fall of thatcher and rise of major

Question 1

stock market issues

Answer 1

1987 crashed following the deregulation of the City in 1986

Question 2

lawson (chancellor) policies

Answer 2

especially 1988 budget
let to rapid expansion of the economy - ‘lawson boom’
resulted in balance of payments issue

Question 3

inflation

Answer 3

1990 - 10.9%
higher than 1980

problem for a government that had set its key economic objective as low inflation

Question 4

loss of eastbourne

Answer 4

tory ultra safe seat Eastbourne was lost to the Liberals in 1990 by-election

Question 5

poll tax

Answer 5

made conservatives V unpopular

thatcher advised to drop it, but did not

poll tax riot in March 1990

Question 6

conservative divisions

Answer 6

over Europe, economic policies and thatcher’s leadership style

Question 7

labour party at the time

Answer 7

making a recovery under Neil Kinnock and John Smith

Question 8

role of geoffrey howe

Answer 8

always loyal to thatcher
been in cabinet since 1979
always sidelined by thatcher

was not told about joining the ERM

resigned in 1990 over europe disputes
resignation speech designed to damage thatcher
indirectly called for her to be removed from office

Question 9

micheal hestletine

Answer 9

europhile

very charasmatic

very popular - thatcher had to bring into government

unofficial minister for Liverpool - lots of effort into improving the city

Question 10

nigel lawson

Answer 10

chancellor

very arrogant

tension between thatcher and lawson over Europe

thatcher appointed her own economic advisor

Question 11

westland affair
1986

Answer 11

hestletine and thatcher public dispute

over westland helicopters - UK last helicopter manufacturer

hestletine - europe integration
thatcher - american integration

suspicion thatcher lied to HOC

Question 12

leadership contest

Answer 12

hestletine challenged thatcher 1990

thatcher fail to win 1st ballot

thatcher persuaded to withdraw from 2nd round

announced her resignation 22nd nov

Question 13

thatcher legacy

Answer 13

affected development of labour party - new labour

housing boom in south

economic policies consequence took place

Question 14

view on thatcher

Answer 14

major was a thatcherite

Question 15

previous positions

Answer 15

held many ministerial positions

BUT did not hold them long enough to make a lasting impressions

Question 16

party divisions under major

Answer 16

he wanted to unify the party

ongoing hostility to hestletine

people wanted to take revenge against people who had ‘betrayed maggie’

Question 17

major and foreign affairs

Answer 17

successful conclusion of 1st gulf war in 1991

wanted to see britain at the ‘heart of europe’

Question 18

poll tax

Answer 18

scrapping the tax would divide the party

1991 abandoned for new council tax

allowed major to get away from an unpopular policy

Question 19

opinion polls 1992

Answer 19

conservative - 29%
labour - 41%

swung back to conservatives at the end of the campaign

Question 20

attitudes in 1992 campaign

Answer 20

conservative - upbeat and optomistic
labour - overly confident

Question 21

labour position 1992

Answer 21

inability to win an election

too divided and lacked government experience

experience of 80s still too strong

had not reformed enough

Question 22

conservative positon 1992

Answer 22

good campaign

major had a lot of respect for his old fashioned ‘soap box’ politics

still seen as the party that could get the country out of mess

Question 23

major inherited economic problems

Answer 23

declining manufacturing output
high interest rates
steep rise in unemployment
slump in house prices

Question 24

unemployement 1991-1992

Answer 24

rose from 1.6 mill to 2.6 mill

Question 25

negatuve equity

Answer 25

affected homeowners having to repay mortages that were higher than the current value of their homes many had homes reposessed

Question 26

major's high public spending

Answer 26

election imminent half of this spending was forced due to rising unemployment used for subsides on transport and increased NHS spending

Question 27

ERM

Answer 27

exchange rate mechanism set up to stablise exchange rayes between different EU countries

Question 28

Britain exit from ERM

Answer 28

british currency under pressure from sept 1992 wanted to avoid devaluation so wanted to remain within ERM pound continued to sink Lamont announced decision to leave ERM on live TV 19th sept 1992

Question 29

consequences of leaving ERM

Answer 29

economic - britain economy stablised political - disasterious for conservatives, not seen as party of economics anymore

Question 30

economy post black wednesday

Answer 30

prevented britain from having to keep high interest rates to protect sterling exchange rates decreased, good for british exports

Question 31

germany economy at the time

Answer 31

suffering costs of reunification and had sluggish growth rates compared to britian

