Topic 6: Social (1997-2007) Flashcards

1
Q

5

Describe positives in workers’ rights (1997-2007)

A
  • Blair immediately joined EU Social Chapter (Britain followed employment and social rights policy of Europe)
  • e.g. all employees now entitled up to 3 months unpaid parental leave to care for child under the age of 8
  • New Deal programmes provided guidance, voluntary work or subsidised placements to targeted groups of unemployed - youth, elderly, disabled, single parents
  • National Minimum Wage Act 1998
  • Brown introduced means-tested tax credits for low incomes, targeted towards children and disabled
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2
Q

7

Describe negatives in workers’ rights (1997-2007)

A
  • Trade union membership continued to fall from 29% in 1997 to 26% in 2007, though decline had slowed
  • Labour retained Thatcher’s anti-union legislation
  • Outsourcing and PFI continued
  • privatisation accelerated
  • by 2004, RMT had been expelled from party because some local branches donated to more left-wing parties
  • Blair government retained ability to opt out of some EU employment legislation e.g. maximum working hours
  • New Deal programmes criticised for limited support and counter-productivity of curtailment of welfare benefits for non-participants

PFI - private finance initiatives

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3
Q

2

Describe the National Minimum Wage Act 1998

A
  • Introduced national minimum wage
  • Low Pay Commission estbalsihed to set rate (first set at £3.60 in 1999 for over 21s)
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4
Q

5

Describe positives in women’s position (1997-2007)

A
  • ‘Blair babes’
  • Women were main beneficiaries of New Labour policies
  • by 2007, all 3/4 year olds entitled to 12.5hrs of free nursery education a week - set to rise to 15hrs by 2010
  • Women unable to work due to caring responsibilities were given pension credits
  • between 1999-2007, percentage of FTSE100 companies with no female representation on board fell from 36% to 24%
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5
Q

3

Describe negatives in women’s position (1997-2007)

A
  • Women continued to earn 87% of male pay by 2007
  • emphasis on paid unemployment undervalued unpaid work in home/family that women did
  • once report found that by 2007, women still did 3x as much housework as men in couples
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6
Q

5

Describe the ‘Blair babes’

A
  • Number of female MPs doubled to 120 from 1992 to 1997
  • 101 were Labour MPs
  • Labour had introduced all-women shortlists in most winnable seats
  • Blair appointed several women to prominent cabinet positions
  • e.g. Margaret Beckett at Trade and Industry (1997-98); later served as FS (2006-07) - first woman to serve in this position
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7
Q

7

Describe positives in youth (1997-2007)

A
  • Government itself was very youthful
  • Blair was youngest PM since 1812
  • No.10 Downing Street Party in Spring 1997
  • Social Exclusion Unit set up in 1997 to tackle teenage ostracism
  • Sure Start programmes further tackled social exclusion
  • ‘Connexions’ service created in 2000 to advise teens aged 13-19 about choices after leaving school
  • Aimed for 50% of young people to go to univeristy to produce highly-skilled workforce to compete in globalised economy
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8
Q

2

Describe negatives in youth (1997-2007)

A
  • Number of NEETs increased to almost 20% by 2007 despite New Deal for Young People plan
  • ASBOs primarily introduced amid rising youth crime

NEETs - Not in Education, Employment or Training

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9
Q

3

Describe the No.10 Downing Street Party

A
  • Spring 1997 following victory
  • attendees included Noel Gallagher, Vivienne Westwood (70s era punk fashion star) and Helen Mirren
  • emphasised ‘cool britannia’ image
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10
Q

5

Describe ASBOs

A
  • Court orders to limit activities of defendant
  • such as imposition of curfew
  • breaching ASBO was criminal offence
  • aimed to deter antisocial behaviour of graffiti, vandalism and intimidation
  • by 2005, 46% of ASBOs went to u17s
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11
Q

5

Describe the advancement of multiculturalism (1997-2007)

A
  • 2002, Paul Boateng became Chief Secretary to the Treasury (first black cabinet member
  • 614 mosques in 2001 to 1.5k by 2007
  • Schools, local govt and corporations launched cultural initiatives to celebrate people from ethnic backgrounds
  • Notting Hll Carnival attracted millions, attended by Hague in 1997
  • Multiculturalism used as selling point for 2012 Olympics Bid
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12
Q

3

Describe the restriction of multiculturalism

A
  • Macpherson Report 1999
  • BBC Director-General Greg Dyke, acknowledged that his workforce was ‘hideously white’ in 2001
  • 2005 terrorist attacks
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13
Q

2

Describe the Macpherson Report 1999

A
  • Report on murder of Stephen lawrence
  • Identified institutionalised racism within Met
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14
Q

