Topic 5: Major's 1st Government (1990-92)

Question 1

3

Describe the ideology of Major

Answer 1

• Proclaimed aim of classless society upon entry to Downing Street
• Not even Labour went this far
• Symbolic depature from Thatcherism

Question 2

5 - don’t need all

Describe the first cabinet of Major

Answer 2

• CX - Norman Lamont (leadership campaign manager)
• HS - Kenneth Baker
• FS - Douglas Hurd (retained)
• Env - Heseltine (back in cabinet for first time since Westland affair)
• Edu - Ken Clarke (retained)

Question 3

4

Describe the early problems facing Major

Answer 3

• Heseltine appointment a sign Major couldn’t afford loyalist Thatcher-esque cabinet
• Campaigned vigorously against poll tax
• Labour soon regained poll lead as recession continued
• 1991 local elections - Con lost 900 council seats

Question 4

4

Describe Major as Chancellor

Answer 4

• Had persuaded Thatcher to abandon long-standing opposition to EMS
• Oversaw ERM entry in Oct 1990
• Took strength out of central plank of Labour’s economic policy
• TESSA (new tax-savings scheme) proved popular

Question 5

3

Describe economic positives 1990-92

Answer 5

• Interest rates cut
• Balance of trade deficit fell due to reduced demand for foreign goods
• Inflation fell due to pegging against German mark

Question 6

6

Describe economic negatives 1990-92

Answer 6

• Unemployment grew from 1.9m to 2.6m across 1991
• Housing market remained at most depressed rate post-war
• Business and consumer confidence remained poor
• Record numbers of business failures and repossessions
• Constant attempts to reduce stocks failed to relieve retail trade
• Inflation (9.5% 1990, 5.9% 1991) remained higher than other nationalised industries

Question 7

4

Describe the Citizens Charter

Answer 7

• Introduced 1991
• Public sector users provided with information about standards they should expect
• Aimed to give users more power over the quality of services they received
• e.g. schools would have to publish results

Question 8

3

Describe the problems with the Citizens Charter

Answer 8

• not completely effective
• ‘Cones Hotline’ - allowed motorists to call number if motorway lane was closed with no sign of roadworks
• Became a meaningless complaint line

Question 9

2

Describe NHS policy under Major

Answer 9

• Further reorganised to create ‘internal market’ through Community Care Act 1990
• GP fundholding scheme created 1991 - gave some GPs control over budget for hospital care of patients

Question 10

2

How was the NHS reorganised to create the ‘internal market’ under Major?

Answer 10

• Purchasers and providers split
• NHS trusts replaced wider regional boards

Question 11

2

Describe criticism of NHS policy under Major

Answer 11

• Widespread complaints of bureaucracy
• GPs without fundholding got worse deal for patients

Question 12

5

Describe education policy under Major

Answer 12

• LEA power largely ceded to independently-managed schools
• SATs gradually introduced from 1991-98
• ‘School league tables’ introduced in 1992 - based on standardised examination results
• Reports of falling standards led to revision of teacher training to old methods
• Education Act 1992 established OFSTED - imposed system of national inspection

Education Act 1992 shortly before re-electon

Question 13

1

Give an example of old-style teacher training methods

Answer 13

Instruction to whole class rather than individual learning

Question 14

4

Describe opinion polling leading up to the 1992 election

Answer 14

• By-elec results, opinion polls and european parliament elecs all pointed towards Conservative defeat
• April opinion poll: Lab 41%, Con 35%, LD 20%
• ICM poll day before elec put Con and Lab equal at 38%
• Even largely-accurate exit poll suggested hung parliament

Question 15

4

Describe the results of the 1992 election

Answer 15

• Con 336 (-40), Lab 271 (+42), LD 20 (-2)
• Major won narrow unexpected victory
• High turnout of 78% - high Lab polling drew back ‘shy Tories’
• Majority climbed down from 102 to 21 - would cause problems in succeeding years

Question 16

2

Describe the success/failure of Labour in the 1992 election

Answer 16

• Labour made some gains in Scot, Wales and traditional northern areas
• Yet failed to secure more than half wc vote

Question 17

4

Describe the formation of the Lib Dems

Answer 17

• Alliance pop vote faded to 23% and 22 seats in 1987
• David Steel took initiative to merge parties in 1988
• Owen strongly opposed this - formed ‘continuing’ SDP
• Liberal Paddy Ashown elected leader

Question 18

3

Describe the failure of the Lib Dems in 1992

Answer 18

• support dwindled to 18% (from 23%)
• failed to replicate past by-election success
• e.g. Ribbie Valley 1991 where they overturned 40% Conservative majroity

Question 19

3

Describe how the electoral system impacted the 1992 election

Answer 19

• 250k poll tax evaders not on electoral register, harming Labour
• 11 marginal seats secured with less than 60 votes difference
• Conservatives won 4 seats by under 100 votes

Question 20

4

List the reasons for Conservative victory in 1992

Answer 20

• Tory election campaign
• Impact of Press
• Some economic/social policy successes
• Failure of Labour

Question 21

3

Describe the salient issues of the 1992 campaign

Answer 21

• Broad agreement on foreign affairs
• Main issues: economy, taxation, welfare
• Conservatives largely perceived as mismanaging govt - but Lab didn’t appear particularly strong either

Question 22

3

Describe the Conservative election campaign in 1992

Answer 22

• Utilised rhetoric of classless society + citizens charter
• Saatchi ‘Labour’s Tax Bombshell’ billboards - suggested Labour spending plans would lead to increased £1250 tax for ordinary people
• ‘The Best Future for Britain’ manifesto focused on its perceived Conservative strengths

Question 23

3

Describe Major’s campaigning in the 1992 election

Answer 23

• Major sought to win over wavering LD voters
• Exploited his own personal charm and humble upbringings in Brixton
• Soap box campaigning

Question 24

4

Describe the impact of the press in the 1992 election

Answer 24

• Kinnock mercilessly vilified by Tory sections of press
• Of national daily papers, 7/11 backed the Conservatives
• Conservative-supporting papers made up 67% of newspaper sales
• ‘The Sun Wot Won it’

Question 25

3

Describe the ‘Sun Wot Won It’

Answer 25

• Circulation at 3.6m, over double nearest competitor
• Election day headline: ‘if Kinnock wins today, will the last person to Britain please turn the lights off’
• Claimed ‘The Sun Wot Won It’

Question 26

2

Describe limits to the impact of the press in the 1992 election

Answer 26

• TV coverage was more equal
• 60% Sun readers still backed Labour

Question 27

2

Describe the Labour successes in the 1992 election campaign

Answer 27

• Promoted image of social democratic party embracing moderation
• Kinnock positioned as enthusiastic and effective campaigner

Question 28

3

Describe the Labour failures in the 1992 election campaign

Answer 28

• ‘Shadow budget’
• Sheffield Rally
• left-wing play ‘The Absence of War’ criticised Kinnock for ideological betrayal

Question 29

4

Describe the ‘shadow budget’

Answer 29

• Introduced by John Smith (Shadow CX)
• Top rate of income tax to be increased from 40% to 50%
• Would fund increased welfare benefits
• Reinforced unpopular Old Labour image

Question 30

2

Describe the Sheffield Rally

Answer 30

• introduced shadow cabinet as actual cabinet
• ‘we’re all right’