1964-70 Flashcards
(27 cards)
- Wilson’s ideology and leadership
Unitive force, forward thinking in comparison to tories. Appealed to left because resigned with Bevan in 50, launched a leadership bid in 61, right because in favour of nuclear, trade unions 69.
- Economic policies and problems
Wilson wanted to end stop-go. Despite economic growth Britain fell behind other countries. Britain had previously experienced regular economic crises such as runs on the pound, inflation rising, balance of payments, and a huge deficit in the balance of trade. There were two main policy choices- deflation or devaluation. He chose careful economic planning instead and set up the DEA in 64 and the NBPI in 65. DEA set growth targets, created economic planning councils, work with trades and businesses BUT it shut in 67 and there were Sterling crises in 65,6,7. The Chancellor Jenkins set deflationary policies, raising taxes and tightening spending, mirroring stop-go. By 70 there was a balance of payments surplus.
- Devaluation
This would assist with the balance of payments problems by helping Britain’s exports become cheaper but ti would emphasise Britain’s economic weakness. Wilson also feared that the Labour Party would become seen as the party of devaluation as Attlee had
previously devalued the pound in 1949.
- Industrial relations and trade unions
Wilson wanted to keep the PWC of full employment and working with trade unions and so made trade unionist Frank Cousins the minister for technology. But by 66 rels. seemed to be breaking down. Employment minister Barbara Castle created In Place of Strife- 28-day cooling off period, strike ballots, industrial relations court (69). Trade unions and some Labour MPs were appalled.
- Domestic policies
Wilson won in 64 by promising to harness the white heat of technology and that scientific innovation would help to overcome low productivity. Economic issues largely overshadowed this but there was some scientific development like Concorde.
- Labour divisions
Wilson feared a leadership challenge from Jenkins, Brown, Callaghan.
- Northern Ireland
The province was dominated by Protestants and there was
growing evidence of discrimination against Catholics ni employment, housing and politics, and in treatment by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). This led to growing tensions between the two sides by the end of the 1960s. In 68, civil rights marches held to protest against discrimination were attacked and Catholics complained that the RUC would not protect them. Some Protestant Unionists feared that the Irish Republican Army would start a new campaign of violence and unionist paramilitary organisations were set up to combat this. In 69 the loyalist Apprentice Boys march was attacked by nationalists when it passed through a Catholic Bogside estate. The battle of the Bogside ensued when the RUC was prevented from entering the Bogside by two days of rioting. In August 69 the Labour government sent British troops ot Northern Ireland to keep the peace.
- End of the post-war consensus
By the end of the 1960s there were doubts on both the Right and Left of the political spectrum about the efficacy of the post-war consensus: It had not dealt with ongoing economic and financial pressures. Poverty and social problems remained unsolved.
- 1970 election loss
Despite liberal reform, and deflation, the tories won due to the economic problems- Sterling crises, tax rises, spending cuts, failure with trade unions- and a promise to reform the trade unions.
- Private Members’ bills
Roy Jenkins was the Home Secretary from 1965 until 1967. During this period the Labour government passed a great deal of liberal legislation which defined the Wilson administrations. Private members’ bills are bills put forward by individual MPs rather than the government or opposition parties. When these are directed at ‘moral’ issues, parties usually alow their MPs ot decide how they want ot vote - ‘free votes’. These bils are usually unsuccessful unless the government enables their progression as Jenkins did during his tenure as Home Secretary.
- Capital punishment
Limits to capital crimes in 57, Ruth Ellis, Sydney Silverman. 5-year trial in 65- permanent in 69.
- Divorce reform
Result of second wave feminism. In 69, no fault divorce after 2-5 year separated 2-10/1000 from 50-70s.
- Legalisation of abortion
The campaigning by the Liberal MP, David Steel. The demand for abortion: between 100,000 and 200,000 abortions were performed illegally each year. The impact of illegal backstreet abortions: around 35,000 women were admitted to hospital each year with complications following an abortion, and between 1958 and 1960 82 women died as a result of these complications. The thalidomide disaster 1959-62 which increased the number of abnormal foetuses. 67- 28 weeks, 4-17.6% from 68-75.
- Homosexual relations
The Wolfenden committee, set up by the Conservative government had recommended the decriminalisation
of homosexuality- Leo Abse. SOA 67- 21, consenting, private.
- Education reform
Tripartite system failing- grammar schools dominated by middle class, secondary school pupils seen as failures from age 11. LEAs from 65 set up comprehensive schools.Tony Crosland became minister for education in 65 and issued Circular 10/65- LEAs convert to comprehensives. By 64 1/10 were at comprehensive as opposed to 1/100 in 51. In 70 all but 8 had drawn up plans, 1145 comprehensive schools in 1/3 of pupils went to one. The Robbins committee had been set up in 1961 to examine Britain’s higher education provision and confirmed fears that Britain had fallen behind other countries such as the United States, France and Germany.
nI order ot increase places and encourage the study of science and technology the Labour government responded with these measures: Colleges of Technology became polytechnics concentrating on applied education. Nine Colleges of Advanced Technology became universities. ‘New’ universities were founded such as Bath and Bradford.
