4.13 The Thatcher governments

Question 1

When was ‘You turn if you want to - the lady’s not for turning’?
Intention behind it?

Answer 1

1981 Party Conference
- consolidated her as a conviction politician
- criticism of Heath’s U-turn in 1972

Question 2

What did the New Right believe?

Answer 2

monetarism and free-market economics + the moral decline linked to consensus

Question 3

What important ‘wet’ was in Thatcher’s first cabinet?

Answer 3

Willie Whiteclaw as Home Secretary

Question 4

What key economic posts in Thatcher’s first cabinet were held by ‘one of us’; ‘dries’

Answer 4

Chancellor - Geoffrey Howe
Department of Industry - Keith Joseph
other key economic posts: John Biffen, Nigel Lawson

Question 5

What was the one exception to ‘dries’ holding economic positions in Thatcher’s first cabinet

Answer 5

Jim Prior as employment minister

Question 6

After disagreements between Prior and Thatcher, where was Prior moved? when? who was he replaced with?

Answer 6

in 1981, moved to the Northern Ireland Office (demotion), replaced by Norman Tebbit

Question 7

After consolidating her position at the 1983 general election, what ‘dries’ were in central positions in the cabinet?

Answer 7

Chancellor: Nigel Lawson
Foreign Secretary: Geoffrey Howe

Question 8

What Thatcherites eventually fell out of favour?

Answer 8

• John Biffen + Norman Tebbit
• Westland affair: Michael Heseltine

Question 9

When did the Labour Party come close to political oblivion?

Answer 9

Between 1979 and 1983

Question 10

When was the SDP created?

Answer 10

end of January 1981

Question 11

What ‘Gang of Four’ created the SDP?

Answer 11

David Owen
Roy Jenkins
Shirley Williams
Bill Rodgers

Question 12

What Declaration led to the split of Labour and the SDP? When?

Answer 12

end of January 1981, ‘Limehouse Declaration’

Question 13

How many Labour MPs followed the Gang of Four after the ‘Limehouse Declaration’?

Answer 13

28 Labour MPs

Question 14

By-election win by Shirley Williams - where, when?

Answer 14

Conservative seat of Crosby, November 1981

Question 14

By-election win by Roy Jenkins - where, when?

Answer 14

Glasgow Hillhead, March 1982

Question 15

Where was Labour resoundingly beaten by the Liberals?

Answer 15

the previously ‘safe’ working-class seat of Bermondsey, East London

Question 16

In what general elections did the SDP-Liberal Alliance/ ‘the Alliance’ work together?

Answer 16

in both the 1983 and 1987 elections

Question 17

Tensions within ‘the Alliance’

Answer 17

differences between the leaders - the ‘Two Davids’ - Steel and Owen

Question 18

Until 1987, what was regarded as the credible opposition to Thatcher’s government?

Answer 18

the Alliance

Question 19

Who replaced Michael Foot as Labour leader?

Answer 19

Neil Kinnock, 1983

Question 20

Where did Neil Kinnock come from in the Labour Party? Nevertheless, who did he take on?

Answer 20

Came from the Left of the party
Took on:
- the extremists Militant Tendency
- the ‘Bennites’
- the union leaders
in order to drag Labour back into the political mainstream

Question 21

When was Kinnock successful in expelling Militant Tendency from Labour?

Answer 21

1986

Question 22

Even after Militant Tendency had been expelled from Labour, how was the party still seen?

Answer 22

still perceived as dominated by the Left and the trade unions

Question 23

When did the military regime in Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands?

Answer 23

April 1982

Question 24

What was the effect of the Falklands on Thatcher's popularity called?

Answer 24

the 'Falklands factor'

Question 25

As well as the 'Falklands factor', how did the failures of Labour contribute to Thatcher's success in the 1983 election?

Answer 25

- Michael Foot - lacked credibility - struggled to deal with divisions + performed badly on TV - 'the longest suicide note in history' 1983 manifesto

Question 26

What policies were included in the 'longest suicide note in history'?

Answer 26

- unilateral disarmament - withdrawal from the EEC - abolition of fox hunting

Question 27

What was the greatest factor in Thatcher's success in the 1983 election?

Answer 27

The splintering of political opposition + FPTP system Even discounting the nationalist parties, the anti-Conservative vote totalled 16 million - 3 million more than the pro-Conservative vote - yet Conservatives had huge majority of 144 seats

Question 28

How many fewer votes did the Alliance have than Labour? How many fewer seats?

Answer 28

only half a million fewer votes, but 186 fewer seats (due to FPTP)

Question 29

On what issues did the Conservatives fight the 1987 election on?

Answer 29

- strong defence - a growing economy - promised lower taxes

Question 30

Who had the backing of the majority of the press in the 1987 election?

Answer 30

The Conservatives continued to have the backing of most of the press

Question 31

By 1987, what had Kinnock managed to do?

Answer 31

had already done a lot to restore party discipline + make party organisation more efficient

Question 32

What percentage of the vote did the Alliance receive in the 1987 election? How was this different to its peak just before the Falklands War?

Answer 32

the Alliance got 24% of the vote in 1987 (nowhere near the peak of 40% it had polled just before the Falklands War)

Question 32

What was a factor in the loss of momentum for the SDP-Liberal Alliance?

Answer 32

Partly due to ideological differences - opposition to Thatcher not enough + personal differences between the two Davids

Question 33

Why did the SDP begin to shrink?

Answer 33

It had only been created as moderate socialists felt compelled to fight against the hard-left extremism of Foot's Labour Party. As Kinnock established his grip on the party, the SDP lost its identity + purpose.

Question 34

When did the Liberal Party and the SDP formally merge? Effects?

Answer 34

In 1988, to form the Liberal Democrats David Owen disagreed with merger + resigned Many other MPs switched their allegiance back to Labour