Britain Post-Thatcher (1990-1997) Flashcards
(12 cards)
Who was John Major?
The successor to Thatcher
However, he lacked her force of personality and aggressive style
What was the 1991 Maastricht Treaty?
A treaty which enhanced European political and economic currency (the euro)
Why was John Major and his conservative party so badly defeated in 1997?
-Lacked authority
-Conservatives were divided on Britain’s role in Europe
-Labour Party was revitalised
-Had a reputation for economic incompetence due to Black Wednesday
-People were sick of Conservative rule (they had been in power for 18 years)
Why did John Major lack authority?
-Only elected as the conservatives didn’t want Heseltine, who was blamed for the engineering of Thatcher’s downfall
-Only had support from Thatcher’s supporters since he was her successor
-Limited experience
-Ridiculed by the media for being uncharismatic
What was Black Wednesday?
Britain was kicked out of the ERM, and in turn the pound fell sharply in value and the measures to curb inflation tipped the economy into a depression
Why was New Labour a thorn in Major’s backside?
-The new leader Neil Kinnock had done a great deal to improve after the distrastrous failure in 1983 and members of the extreme left were fired
-He was then succeeded by Tony Blair who rebranded the party as ‘New Labour’
How many seats did Labour win in 1997 compared to the conservatives?
Labour won 418 seats, while the conservatives only won 165
The conservatives lost all of their seats in Scotland and Wales
What were the reasons for Labour winning the 1997 election?
-Conservative incompetence
-Blair’s optimism appealed to voters
-High media rep
-Tories tried to trick the public into thinking Labour were socialists, but completely failed
What was the Scott Report?
A judicial inquiry commissioned in 1997 after reports surfaced that the Government was restricting sales to Iraq by British Companies
What was the The Pergau Dam Affair?
The Government was accused of linking foreign aid to Malaysia, which was considered an unlawful use of public funds
What was the ‘Back to Basics’ campaign and why did it fail?
Promoted traditional values
But as the members of the party were found committing affairs and corruption, it deeply damaged the partys credibility
What success did the conservative party have 1990-1997?
-Won the 1992 election (Major was seen as a sympathetic leader and there was distrust of the Labour party leader)
-Secured a 4th consecutive term, which hadn’t been achieved since the 19th century
-UK recovered after Black Wednesday due to devaluation
-1992 Masstricht Treaty
-Softer versions of Thatcher’s reforms