This expansion of higher education meant that by 1968 there were 56 universities and 30 polytechnics which opened up opportunities to new types of potential students - even though the more established universities continued to enjoy a higher status. Harold Wilson claimed that the establishment of the Open University was his best achievement. It encapsulated his government’s aims: Increasing social mobility by creating opportunities for people who had previously been denied them. Modernising Britain by embracing the ‘white heat of technology’. The education minister who oversaw its creation was Jennie Lee, a woman from aworking-class family who recognised the benefits she had gained from attending university and was enthusiastic about extending this to other people like her. The Open University (OU) opened ni Milton Keynes ni 1969 and the first courses started running from January 1971: Most students were part-time. They tended to come from less traditional university student backgrounds - older people, women, working class. Courses were largely studied through distance learning, and radio and television was used innovatively to assist this. By 1980 the OU had 70,000 students and awarded more degrees each year than Oxford and Cambridge put together.
- Expansion of mass media
Television: The Director-General
of the BBC from 1960 to 1969, Hugh Green encouraged the development
of new programming: more populism, satire, and realistic drama such as The Wednesday Play. TIV started ni 1955 and BBC2 ni 1964. The percentage of the population that had a television in their home increased from 75% in 1961 to 91% in 1971.
Radio: Although television grew in popularity, radio remained important. Teenagers listened to popular
music broadcast firstly by pirate radio stations and then from Radio Luxembourg and BBC Radio 1.
Print media: Newspapers and
magazines also survived by adapting. The Sun was launched in 1964 and maintained a high readership by reflecting popular culture.
- Leisure activities
Traditional activities such as gardening and cooking
remained popular and television
programmes reflected these interests. Other hobbies such as knitting could be done at the same time as watching television. Theatre and football attendance fell but shopping and golf rose. Britannia airways in 64 to Spain and Malta. Package holidays from 4-8.4% from 66-71.
- Scientific developments
There were great scientific advances during the 1960s. These ranged from huge projects, such as human space travel (1961), the moon landings (1969) and Concorde, to the new technologies that changed everyday life by making cars, household appliances and transistor radios more affordable, and introduced new fabrics in fashion and made the contraceptive pill available.
- Censorship
Theatrical censorship was abolished in 1968: This was due to aprivate members’ bil but also had the support of Roy Jenkins. It ended the jurisdiction of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office for the censorship of theatre productions. It followed a number of disputes, particularly with the innovative Royal Court theatre which wanted to stage controversial productions such as Edward Bond’s Saved in
1965 and Early Morning in 1967.
Film censorship remained under the remit of the British Board of Film Censors. However, films such as Darling (1965), Alfie (1966) and Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (1967) covered more daring themes such as adultery, abortion, illegitimacy. On television the BBC’s Wednesday Play also covered these kinds of themes.
- Female equality
Women’s lib in 70 demanded free contraception, equal pay, equal education and employment opportunities. There were a number of key feminist texts published at this time: The Feminine Mystique (Friedman, 1963); Women: The Longest Revolution (Mitchell, 1966); The Female Eunuch (Greer, 1970). 67- National Health Service (Family Planning) Act: allowed local authorities to provide contraceptives and contraceptive advice
67- The Divorce Act made it easier for marriages to end
70- Matrimonial Property Act helped ensure that a woman’s role in the home was taken into account in divorce settlements
70- Equal Pay Act established the principle of equal pay for equal work although ti did not come into force for 5 years
- Changes in moral attitudes
Permissive- contraception, divorce, gay, abortion, capital punishment, STDs rising, censorship, drugs- Beatles using Cannabis and LSD, Wootton report recommending the decriminalisation of soft drugs.
Limited- Mary Whitehouse, Wootton reports rejection by Callaghan, youth married first sexual partner, young people used alcohol and tobacco more than drugs.
- Youth culture
Youth culture was largely defined by fashion and by the mid 1960s London was seen as the fashion capital of the world. It often caused clashes with the older generation. Women wore trousers and miniskirts and men wore bright patterns as traditional rules were abandoned. Youth culture was also seen in music. Pirate radio stations broadcast pop music; in 1967 the BBC started Radio One to respond to the demand. Likewise television also broadcast youth music shows such as Ready Steady Go from 1963 and Top of the Pops from 1964. By the end of the 1960s new youth subcultures had emerged: skinheads evolved from Mod culture; hippies rejected social conventions and promoted free love, environmentalism and peace.
7 Anti-Vietnam riots
65- Teach-ins on Vietnam held at Oxford University and the London School of Economics.
66- The Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) set up.
17 March 68- Violence broke out at an anti-Vietnam War demonstration held outside the American Embassy ni Grosvenor Square, London.
28 March 1968- ‘Battle of Grosvenor Square’ - 200 people arrested
October 1968- Anti-war demonstration outside Grosvenor Square attracted 30,000 people
- Immigration and race
