End of Thatcher/Major period 1987-97 Flashcards
(59 cards)
1
Q
when did Thatcher experience leadership challenged and who by?
A
- 1990
- Hesseltine
- won 1st ballot 204 to 152
- but lacked enough support to continue
2
Q
when did Thatcher resign?
A
- 28 November 1990
3
Q
when and who made a resignation speech damaging Thatcher’s credibility?
A
- 13 November 1990
- Howe
- highlight division and euroscepticism
4
Q
list elements of Thatchers legacy
A
- Trade Union Act
- Privatisation
- shift to free market
5
Q
what were reasons for Major’s GE victory 1992?
A
- unexpectedly won 336 seats vs 271 Labour
- “Journey” election broadcast = visit Brixton roots
- “Soapbox” = speak to people in streets
- modest and unthatcherite
- “back to basics” slogan promoted morality and discipline
6
Q
when did Britain enter the ERM and why?
A
- 1990
- under Major as chancellor
- to stabilise inflation
- Pound pegged to Deutschemark
7
Q
when and what was “Black Wednesday”?
A
- 16th Sept 1992
- Pound crashed and Britain forced out of the ERM
- £17billion spent trying to save the currency
- interest rates raised 2x up to 15%
- damaged economic credibility
8
Q
2 Conservative sex scandals
A
- David Mellor’s Chelsea Shirt 1992
- Stephen Milligan autoerotic death 1994
9
Q
when and what was “Cash for Questions”?
A
- 1994
- MP’s Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith
- accused of taking money from Mohamed Al-Fayed
10
Q
2 examples of increased satire
A
- Have I Got News For You
- Spitting Image
11
Q
what was unemployment early 90’s?
A
- 3 million
- 10%
12
Q
what was GDP growth under Major?
A
- average increase of 2.5% annually
13
Q
what was negative equity in the early 90’s?
A
- house prices fell sharply
- meant mortgage repayments greater than value of the house
14
Q
2 examples of Conservative divisions under Major
A
- leaked mic comment 1993 = Major called rebels “bastards”
- Maastricht Treaty 1992 = rebellion of up to 40 Conservative MP’s, passed by threatening to call GE
15
Q
when was the IRA ceasefire?
A
- 1994
- laid groundwork for Good Friday Agreement 1998
16
Q
when was Downing St Declaration?
A
- 1993
- with Irish PM - Reynolds
- agreed people of Northern Ireland had the right of self-determination
17
Q
2 examples of Northern Irish violence under Major
A
- IRA bombing of Baltic Exchange 1992
- Warrington bombing 1993
18
Q
when and what was Citizens Charter?
A
- 1991
- plan/aim to improve public services
19
Q
who and when was privatised 1994-97?
A
- British Rail
- generally unpopular
20
Q
how long was Kinnock leader?
A
- 1983-92
- inherited party after disastrous defeat in 1983 (only 203 seats)
- distanced from Michael Foot and “Suicide Manifesto”
21
Q
how many votes did Labour gain 1987 election?
A
- up to 32% share
- Thatcher still won comfortably
22
Q
2 examples of Kinnock modernisation
A
- hired professional advisors to boost media image
- reduced commitment to unilateral disarmament and nationalisation
23
Q
what was Kinnock/Labour like in the 92 GE?
A
- lost despite polls predicting victory
- Kinnock’s rallies seen as over triumphant
- Sheffield Rally 1992 with helicopters, dancing
- economic incompetence lingered
24
Q
how long was John Smith leader of Labour?
A
- 1992-94
- seen as moderate, trustworthy, serious
- died of heart attack May 94 - “PM in the waiting lost”
25
two policies brought in by Smith
- introduced "1 member, 1 vote" in 1993 to dilute union vote power at party conferences
- shifted Labour constitution and policy-making power to ordinary members
26
how long was Blair leader of Labour?
- elected leader July 94, Gordon Brown shadow chancellor
- PM 97-07
27
what was Blair's "New Labour"?
- emphasised "New Labour, New Britain"
- tough on crime, youth disorder, welfare reform
- opportunity and aspiration not redistribution
- shifted party to centre ground
- embraced "Third Way" politics combining free-market and tradition Labour concerns
28
when was Clause IV rewrote?
- 1995
- ends commitment to nationalisation
29
what were Labour's key promises leading up to the 97 GE?
- no increase in income tax
- decrease NHS waiting lists
- decrease class sizes
- introduce national minimum wage
- introduce windfall tax on private utilities
30
how many seats did Labour win in 97?
- 148 seats gained
- 179 majority = largest since 1945
31
how many seats did Conservatives fall to in 97?
