Workbook 2- Harold Wilson And White Heat. 1964-1970 Flashcards
Harold Wilson’s leadership - Differences
Wilson was the first Prime Minister to have been educated at a state school
Middle class / Smoked a pipe
Accent (Yorkshire)
Appeared more relaxed in public
Harold Wilson’s leadership - Industrial relations and trade unions
Strikes in 1966 and 1967 by Seamen and Dockers had caused serious problems for Labour.
Many strikes were ‘wild cat’ strikes— organised by local activists who could not be controlled by Trade Union bosses .
Wilson asked Barbara Castle to write a ‘white paper on how Labour could use the law to limit strikes’.
‘In Place of Strife’ (1969) proposed a 28-day ‘cooling off’ period before a strike went ahead and strike ballots could be imposed.
The unions and Left of the Labour Party hated these terms.
Protest from Jack Jones, leader of the TGWU; supported by Home Secretary, James Callaghan & at least 50 Labour MPs.
Wilson gave in after months of disputes- TUC negotiated a compromise in June 1969 but it was humiliating for the government.
Harold Wilson’s leadership - The beginning of the Troubles in Northern Ireland
Civil rights marches held in 1968 to protest against discrimination of Catholics.
IRA= organisation that fought for independence; it did not accept the partition of N. Ireland.
Large riot from 12-14 August 1969.
Catholics complained the RUC failed to protect them.
Loyalists Apprentice Boys—annual march in Derry - attacked Nationalists in the Catholic area of Bogside (Apprentice Boys-Loyalist).
RUC tried to storm the Bogside but were held back by two days of rioting.
Stormont government in response offered concessions on housing and electoral boundaries-riots from Loyalists.
In August 1969, Wilson government sent in British troops in an attempt to keep the peace.
Harold Wilson’s leadership - Labour’s economic policies and problems
Labour inherited a budget deficit of £800 million from the Conservatives in 1964.
One solution to this problem was devaluation- but Wilson and James Callaghan, the chancellor, did not.
Harold Wilson’s Leadership- Similarities
Private insecurity and worry (Eden, Wilson)
Still had an Oxford education
Worked his way through the party
Didn’t fight in WWIl (civil servant instead)
Arguments for devaluation
It would support the value of the pound and prevent inflation
It solves the balance of payments problem
Discourages imports
Encourages exports
Arguments against devaluation
Was the old ‘stop-go’ approach - Labour did not want this.
Fears it would stop the Labour party from meeting manifesto commitments.
Make the UK look weaker across the world.
Worried that same reputation would be given to Labour as the Attlee government.
People’s wages would have less purchase power.
Would eventually lead to strike action.
Solution for the devaluation debate
Rather than devalue, Labour set up the Department for Economic Affairs in October 1964, led by George Brown (gifted but alcoholic politician).
Brown made a national plan that was designed to control inflation, this along with Wilson’s other modernising policies was enough for Labour to win an impressive victory in the 1966 general election
However, by 1965 there was a run on the pound, and by 1967 Brown’s national plan had been abandoned and Labour were again considering devaluation.
What is a ‘run on the pound’?
When a businessman in the UK begins to perceive that the pound’s value is falling, usually because of a political shift (like Brexit), financial traders begin to panic and think it’s not in their best interest to own sterling.
So they sell what they have to limit potential loss.
This leads to the value of the sterling to begin to drop.
Aftermath of devaluation
Devaluation damaged Labour for a number of reasons:
They had publicly tried so hard to avoid it, so it looked like a major failure
Trade Unions were angered by Wilsons attempts to blame them for the crisis.
Jim Callaghan resigned and was replaced by Roy Jenkins.
Jenkins used deflationary tactics- he raised taxes and reduced government spending.
By 1969 the government had achieved a balance surplus, although unemployment was still around 12%.
Wilson’s reasons for devaluation
Wilson did not want to accept loans from foreign countries- not prepared to sell Britain’s independence and have loans with restrictions.
Blamed conservatives for £800 million deficit.
Still paying for Suez.
Doc Strike-Dockers strike in 1967.
Blames speculators ‘run on the pound’.
Blaming conservative defence expenditure.
Easier for exporters.
Purchase more British products- increase industry more jobs/ because imports increased.
Because food prices increased, he asks the people not to demand wage rises or strike as a result.
Liberalising laws during Wilson’s premiership
Roy Jenkins (Home Secretary from 1965 to 1967) keen on creating a civilised society= freedom of choice (lifestyle and career), tolerant, promote happiness
• Abortion Act 1967-legalised abortion within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy
• Divorce Reform Act 1969 made a ‘no fault’ divorce possible- previously needed to show partner was guilty of adultery, cruelty, desertion, or cohabitation - divorce still carried social stigma
Murder Act 1969 - abolished death penalty for murder
Sexual Offences Act 1967 - decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men - both had to be over the age of 21.
