all Flashcards
Conservatives 13 yrs in power
1951-64
1964 election
=Labour win with 50.3% votes due to;
economic situation worsened
EEC rejection humiliating
Conservatives scandals + Night of the Long Knives + JFK
IR; inc unemployment+ no. days lost to strikes
inc social tensions/riots
Labour less divided vs before
1966 election
=Labour due to;
national plan showed plans for future
attempting to solve economic issues
Labour not appear divided
1970 election
=conservatives with 46%= 3%> vs Labour, due to;
Wilsons complacency
dec labour party membership= dec votes
some felt too much £ had been spent on social reforms
young ppl busy protesting vietnam war so not voting
conservatives promised refrom IR
Defeat of ‘in place of strife’
Heath= popular; praised for his negociations with EEC+he=relentlessly attacked Labour’s economic record during their time in power+ he sacked Enoch Powell
1974 election
=Labour win in ‘who governs Britain?’ , conservatives acc won higher %votes but Labour won >seats
due to;
conservative failure to deal with TU; 3 day week + state of emergency
Heath Uturn
1979 election
=Conservatives won (=Thatcher) 'vote of no confidence in labour' =lost by one vote, due to; winter of discontent economic difficulties failed to solve TU problem inc B debt inc B taxes public inconvenience inc due to economic issues (eventho had been issues before) liberal votes inc= dec Labour votes
1983 election
=Conservative win (=Thatcher) with 42.4% vs labour 27.6% due to;
Falklands War= inc confidence + patriotism + inc Thatcher personal popularity
labour split over nuclear disarmament
liberals + SNP alliance succeeded in splitting anti-Thatcher vote
1987 election
=Conservative win (=Thatcher) with 43.3%votes vs Labour 31.7% due to;
past elections confirmed labour weaknesses + conservative strengths
popular policies amongst key voters in society; council housing+private sector
low unemployment
strong £
1992 election
=Conservatives win
1995 election
on conservative party leadership =Major won vs Redwood
1997 election
=Labour won =worst Conservative loss since 1906 due to;
major lack of authority
conservatives divisions over Europe
Labour revitalised under New Labour + Blair
b
1997 election
=Labour won =worst Conservative loss since 1906 due to;
major lack of authority
conservatives divisions over Europe
Labour revitalised under New Labour + Blair
Blair youth + optimism
media representation of Labour was good (due to Blair)
Attlee
1945-51 + Labour post war recovery 1946 NHA created 1948 National Assistance Act 1949 NATO Korean War
Churchill
1945-50 + Conservative
resigned
Eden
1955-57 + Conservatives
1956 Suez Canal crisis
cold war
Macmillan
1957-63 + Conservative 1962 Night of the Long Knives= 'Mac the Knife' Commonwealth immigration act stagflation + 'stop/go' approach EEC rejection consumer/housing boom inc unemployment + days lost to strikes + riots 1959 campaign 'never had it so good' scandals; profumo affair resigned
Douglas Home
1963-4 + Conservative
not elected
inc property ownserhip
tax cuts
Wilson
1964-70 + Labour
Wilson social
controversy over new comprehensive school system (ppl support grammar skls)
tighter immigration laws + attempted dec racism but badly enforced (1965 race relations act= dec racial discrimiation in puclic)
wide range of social reforms;
1965 education policy- crossland expanding higher education=introduce new comprehensive system
introduced open uni
1964 property ownership inc=44% vs 25% pre WW2
1965 Murder Act - temporary abolishment of death penalty
1967 family planning Act- contraception allowed not just for married women on NHS
1967 Abortion Act- legal under certain conditions
1967 Sexual offences Act
1969 voting age dec from 21 to 18
Wilson economy
1964 deflation= dec spendng power of ppl
1967 devaluation= B products cheaper= inc Xs
1964 BOP deficit= £800mn
1964= 1.7mn unemployed + 1967= 2.5mn
1964 foreign loans negociated =inc taxes on tobacco/alcohol+temporary Ms surcharge
1965 new DEA created; department of economic affairs
1965 National Plan- set ambitious targets for B industry; annual growth rate 3.8% over 6yrs inc Xs 5.25% yrly to wipe out BOP deficit + gov needed create new national board or prices/Y to ensure wage inc wld only b granted if inc productivity/provide investment for funds/improve workers’ skills + programme of regional development
=no success; NPBI had no power to enforce decisions+recommendations undermined deflation policy+treasury was jealous of new boards power
1969=signs of economic improvement; BOP surplus+£ inc value+IR reduced BUT=overall still bad as= high unemployment+B relative decline vs world+inflation inc =tackled ST=NOT LT problems (cld not fulfil promises of 1964 election)
Wilson IR
common view B lagging behind other+needed inc efficiency but TU=issue
1966 Seamen strike= NUS declared national strike= first since 1911= wanted higher wages+cut working week down by 16hrs but =dec shipping into key ports+threatened run on the £ +=gov declared state of emergency BUT= eventually ended 2months later due to compromise with ship owners over pay
1969 ‘In Place of Strife’ (not law passed but= an agreement)- legal right workers join TU+ballot before strike+28 day cooling off period+industrial commission+financial penalties if disobey commission+unfair dismissal entitled to compensation BUT=defeated by TUC=failed
=impossible situation to reform IR especially for Labour as TU= their traditional allies
Wilson politics/personal skill
political skill= maintained Labour unit (eg; over Europe)
not join Vietnam war + condemned USA bombings 1966
1967 Rejected from EEC
S.Rhodesia crisis; attempted personal diplomany+economic sanctions but=not resolved +1965= illegal declaration of independence by white minority gov
Heath
1970-74 +=Conservatives
Heath political/personal skill
1973 EEC full membership; believed it wld stimulate B industry through access to EEC markets/european competition (was it skill? or De Gaulle leaving office+demands of EEC= sacrificed remaining preferential trade deals with commonwealth+accepted policy of heavily subsidising french farmers
1973 Bloody Sunday- N Ireland=damaged his gov as Sunningdale agreement=failed
1973 Oil crisis
1970 Equal pay act