’
What % of people in the early 1960s had a favourable view of unions
~60%
Why was union cooperation necesssary for wilsons govt and how did he achieve it
For his prices and incomes policy. he appointed Frank cousisns as minister of technology, despite his dubious qualifications
What were the key clauses of ‘In place of Strife’
28 day cooling off period before strike
‘demarcation disputes’;govt could mediate between interunion disputes, the creation of an industrial relations court
in 1977 what percent of people thought jack jones, a union leader of the transport and general workers union, was the most powerful man in Britain
54%
Who was the main proponent of ‘in place of strife’
Barbara Castle
Who strongly opposed In place of strife
The left of the labour party, including at least 50 MPs, the unions, James Callaghan
When was in place of strife defeated
1969
What is an example of british technological development in the 60s, despite the economic issues
Concorde
what were the divisions within Wilsons party
Jenkins-liberalising agenda, supported devaluation, pro europe and pro trade unions
Callaghan diasgreed with literally all of Jenkins
Wilson thought jenkins and callaghan would work together to depose him, despite them hating each other, and so created further division to keep himself safe, possibly later leading to the essential collapse of labour in the 70s and 80s
Brown was mentally ill :( wilson allegedly kept records of embarassing things brown did to use as leverage
When did Ireland gain independance
1922 following the Irish war of independance 1919-21
What begain in 1964 in N.Ireland, taking inspiration from the US
The civil rights movement, as catholics were discriminated against
Which group in 1969 were attacked by irish nationalists
The Apprentice Boys, who hold an annual marge celebrating when 13 apprentice boys closed the gates of Derry to the catholics in 1688
When did Wilson send troops to Ireland to ‘keep peace’
‘69
What had begun to be questioned by the end of WIlsons govt
The post-war consensus
What speech did Enoch Powell give in 1968, which some believe resulted in increased popularity for the conservative party, despite the fact hee was expelled for it
Rivers of Blood