5

Describe the 7/7 bombings

A
  • 52 killed
  • 4 suicide bombers attacked 3 underground trains and bus
  • 3 of attackers were British-born citizens
  • Leader, Mohammed Sidique Khan, was prominent community worker in West Yorkshire
  • Strengthened concerns that too many immigrants were isolated from British values
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15
Q

4

Describe the second terrorist attack in 2005

A
  • 21 July 2005
  • 4 suicide bombers attempted similar attack in London but failed
  • Extensive manhunt on 22 July saw Jean Charles de Manezes, a young Brazilian, shot dead after being mistaken for terrorist
  • 4 convicted men were Ethopian/Somalian-born, yet were naturalised British citizens
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16
Q

3

Describe Labour’s response to terrorist attacks

A
  • Concern that War on Terror had dangerous alienated British muslims
  • Sec of State for Local Government and Communities post created in 2006, with one aim to work with local authorities to prevent extremism
  • Security measures
17
Q

2

Describe Labour’s security measures

A
  • Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 - allowed indefinite detention of prisoners at Belmarsh (ruled incompatible 2004)
  • Terorrism Act 2006 allowed for 28-day detenion, though less than 90 days wanted
18
Q

2

Describe criticism of Labour’s security policy

A
  • Emphasised importance of not overreacting and cutting back civil liberties
  • Internment of early 1970s had encouraged recruitment to organsiations
19
Q

3

Describe immigration (1997-2007)

A
  • Voters who considered immigration a vital issue rose from 3% (2001) to 30% (2007)
  • Pressure Group Migration Watch, headed by retired diplomat Sir Andrew Green, focussed on dangers of large immigration and public service pressure
  • Most experts agreed migrants had benefitted economy (through filled labour shortages, skills, enterprise) and in overall birth rates
20
Q

2

Describe where immigration originated (1997-2007)

A
  • Refugees fleeing violent persecution in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq
  • A8 countries (new member states in 2004 and 2007)
21
Q

3

Describe emigration (1997-2007)

A
  • 1/3 of Polish migrants returned home
  • Many British people left to work abroad
  • Many Brits bought Spanish retirement homes, popularised by A Place in the Sun (2000)
22
Q

4

Describe demographic change (1997-2007)

A
  • Immigration
  • Older population
  • Suburbanisation due to out-of-town shopping centres
  • Increased single-occupier homes
23
Q

4

Describe regional change (1997-2007)

A
  • Regeneration projects outside London to combat urban decay and depressed house prices
  • Success in Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds and Gateshead
  • New museums, art galleries and concert halls (Sage Gateshead 2004)
  • London/SE continued to dominate prosperity, housing market, transport, etc
24
Q

3

Describe statistics that show an ageing population (1997-2007)

A
  • Average age increased from 37 in 1997 to 39 in 2007
  • Life expectancy increased from 76.2 (1995) to 78.4 (2005) due to medical advances and higher living standards
  • 2007, more people of retirement age than u16 - first time in British history
25
Q

4

Describe the economic impact of an ageing population

A
  • Pensions increasingly became political issue - Pensions Act 2007 raise female pension age to 65 by 2020
  • Increased pensioners had higher aggregate disposable income
  • Grey pound dictated social and economic change
  • Those without private pension scheme suffered from fuel poverty

fuel povery - needing more than 10% of income to pay energy costs

26
Q

3

Describe the social impact of an ageing population

A
  • Huge surge in demand for hip replacements, eye surgery and arthritis relief
  • Local authority nursing homes struggled to cope with steep rise in dementia cases
  • Grey pound dictated social and economic change
27
Q

5

Describe change in the countryside (1997-2007)

A
  • Almost half of population lived in rural/semi-rural areas in 1951
  • By 2000, only 3% employed in agriculture
  • Many farmers ‘set-aside’ land for EU grants to cut food production
  • Urbanisation factors
  • Livestock depleted through BSE oubreak in 1990s, foot-and-mouth disease 2001

set-aside - 1988 EEC policy to cut food production

28
Q

3

Describe shifts in urbanisation (1997-2007)

A
  • Suburbanisation due to out-of-town shopping centres
  • Urbanisation in countryside through housing estates, road building, out of town shopping centres
  • Younger people forced to move out as could not compete with second-home owners and commuters in housing market
29
Q

4

Describe countryside opposition to Blair’s Government

A
  • Countryside at heart of 2000 fuel protests
  • Ban on fox hunting in 2004 inspired opposition
  • Blair Government promoted country life through subsisides for diversiifcation, rural transport, affordable housing schemes for locals, etc
  • Yet made marginal difference and criticised