Divisons within the Labour party

Question 1

What did the left of the party believe the EEC was?

Answer 1

A “Capitalist club”

Question 2

Why did the right of the Labour Party wish to join the EEC?

Answer 2

It would massively help the economy

Question 3

What issue did the Labour left raise about the EEC?

Answer 3

They believed that if the UK joined the EEC then it would have been a limiting factor for Labour’s economic and social policies moving forward.

Question 4

What did the Labour left see themselves as?

Answer 4

Peacekeepers

Question 5

Why did the Labour left opt for unilateral nuclear disarmament ?

Answer 5

They believed the UK didn’t have the funds to continue with their nucleur arsenal.

Question 6

Why did the Labour right opt for Nuclear deterrent?

Answer 6

They supported the idea of continuing with nuclear weapons to maintain the position of Britian as a world power.

Question 7

Why did the Labour right want to remove Clause IV of the party’s constituition?

Answer 7

Clause IV committed the party to nationalisation. Hugo Gaitskell wanted to remove this when he was leader of the party. The labour right wished for a mixed economy with a competitive market.

Question 8

Prominent members of the Labour left include?

Answer 8

-Aneurin Bevan
-Barbara Castle
-Tony Benn
-Michael Foot

Question 9

Prominent members of the Labour right include?

Answer 9

-Hugh Gaitskell
-Roy Jenkins
-Anthony Crosland

Question 10

Wht were the Labour left plans for trade unions?

Answer 10

They wanted them to become more powerful and gift them more powers so that they had a big grasp on the workers of the UK

Question 11

What were the Labour right plans for trade unions?

Answer 11

Sanctions and restrictions on the unions that stop them for calling strikes whenever they feel free. The main compenent of this plan was Barbara Castle’s ‘In place of Strife.’

Question 12

When did Wilson try to implement ‘In place of strife’

Answer 12

1969

Question 13

What were the post war policies that Labour followed?

Answer 13

Belief in mixed economy​

Support for NHS​

Wish to ensure full employment to avoid mass unemployment of the 30s​

Work alongside trade Unions and Employers​

Question 14

Why did Aneurin Bevan support nucleur deterrent?

Answer 14

‘It would send a foreign secretary naked into the conference-chamber’​-Bevan
​

Question 15

Who was Frank Cousins and why was he important for the issue of internal division of Labour Party?​

Answer 15

-In 1956 he, a fierce left-winger, took over the TGWU (Transport and General Workers’ Union)​

-He led opposition to Britain’s nuclear weapons​

Question 16

Why did the issue of leaders in the party lead to divisions?

Answer 16

The great wartime generation of Labour leaders were now ageing and many were in poor health.

Attlee resigned as leader of the party in 1955 therefore the stability and continuity of which he brought to the party for many years was now removed.

Question 17

What was the ideology difference between the two factions of the Labour Party?

Answer 17

LEFT= Wanted to become more socialist.
RIGHT= Happy to continue with the moderate policies of consensus politics.

Question 18

How did the 1959 election loss increase Labour divisions?

Answer 18

Though it was accepted that Gaitskell had been foolish in promising to increase pensions without raising tax, it became clear that Labour had lost the support of working men and the middle class. There were divisions in how to overcome these issues and much criticism of Gaitskell’s campaign.