Position of women
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Second Wave Feminism began to emerge in Britain and in the USA
• Second wave Feminism started to question the nature of the patriarchal society, largely sparked by Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique
• Most liberalising laws gave women more freedom and opportunities, but their impact was limited during the 1960s - gender stereotypes continued
• The Pill’ was an oral contraception in 1961-it was free to married women on the
NHS from 1971
• The Family Planning Act in 1967 extended provision to single women
• Women were being paid on average 75% of the wage that men were getting for doing the same job.
Scientific developments
• TV: Became available everywhere - by 1961 75% of the population had a TV in their home and by 1971 it was 91%
• BBC2 was launched in 1964 - in 1967 it became the first channel to show colour programmes
• Radio: BBC pop music stations introduced on radio
• Aerospace: development of the jet engine to power commercial aircraft in the 1950s.
• Low costing, long range travel-revolutionised leisure opportunities for British people
• Cars: There was an extraordinary growth in the number of cars on British roads
• The first stretch of M1 motorway was opening in 1959
• In the later 1960’s the total length of railway lines was reduced from 13,000 miles to 9,000 miles
Youth culture
• Some young people were unwilling to accept their parent’s values and standards
• Growing affluence enabled some young people to feel more independent
• Young people had more personal time= new labour-saving services (like washing machines and refrigerators) meant girls did not need to help their mothers at home as much, and boys no longer had to take part in National Service after 1960
• Some teenagers turned to politics or drugs as a form of rebellion
• By 1967 half of women’s clothes made in Britain were sold to women aged 15 to 19.
• Young people often listened to new rock’n’roll bands e.g. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones - new venues like nightclubs created so they could dance to these songs
• Physical clashes between mods and rockers e.g. Brighton and Margate 1964.
Permissiveness and censorship
• There was a large change in British social attitudes - fuelled by the ‘swinging sixties’ and ‘youth rebellion’
• Lady Chotterley’s Lover-explicit sexual novel written in 1928, was not allowed to be published because of its contents- Penguin Books were finally given permission in 1960 after a trial in court
• Theatres Act 1968- ended theatre censorship and gave great literacy freedoms to the performing arts
• British Board of Film Censors broadened what was acceptable on screen
Education
• The Tripartite system in the 1940s had failed by the 1960s
• Secondary moderns were seen as places to “dump” its 11+ failures (usually working class) while grammar schools usually contained middle class students
• 1 in 10 students were in comprehensive schools in 1964
• Tony Crossland-Education Secretary from 1965
• 1145 comprehensive schools by 1970
• Expansion of higher education - 30 polytechnics and 56 universities by 1968
• Open University established in 1969 - attracted women, the disadvantaged and mature students - most were part-time
Race and immigration
2 Race Relations Acts in 1965 and 1968- they were responsible for:
1. Banning racial discrimination in public places, employment, and housing
2. Making incitement to racial hatred an offence
3. Setting up a Race Relations Board to investigate discrimination
4. Setting up community Relations commission to promote understanding between ethnic groups
The Commonwealth Immigration Act 1968 prohibited immigrants from settling in Britain unless they had previous family connections
Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech 1968 - ¾ of the population agreed with him at the time
The Race Relations Act, supposed to limit discrimination in practice turned out to be largely ineffective.
Notting Hill Carnival- improved community relations and encouraged people to mix socially
Leisure
• TV rapidly replaced cinema as a means of entertainment
• Increase in car ownership allowed for more leisure activities
• Sporting events-football, rugby, and cricket
• 1955—90% of British workers had a two-week annual paid holiday
• Seaside holiday camps such as Butlin’s were the main destinations for working class families
• As disposable income grew, holidays abroad became possible
What were the main features of the 1970 election?
• Wilson was confident of winning with a 12.4% lead over the Conservatives in the 1969 opinion polls.
• The Labour government was expected to win, but ultimately lost. The Conservatives won with a majority of 43 seats.
What were the Conservatives’ policies in the 1970 election?
• End of lame-duck industries.
• Industrial relations law reforms.
• Curbing the power of trade unions.
• More restrictive on immigration.
• Reducing government intervention in the economy.
What were the Labour policies in the 1970 election?
• Economic recovery.
• Full employment.
• Continue government intervention in the economy.
• Continue with the nationalization of industries.
• Improve social welfare and public services.
What signalled the end of the post-war consensus by 1970?
• Growing economic problems.
• Declining support for the welfare state.
• Increasing support for more conservative policies.
• Rising unemployment and inflation.
• Frustration with the government’s failure to deliver on promises.
What was the stance of Wilson on foreign relations, particularly with the USA and EEC?
• Wilson maintained the special relationship with the USA but resisted pressure to send British troops to Vietnam.
• Divided within the Labour Party over the UK’s application to the EEC.