Question 32

consumer spending

Answer 32

increased car ownserhip went up house prices rose

Question 33

sex scandals

Answer 33

over 12 involving MPs having extramarital affairs EG. David Mellor

Question 34

scott enquiry

Answer 34

1994 major set up to investigate illegal arms dealing proved that government ministers had broken the rules they were enabling Matrix Churchill to supply arms to iraqc

Question 35

cash for questions

Answer 35

Tory MPs accused of accepting money in return for lobbying in parliament on behalf of harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed

Question 36

role of newspapers

Answer 36

such as private eye, guardian and tv show 'spitting image' mocked major

Question 37

privatisation

Answer 37

coal industry - 1994 railways - 1996 set to privatise Post Office but had too much opposition

Question 38

Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

Answer 38

public-private partenerships meant private companies would fund infrastructure improvements and deliver public services so that the state would pay for over the length of the contract

Question 39

Citizens Charter

Answer 39

1991 increase competition and privatisation in public sector to improve standards brought free market into the public sector EG. education more testing and ranking - brought in ofsted

Question 40

pit closures

Answer 40

continued in 1991, Hesteltine announced closures of 31 pits some in Nottinghamshire - poor reward from conservatives as it was nottinghamshire miners who stood against Scargill

Question 41

BSE crisis

Answer 41

'mad cow disease' threat to health in 1996 led to british beef being banned in europe

Question 42

significance of major's policies

Answer 42

none appeared to be big enough to undermine a government reputation helped to cement an image of incompetence

Question 43

thatcher's policies

Answer 43

did not change in the final years of her administration

Question 44

what did the government ban?

Answer 44

organisations which were believed to to support terrorist activites from broadcasting in britain

Question 45

'shoot to kill' policy

Answer 45

accusations of this after 3 IRA members were killed by the SAS in gibraltar in 1988

Question 46

guildford four

Answer 46

jailed in 1975 for life bombing of 2 guildford pubs in which 5 people died verdict overturned in 1989

Question 47

birmingham six

Answer 47

jailed in 1975 for life bombing of 2 birmingham pubs in which 21 people died verdict overturned in 1991

Question 48

secret messages

Answer 48

1991 government recieved secret messages hinting that sinn fein was ready to disguss a peace agreement

Question 49

unionist view

Answer 49

fearful of being 'sold out by the british'

Question 50

republican view

Answer 50

deep-rooted hostility to the british

Question 51

clinton involvement

Answer 51

made a constructive contribution, encouraging sinn fein away from armed struggle

Question 52

downing street declaration

Answer 52

brought moderates together to isolate radicals decided a new form of NI government new NI government would respect all traditions british accepted irish unity was an issue for irish people, but was only possible with consent of the north forum for peace and reconciliation set up to promote trust and understanding

Question 53

issue with irish constitution

Answer 53

does not recognise NI as independent, therefore would have to change its constitution

Question 54

IRA ceasefire

Answer 54

announced in 1994 loyalist paramilitaries matched this with a ceasefire of their own

Question 55

ulster unionists and decommissioning

Answer 55

refused to negotiate before decommissioning

Question 56

bomb attacks

Answer 56

1999 damaged financial district of canary wharf destroyed centre of manchester

Question 57

professor alan walters

Answer 57

thatcher's economic advisor infuriated her chancellor - nigel lawson

Question 58

geoffrey howe

Answer 58

alienated thatcher moved him from the Foreign Office to a lesser post

Question 59

thatcher's leadership

Answer 59

caused many divisions howe's resignation speech complained that thatcher undermined her ministers over europe

Question 60

divisions in 1992

Answer 60

despite major's attempts to unify failed despite election success, divisions worsened

Question 61

right wingers

Answer 61

pushed for more radical social policies those with leadership ambitions saw a chance to advance their claims euroscpetics saw an opening to push out the EU

Question 62

press speculation

Answer 62

continued about possible challengers for the leadership micheal portillo and john redwood often mentioned right wing press often called for leader replacement

Question 63

1995 leadership election

Answer 63

major felt very insecure called leadership election wanted to be relected to gain confidencei

Question 64

john redwood in leadership election

Answer 64

main challenger to major backed by thatcherites and eurosceptics

Question 65

hestletine in leadership election

Answer 65

before the ballot, major met with heseltine and agreed to make him deputy PM hesteltine then made it very clear everyone knew he voted for major

Question 66

results

Answer 66

major won 218 to 89 attitude of press remained hostile to major

Question 67

thatcher's comments

Answer 67

encouraged eurosceptic rebels demanding a referendum her memoirs were lukewarm about major gave support to redwood gave support to blair in 1997