80s - Social Changes Flashcards
(39 cards)
What kind of society did Thatcher aim to create?
A property-owning democracy
What was the 1980 Housing Act?
Gave council tenants the right to buy their council house with a 33-50% discount, depending on how long they had lived there.
By 1988, how many had taken advantage of housing scheme?
2 million.
What did the housing scheme symbolise and who opposed it?
It symbolised the success of Thatcherism and Labour initially opposed it under Foot, then dropped their objections due to its popularity.
What were the limitations of the Housing Act?
Only used in better-off areas
Councils used profits to reduce debts, not build new council houses.
Number of homes available reduced.
People housed in B&Bs for the time being which was expensive & unsuitable.
Who did Thatcher’s economic reforms arouse hostility in?
COHSE (Collective Organisation of Health Service Employees) and NUPE (National Union of Public Employees) became militant and teachers unions had a long dispute over working conditions.
Which regulations/attitudes constrained the unions?
1980 - secondary picketing outlawed.
1984 - forced to hold ballots pre-strikes.
Employers tried to keep unions out of workplaces.
What did newspapers try and do against unions?
Murdoch tried to reduce the power of print unions and there was a major confrontation at Murdoch’s Wapping Plant in 1986. Strikes failed to prevent publication or distribution and the strike collapsed after 13 months.
What did Thatcher compare the 84-85 strikes to?
The Falklands, referring to the miners as the ‘enemy within’.
In 1981, what did the NCB warn of?
The need to close 23 pits.
What were the 1972-73 actions that Thatcher wanted to avoid?
Heath compromised by reducing the amount of coal imported and protecting the NCB subsidy, preventing the closures.
What was Thatcher’s attitude facing the miners?
The gov were confident. Huge coal reserves had built up and power stations & North Sea Oil made an energy crisis unlikely. Ian McGregor, NCB chairman, had been given permission to take a tough line.
What did the NCB announce in 1984 which sparked the strikes?
The closure of 20 pits.
What issues did Scargill face?
He did not have the popular support for a national strike so refused to hold a strike ballot. The Nottinghamshire miners also formed a breakaway union called the UDM.
What was the role of police that Thatcher was widely criticised for?
Thatcher politicised the police - an unpopular move as they were no longer seen as an impartial body.
What was the Battle of Orgreave?
In June 1984 a mass picketing at Orgreave, South Yorkshire had 5000 miners striking. They were faced by 8000 police officers and conflict ensued. Over 50 picketers and over 70 police were injured.
What were the long and short term outcomes of the Battle of Orgreave?
Short term - Scargill failed to close the mine as trucks kept regular transport patterns.
Long term - Yorkshire Police had to pay reparations in 1991 for allegations of police brutality.
What is secondary picketing?
Striking and protesting but at a secondary site, possible a depot, warehouse or supply centre.
What happened during the last months of the strike?
Many miners began drifting back to work as they needed the pay so only the core strikers remained and without numbers they had little bargaining power.
What are some statistics backing up Scargill’s failure in the campaign?
200,000 miners in 1979 - 60,000 miners in 1990.
Union membership decreased by 1/3rd.
Which two industries had significant reorganisation?
British Airways and British Steel, which was possible because of the reduced influence of the unions.
What year was the Poll Tax introduced?
1989 in Scotland and 1990 in England and Wales.
Under the old rates system what was taxation based on?
Property ownership so only paid by homeowners.
What did Thatcherites believe about the Poll Tax?
That if everyone paid it it would be fairer, and councils would become more efficient and responsible in their spending.
