Callaghan's Premiership 1976 - 79 Flashcards
Why was Callaghan seen as an ideal party leader and successor to Harold Wilson?
He had long experience and a good relationship with trade unions
What did Callaghan refer to as the ‘twin evils’?
Unemployment and inflation
He criticised previous conservative and labour governments from e past 20 years as they had failed to avoid the ‘twin evils’
Outline Callaghan’s premiership
Callaghan applied for a £3million emergency loan from IMF
There were fears that there might be a run on the pound
Callaghan handled the IMF crisis well - economy recovered
All of this however reinforced the idea that Britain’s economy was in decline - conservatives called the event a ‘national humiliation’
Left wing labour saw it as a betrayal
However, altogether the economic situation had improved
How did Britain’s economic situation improve following Callaghan’s premiership?
1978 - 9 oil fields in production
Inflation rates fell to %10
When was Callaghan’s premiership?
1976 - 1979
Outline the winter of discontent
1978 -TUC rejects labour governments proposed wage increase of 5% - this encouraged trade unions to make higher demands
Ford lorry drivers secured a 15% wage increase in December 1978 after a 9 week strike - this encourages other trade unions to do the same
A surge in industrial action followed
The industrial unrest was not as huge a defeat for government as the miners strikes of 1974
Disputes were brought to an end in March 1979 with the average wage increase at 10%
The psychological impact had a devastating impact on the nation - public mood
How much wage increase did Ford Lorry drivers achieve in 1978?
How long did they strike?
What impact did this have?
15%
9 weeks
It motivated other trade unions to follow in their example
When were disputes brought to an end?
1979
When was the winter of discontent
1978 - 79