- 165 seats = lowest since 1906
- ended 18 years of Conservative rule
- symbolised generational and ideological shift
32
where did Labour gain support in 97?
- C2 voters (skilled working class)
- middle class particularly in South
- capitalised on Conservative disunity, Major weak leadership, sleaze
33
how many seats did Lib-dems win and why?
- 46 seats
- due to tactical voting
34
Labour media and image control
- Blair and Campbell professionalised media
- formed close relations with media outlets (The Sun backed Labour in 97 GE)
- US-style electioneering = "spin" emerged, message discipline, focus groups
35
when and what was Section 28?
- 1988
- remained in place despite rise of LGBTQ
- banned local authorities from "promoting sexuality"
36
example of LGBTQ activism rising
- Stonewall founded 1989
- prominent campaign against legal discrimination
37
how did legal reform lag behind public attitude?
- age of consent for gay men not equalised until 2001, fell to 18 in 94
- more challenging of traditional authority amongst youth
38
increased visibility of homosexuality by mid-90's
- in media and pop culture
- Queer as Folk
- Boy George
- Pet Shop Boys
39
when and who died drinking too much water after taking MDMA?
- Leah Betts
- aged 18
- November 1995
40
when and what were Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994?
- criminalised 'repetitive beats"
- led to less raves
- explosion of raves and house music in late 80's
41
who hijacked/capitalised on emergence of "Cool Britania"?
- Blair
- posed with guitar
- met with Liam Gallagher
42
examples of satire and rebellious pop culture
- Spitting Image
- Have I Got News For You
- The Day Today
- bands like Oasis, Blur were part of Britpop - celebrated working class identity
43
how much did racially motivated crime increase under Major?
- just over 4,000 incidents per year to almost 8,000
44
1991 census showed ethnic minorities made up what percentage of population?
- 6%
- notable growth in South Asian and Black communities
- particularly in urban centres like London, Birmingham, Manchester
45
when and who was murdered, increasing racial tensions?
- Stephen Lawrence 1993
- initially treated as gang related = public outrage
- no convictions in this period
- Macpherson Report concluded police were "institutionally racist" 1999
46
examples of rise of Black-British identity
- Music = Jungle, Reggae, Garage
- Literature = Benjamin Zephaniah
- Sports = Linford Christie, Dwight Yorke, Frank Bruno
47
what percentage of women were employed by 1996?
- 70%
- compared to 58% in 1980
48
only how many female MP's were elected in 1992?
- 60
- 9.2% of House of Commons
- but Labour's all women shortlist introduced mid-90's increased representation
49
example of spotlight women?
- Betty Boothroyd became first female speaker 1992
50
what became illegal in marriage in what year?
- rape
- 1994
51
campaigns surrounding what issues for women gained traction?
- Childcare Support
- Equal Pay
- limited state childcare meant many women struggled to balance work
- gender pay gap and limited senior roles persisted
52
when was it enforced and what was the Single European Act?
- enforced 1987, first agreed 1986
- committed members to single internal market by 1992
- majority voting
- controversial for UK sovereignty
53
when and what was Maastricht Treaty?
- 1992
- established EU and the Euro
- Major opt out of Euro and Social Chapter (workers rights)
- fierce rebellion from "eurorebels" including Ian Duncan Smith
- led to increased public and political euroscepticism
- UK became an awkward partner with semi-detached attitude to deeper integration
54
when and what was the Maastricht ratification crisis?
- 1993
- Major survives vote of no confidence
- threatened to call early GE to pass the treaty
55
what did the end of Cold War mean for foreign policy?
- Major supports German reunification and NATO expansion
- UK remained nuclear power with Trident Submarine Programme
- fall of Berlin Wall 1989 and collapse of USSR 1991 triggered by free election in Poland
- marked shift to global peacekeeping role
56
two positives of Special Relationship
- 1991 Britain 2nd largest contributor to Gulf War coalition over 45thousand troops pleased Bush
- Major worked closely with Clinton on Northern Ireland (Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein leader, granted US visa in 1995 = controversial)
- however, rumours of illegal arms deals to Iraq
57
what was Britain's global role?
- reasserted peacekeeping role vs superpower rivalry
- retained commitment to NATO = redefined post imperial identity via global cooperation
- supported IMF, UN, World Bank
58
involvement in Yugoslav Wars 1991-95
- tested post Cold War foreign policy
- initially reluctant to intervene
- criticism after Sarajevo Siege 1992-96 where roughly 10thousand civilians and children killed
- key role in 1995 NATO airstrikes on Bosnian Serb forces
- led to Dayton Agreement 1995 = end Bosnian War
59
how many troops did Britain contribute to UNPROFOR (United Nations Protection Force)?
- 2 thousand troops
