Gateway Into Britian

Question 1

What was the political situation ?

Answer 1

Consensus politics were both parties agreed on
- a welfare state
- fully employment

Labour committed to nationalised industries and conservatives to free enterprise

Question 2

What was the economic situation by 1951 ?

Answer 2

Austerity within big economic decisions
- rationing big part of conservative return to office in 1951

Gov attempt to keep import cost down but encourage exports

Rationing
- petrol ended 50, sweets and sugar 53 and food 54

Concern over the balance of payment as Britian couldn’t boost export
- make sure more income than expenditure so Britain wanted to keep export high rather than spending lots of on imports

Question 3

Why was Maynard Keynes important ?

Answer 3

Advocated boosting demand to avoid depression and proved influential in 1951

Question 4

What was Britians situation overseas ?

Answer 4

• granted independence to many territories but it still had some imperial power
• conscription still in places with bases in SE Asia and Suez Canal being a route way
• British attitudes ro race were archaic with no legal barrier to racial discrimination

Question 5

What was Britian society looking like ?

Answer 5

• more opportunities for middle classes and grammar school educated officers, managers, politicians and civil servants becoming more common
• women had more rights however no equal pay
• post war brought better medical care, education and welfare for the mass of people