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’
