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History - Britain Transformed > The Rise of consensus politics and political challenges, 1945-79 > Flashcards

The Rise of consensus politics and political challenges, 1945-79 Flashcards

1
Q

What did Labour win in July 1945?

A

A landslide victory- first one since 1935 general election

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2
Q

What was the post-war consensus?

A

Political principles which all parties (mainly) agreed on

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3
Q

What were aspects of the post-war consensus?

A
  • The continuation of centralised economic planning / gov. involvement
  • Welfare state / NHS
  • Goal is full employment and equal opportunities
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4
Q

When did the post-war consensus end?

A

In the 1970s, with the conservative government

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5
Q

What was Churchill’s approach to the 1945 election?

A
  • Churchill believed he would be rewarded by a grateful British public for his wartime service.
  • His manifesto focussed heavily on foreign policy.
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6
Q

What were the attitudes towards the Conservatives and Churchill?

A
  • Bitter memories of Conservative pre-war governments and economic hardship.
  • Churchill’s claims that a post-war Labour government would rely on a ‘gestapo’ in order to police its planned social reforms.
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7
Q

What was Labour’s approach to the 1945 election?

A

Labour manifesto was ‘Let us face the future’, promised action on housing, jobs, social security and a national health service.

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8
Q

What was the result of the 1945 election?

A

Resulted in a landslide victory for Labour.

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9
Q

What reforms did Labour put in place in it 1945-51 government?

A
  • Establishment of NHS
  • National Insurance Act
  • National Assistance Act
  • Housing Act 1949
  • Education Act 1944
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10
Q

What was the Housing Act 1949?

A

Extended local authority’s powers to build public sector housing for all income groups.

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11
Q

What happened to Labour in the 1950 election?

A

Its majority was slashed to just five seats, despite polling over one and a half million more votes than the Cons.

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12
Q

What industries did Labour gov. nationalise?

A

Coal mining
Shipbuilding
Railways
NHS

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13
Q

What did the government struggle with, and how did it deal?

A

Economic costs from war
–> government continued with wartime austerity and rationing

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14
Q

What caused Labour to lose some seats in 1950?

A

1949 House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act
–> Redraw constituency boundaries

AND, lost some middle class voters

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15
Q

How many people perceived themselves as working class from 1931-1951?

A

78% down to 72%

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16
Q

What was the problem with austerity?

A

The Labour Party seemed unable to revive Britain’s struggling economy in the immediate post-war years.

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17
Q

What was the dissatisfaction with taxation?

A

The standard rate of taxation in 1949 was 45% and the top rate of marginal tax for high earners was 90%.

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18
Q

What was the dissatisfaction of rationing which tainted the Labour Party?

A

Wartime food and fuel rationing continued after the war, with some items becoming rationed in peacetime.

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19
Q

Why did Labour lose the 1951 General Election?

A

Attlee could not control the Labour government.
Many respected ministers died.
Internal division about budget cuts

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20
Q

What war did the Labour gov. involve in?

A

The Korean War, 1950.
RESULTED IN:
- big increase in military spending
- ‘Austerity budget’
- Prescription charges for opticians and dentistry

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21
Q

What did the Conservative manifesto say in 1951?

A

Offered to preserve the main features of the welfare state and return the country to prosperity

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22
Q

What is ‘butskellism’?

A

The term used to describe the economic and welfare policies associated with the post-war consensus

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23
Q

Who led the Conservative government between 1951-55?

A

Churchill, just as the final wartime rations and restrictions came to an end.

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24
Q

What was the issue with Churchill?

A

Acted more as a ‘caretaker’ prime minister, while the ministers within his government gradually came to prominence.

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25
Q

Who replaced Churchill in 1955?

A

Anthony Eden, with an impressive wartime record as Churchill’s foreign minister.

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26
Q

What was Britain’s unemployment rate in July 1955?

A

Had the lowest unemployment figures in recent history, only 215,000 people unemployed. Only 1% of the population.

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27
Q

What foreign policy disaster forced Eden out of office?

A

The Suez Crisis.

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28
Q

What was Britain’s influence over Egypt?

A

Maintained presence in Egypt to protect the Suez Canal (part owned by Britain and France), which was its route to India.

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29
Q

What was the canal used for after India’s independence in 1947?

