Heath's Government

Question 1

What were the reasons for the 1970 Labour loss that helped Heath’s government come into power?

Answer 1

• Enoch Powell’s anti-immigration ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech
• Internal Labour Divisions
• Struggling economy under Wilson

Question 2

What was Heath like as a leader?

Answer 2

• had a clear and detailed programme of policies for the modernisation of Britain
• familiar with the issues surrounding the EEC as he was the chief negotiator
• first state school conservative leader - appeals to the regular British person

Question 3

What were Heath’s aims?

Answer 3

• tax reform
• better law & order
• reforms to trade unions
• immigration controls
• cuts to public spending
• end of lame duck industries

Question 4

What was Heath’s goal for Britain?

Answer 4

For Britain to be the heart of a unified Europe

Question 5

What was the conference that took place before the 1970 general election?

Answer 5

Selsdon Park Conference

Question 6

What was the purpose of the Selsdon Park Conference?

Answer 6

to lay out and produce the Conservative manifesto

Question 7

What was the event that triggered economic struggle at the very beginning of Heath’s 1970 win?

Answer 7

Death of the Chancellor of the Exchequer - Ian McLeod

Question 8

Who replaced McLeod as Chancellor?

Answer 8

Anthony Barber

Question 9

What was the economic crisis caused by Barber?

Answer 9

The Barber Boom

Question 10

What are the key aspects of the Barber Boom?

Answer 10

• cuts to public spending
• tax cuts (to encourage investment)
• rise in inflation
• increased unemployment

Question 11

What is the key term that links to the barber boom?

Answer 11

Stagflation - when inflation and unemployment are both increasing

Question 12

What change did Heath bring in order to align British currency with others in Europe?

Answer 12

decimalisation - pence in the pound is worth 100 rather than 144

Question 13

What type of turn did Heath take on his policies?

Answer 13

U-turn

Question 14

What did Heath initially promise in the manifesto in regards to subsidiys?

Answer 14

• end lame duck industries (cannot run without gov funding)

Question 15

What were causes for the U-turn?

Answer 15

• unemployment reaching nearly 1 million
• felt compelled to take action as it preserved thousands of jobs

Question 16

What are some example of the U-turn?

Answer 16

• nationalisation of largest manufactures Rolls Royce (on verge of bankruptcy)
• Upper Clyde Shipbuilders saved from collapse

Question 17

What positive effect did the U-turn have on employment?

Answer 17

1971 - reached nearly one million
1973 - reached 500,000 (modernising halved unemployment)

Question 18

What was the raw material that the industrial crisis was based on?

Answer 18

oil

Question 19

What was the trigger for the oil crisis?

Answer 19

1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East

Question 20

What did the Yom Kippur War prompt?

Answer 20

the OPEC to declare and oil embargo

Question 21

What is the OPEC?

Answer 21

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Question 22

What was the effect of the oil embargo?

Answer 22

• oil exports stopped
• price of oil 4x usual levels

Question 23

What is the OPEC oil crisis a trigger for?

Answer 23

NUM pay rise demands

Question 24

What is the NUM?

Answer 24

National Union of Miners

Question 25

What were some industrial disputes that took place before the miners' strike?

Answer 25

- dockers' strike - postal workers' strike - 'go-slow' strike by power workers = power cuts

Question 26

What did Heath do as a response to the increased strike action?

Answer 26

- Introduced the Industrial Relations Act Abolished the National Board for Prices and Incomes

Question 27

What did the Industrial Relations Act do?

Answer 27

- ballots needed in order for an official strike to take place - a 60 day 'cooling-off' period before official strikes

Question 28

What were the reactions like to the Industrial Relations Act?

Answer 28

- strong opposition from the TUC - major strikes - most working days lost since 1926 (23.9 million)

Question 29

Who are the TUC?

Answer 29

Trade Unions Congress

Question 30

What was the major strike of 1972?

Answer 30

The Yorkshire Miners' Strike led by Arthur Scargill

Question 31

What were the effects of the Yorkshire Miners' Strike?

Answer 31

- virtually stopped the movement of coal - schools were closed - 1.2 million workers were laid off

Question 32

How did Heath attempt to appease the unions after the Yorkshire Miners' Strike?

Answer 32

Introduced the 1972 Industry Act

Question 33

What were the aims of the industry act?

Answer 33

aimed to involve the government, TUC, and CBI in agreeing wages, prices, investments, and benefits

Question 34

Why did the Industry Act fail?

Answer 34

The 1973 Oil crisis meant that miners' had increased wage demands despite the agreement

Question 36

What did the Miners do in order to strengthen their wage increase demands in 1973?

Answer 36

an overtime ban

Question 37

How did Heath react to the miners' strike?

Answer 37

- declared a state of emergency - announced a three day week

Question 38

When was the national Miners' Strike?

Answer 38

1974 - after refusing Heath's suggestions of a small (not large enough) wage increase

Question 39

What did Heath do in 1974?

Answer 39

call a general election

Question 40

Why was Heath calling a general election a bad thing for Conservative leadership?

Answer 40

constant striking brought down the government

Question 41

What was the grounds for the 1974 election?

Answer 41

Who governs Britain?

Question 42

What was the result of the 1974 election?

Answer 42

- no party had a majority - hung parliament

Question 43

Where did a lot of Heath's problems stem from?

Answer 43

Northern Ireland

Question 44

What are those in NI who wished to be apart of the UK named?

Answer 44

Unionists/ loyalists

Question 45

What are those in NI who did not wish to be apart of the UK named?

Answer 45

nationalists

Question 46

What type of violence did the Conservative government inherit?

Answer 46

Seecretarian - religious violence

Question 47

What party did Heath initially support?

Answer 47

The UUP - Ulster Unionists Party

Question 48

What were some of the policies of the UUP?

Answer 48

- internment (imprisoned without trial) - a 10:30pm curfew

Question 49

What was the reaction to internment?

Answer 49

- ineffective as security measures - alienated nationalists

Question 50

What group supported internment?

Answer 50

IRA - said it was the 'best recruitment tool they ever had'

Question 51

What did the controversial measures in NI cause for the British army?

Answer 51

regarded as the enemy - worsened by Bloody Sunday

Question 52

What were the effects of Bloody Sunday?

Answer 52

- British embassy burnt down - IRA support grew - direct rule introduced

Question 53

What is the agreement brought in by 1973?

Answer 53

Sunningdale Agreement

Question 54

What was the purpose of the Sunningdale Agreement?

Answer 54

a complex method of power sharing government

Question 55

What did the Sunningdale Agreement propose?

Answer 55

- Northern Irish Assembly - proportional representation - nationalists and unionists working together

Question 56

What was the reaction to the Sunningdale Agreement?

Answer 56

extremists denounced the agreement

Question 57

Why did Heath's policies in Northern Ireland fail?

Answer 57

- lack of public support - problems in Britain - extremist groups (IRA) - British army - party divisions

Question 58

Overall what were Heath's successes?

Answer 58

- entered the EEC (1973) - through gov investments into modernisation unemployment was halved - ending of lame duck industries

Question 59

Overall what were Heath's failures?

Answer 59

- Miners' Strikes - Northern Ireland conflicts - U-turn - continued economic issues (inflation)