Heaths Government Flashcards
(33 cards)
Heaths 1970 election victory
He felt that His victory would enable him to run a strong government committed to modernising Britain. He achieves success in his effort to secure British membership of the EEC.
Heath as leader
When heath became leader
When Edward became Prime Minister, he had a clear and detailed program of policies from the modernisation of Britain.
Heath as a leader
Heaths background
He had been educated at state school and came from a regular family.
Heath as a leader
many of his colleagues regarded him as too honest his own good and not skilful enough for pleasing political allies, he was good at policies but not good at politics.
Heath as leader
Developing policies of Britain
He spent his time developing detailed policies on industrial relations and economic modernisation he knew the issues surrounding the EEC entry and was the chief negotiator from 1961-63
Heath as leader
Economic and industrial problems and leadership challenges
The problems with economy and industry from 1970-74 and the election defeats of 1974, several back bench MPs were determined to force a leadership contest.
Heath as a leader
Margret thatchers challenge to leadership
Margaret Thatcher emerged as the key challenger, and her policies were generally to the right of Heath. She had become sympathetic to monetarist and free market policies put forward by Enoch Powell and Keith Joseph
Heath as leader
Margaret Thatcher defeat 1975
Many supported Thatcher as there was nobody else and she exploited the sense that things were going badly wrong with the party. That should defeated teeth, and Heath’s reputation took a battering from supporters of Thatcherism.
Political and economic policies
The Conservative conference at Selden Park
The conference was held to approve policy program, which would form the basis of a conservatives manifesto at election.
Political, economic policies
Conservative manifestos policies
Tax reform, better law and order, reforms to trade unions, Immigration control, cuts to public spending and the end of public subsidy of lame duck industries.
What is a “lame duck” industry?
An industry that is unable to compete and survive without support from the state
Economic and political policies
Other reforms during Heath leadership
The school leaving age was raised to 16. The local government was re-organised and the British currency went decimal. However, the administration was dominated by the economy and industrial relations.
Political and economic policies
Anthony Barber (chancellor)
He introduced cuts in public spending and introduced tax cuts to try to encourage investment. He called the Barbara boom began with a rapid rise in inflation. however, inflation was not accompanied by economic growth.
Political and economic policies
UnEmployment
Unemployment went up, which was something highly unusual at the same time as inflation,led to stagflation. Employment started to edge towards 1 million and the government felt compelled to take action.
What does stagflation mean?
Invented by economists to describe the unusual combination of inflation and stagnant economic growth (which often produces unemployment) occurring at the same time.
Economic and political policies
Nationalisation of Rolls-Royce
The engineering firm Rolls-Royce was nationalised in 1971, and the government money was also poured in to prevent shipbuilders going bankrupt. This was known as the U-turn.
What was the U-turn?
Reversal of a previous policy, Heath used a U-turn in 1971 to 1972, where he had to retreat from the free enterprise economic principles that His government had tried to follow from 1970.
Political and economic policies
Modernising industries 1973
By 1973 the investment the government had made into modernising industry seems to be working as an employment had fallen back to 500,000 however, this was to change with the oil price crisis of 1973 and energy crisis that followed.
Economic and political policies
Causes of the oil-price crisis and energy crisis
The trigger for the crisis in October 1973, was the one Kippur war in the Middle East. The war prompted OPEC to declare oil embargo and export suddenly stopped the price of oil rocketed to 4 times the usual levels.
What was the organisation of petroleum exporting countries OPEC
Let’s buy Saudia Arabia, which aim to protect the interest of its members. OPEC agreed to fix levels of production to prevent prices from falling too low.
Economic and political policies
Effect of the oil and energy crisis
Led to the National union of minors to demand a huge new pay rise in November 1973, and this led to dramatic struggles between the national union of minors and the government
Industrial relations and the miners strike
Industrial disputes
From the start of Heath premiership, there were industrial disputes to deal with docker strikes, large pay settlements for dustman. A postal workers strike and “go slow” by power workers which led to power cuts.
Industrial relations, the miners strikes
Response to the problems in industrial relations
The government brought in the industrial relations act, which was similar to Barbara Castle white paper, in place of strife proposals. He’s also abolished the national board for prices and incomes.
Industrial relations, and the minor strikes
Industrial relations act
Set up an industrial relations court, and provided for strike ballots, and a colon off period before official strikes could begin. The policy didn’t work as expected as trade unions, and the federal British industry were opposed to it.