A

Used as a means of shipping oil to Britain, Europe and America.

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30
Q

What did the nationalist president of Egypt state?

A

Gamal Abdul Nasser stated that the canal should be in Egyptian hands.

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31
Q

What was President Nasser willing to do to get the canal in Egyptian hands?

A

Was willing to pay British shareholders a fair price for it.

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32
Q

What was Eden’s reaction to President Nasser’s statement?

A

Reacted with suspicion and hostility.

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33
Q

What did Nasser do on 26 July 1956?

A

Nasser occupied the Canal Zone, his close relationship with the USSR convinced the British that the canal would fall into Soviet hands.

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34
Q

What did France and Isreal do after this occupation of the Canal Zone?

A

Invited Britain to take part in an invasion of the Suez Canal Zone, Eden agreed in secret to participate.

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35
Q

What motivated Eden to participate in the invasion?

A
  • Desire not to be humiliated by Nasser.
  • Knew his standing in the Conservative Party depended on presenting a strong image as an international statesman.
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36
Q

What happened after the invasion?

A

US President Eisenhower, who as unaware of the invasion, reacted angrily and felt deceived.

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37
Q

What did Eisenhower threaten to do to Britain?

A

To sell America’s reserves of British currency and collapse the value of the pound.

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38
Q

What did Britain do after this threat?

A

Faced with possibility of economic crisis, Britain was forced to withdraw and Eden resigned in Jan 1957.

39
Q

What was the impact of the Suez Canal Crisis?

A

Significant reduction in British world power and a recognition it could no longer act independently without seeking US approval.

40
Q

What made the Macmillan government (1957-63) popular?

A

A mixed economy, rising living standards, low unemployment and declining social inequality.

41
Q

Who was unhappy with the Macmillan government?

A

In 1959 Chancellor Peter Thorneycroft, Treasury Minister Nigel Birch and Financial Secretary to the Treasury Enoch Powell all resigned.

42
Q

Why was there dissent on the right?

A
  • Believed that Macmillan’s government was spending too much and storing up economic problems for the future.
43
Q

What policies upset members on the right of the Conservative Party?

A

Convinced inflation, not unemployment posed the greatest threat to the economy.

44
Q

What policies did these members on the right suggest?

A
  • Spending cuts
  • Tax rises
  • End to subsidies to nationalised industries
45
Q

What was the impact of the dissent from the right?

A
  • Embarrassment to the government
  • Little impression on the wider public as it was a time of low unemployment and low inflation.
46
Q

What was happening to the Conservatives by 1962?

A

Popularity was declining.

47
Q

What was the issue with Macmillan’s government?

A
  • Macmillan’s privileged background
  • Large number of upper-class cabinet members (35 former Etonians).
48
Q

How was Macmillan’s government perceived?

A

People perceived the Conservatives as out of touch.

49
Q

Why was Britain facing some economic problems at this time?

A

Due to the dramatic increase in consumer spending.

50
Q

What was the issue Macmillan faced?

A

Needed to demonstrate that he was in control of his government.

51
Q

What was the ‘Night of the Long Knives’?

A

When Macmillan sacked seven ministers from his cabinet and replaced them with younger men.

52
Q

How was Macmillan viewed after this?

A

Briefly perceived as ruthless, but it demonstrated to the public he was capable of taking action.

53
Q

Who was John Vassall?

A

Was a naval attache at the British embassy in Moscow between 1952 and 1962.

54
Q

What happened to Vassall?

A

He was blackmailed by the KGB- the security agency for the USSR.

55
Q

What did Vassall do?

A

Passed on large quantities of top-secret info on the British Royal Navy.

56
Q

How was Vassall caught?

A

Caught when Soviet spies defected to the West and gave MI6 Vassall’s name.

57
Q

Who was Harold Philby?

A

One of Britain’s most senior intelligence agents, he was the head of British Counter Intelligence.

58
Q

What did Harold Philby do?

A

Defected to the USSR, and had been under suspicion of spying for the USSR since the 50s.

59
Q

What did Macmillan do about Philby while he was Foreign Secretary?

A
  • Publicly announced that he had investigated Philby and exonerated him.
  • Hugely embarrassing after it was revealed Philby had defected to the USSR.
60
Q

How was Philby revealed?

A

Not until 1968 that he held such an important office in MI6, due to the Official Secrets Act.

61
Q

Who was John Profumo?

A

The government’s Secretary of State for war.

62
Q

What did John Profumo do?

A

Admitted to having had an affair with Christine Keeler.

63
Q

What was the problem with Christine Keeler?

A

She had also had a relationship with a Russian attache, Yevgeny Ivanov, the press focused on the spy angle (not likely though).

64
Q

Who was Alec Douglas-Home?

A

Macmillan’s replacement in 1963, suffered an image problem that would damage the Conservative’s chances in the next election.

65
Q

Who was Harold Wilson?

A

Been the leader of the Labour Party for a year before he won the election in 1964.

66
Q

How did Harold Wilson present the Labour Party in the 1964 election?

A

As meritocratic and classless, comparing it to public perceptions of the Conservatives.

67
Q

What were the problems Wilson faced?

A

Discovered in his first few days of office that Britain’s economic problems were much worse than they thought.

68
Q

What was the budget deficit that had been left by the Conservatives?

A

£800 million.

69
Q

Why was there such a huge budget deficit?

A

The previous chancellor of the exchequer had delivered generous tax cuts and spending promises.

70
Q

What did Wilson have to do to stick with his commitments?

A

Devalue the pound.

71
Q

What would devaluing the pound do?

A

Would have allowed the British government to pay off its debts more easy and aided exports.

72
Q

Why did Wilson not want to devalue the pound?

A

He did not want Labour to be seen as the party of devaluation.

73
Q

What did Wilson have to do in 1967?

A

Forced to devalue the pound.

74
Q

What did this devaluing of the pound mean?

A

Was a huge embarrassment for the government and led to the resignation of Callaghan as chancellor.

75
Q

What happened in 1966?

A

A second general election, Wilson got the majority he needed.

76
Q

What social and educational reforms did Wilson’s government achieve?

A
  • A series of new universities and polytechnics were built.
  • The Open University was established
  • The laws on abortion, homosexuality and the death penalty were liberalised.
77
Q

Why did Harold Wilson’s government decline in popularity during the end of the 1960s?

A

As unemployment began to steadily grow and the number of days lost to strikes increased.

78
Q

What was Wilson’s worry?

A

Became increasingly suspicious of government ministers who were popular in the party or with trade unions that would replace him.

79
Q

What happened in 1969 in Wilson’s party?

A
  • Legislation to curb the numbers of unofficial strikes was proposed by Barbara Castle.
  • Wilson feared that Callaghan might use this to replace him.
80
Q

What was a consequence of this legislation not being passed?

A

Britain endured a decade of rising strikes and union unrest.

81
Q

What was the aim of Edward Heath’s government (1970-74)?

A

Sought to break with the post-war consensus on the size of the state and the commitment to full employment.

82
Q

What did Heath do after his election victory?

A

Began to introduce the policies from the Selsdon meeting.

83
Q

What did Heath believe in?

A

Believed that by removing the state from people’s lives they would become more enterprising.

84
Q

What was the first budget of the Heath government like?

A

Featured tax cuts and government spending cuts.

85
Q

What was the impact of the budget?

A

Failed to cure Britain’s growing economic problems and fuelled inflation.

86
Q

What was Heath forced to do?

A

Forced to take a U-turn on his policies and had to increase intervention in the economy.

87
Q

What was Heath’s biggest problem?

A

The government’s relationship with trade unions.

88
Q

What had Heath’s party endured by 1974?

A

Heath’s government had endured two miners’ strike and he faced criticism from both the opposition and his own party.

89
Q

What was the ‘Selsdon Group’ that was formed?

A
  • Was dedicated to introducing free market policies and reducing state intervention.
  • Formed by several Conservative MPs.
90
Q

What happened after the second miner’s strike (1973-74)?

A

Heath declared a state of emergency and a three-day week, he called a general election in Feb 1974.

91
Q

What was Heath’s approach to the election?

A

Wanted the election to be a referendum on union power and asked the question ‘Who runs Britain?’

92
Q

What was the result of the election?

A

Heath was defeated, but the defeat of Heath did not result in widespread success for Labour.

93
Q

Who was elected in the 1974 election?

A

Wilson was elected with a minority government and forced to rely on the Liberals.

94
Q
A

History - Britain Transformed (13 decks)

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