my 1979 notes Flashcards
(11 cards)
1979 party policies and manifesto
- both labour and conservative manifestos were remarkably moderate. little indication of thatcherism
- they both gave high priority to bringing inflation down
- there was mention of returning recently nationalised industries to privatisation and a reduction of trade power in thatcher’s manifesto.
= when callaghan warned MT would move the party to the right, the public couldn’t see evidence of this and he was not credible.
1979 campaign x6
- in 1978 Saatchi & Saatchi used to promote a more aggressive and modern conservative party.
- they used modern TV advertising techniques under Gordon Reece (prev in adv and TV, director of conservative publicity (pos created by MT) and Tim Bell (former advertising executive for saatchi & saatchi)
- thatcher making herself amenable to the public by photo ops, having tea, holding calfs
- thatcher turned down TV debate as Callaghan was more confident and had more experience she couldn’t compete with
- labour campaign was less well refined
- the electorate still thought that “sunny jim” would still make a better PM but in the opinion polls, tories were winning.
1979 wider political context 76-79 x8
- 77 Nov - firefighters strike
- 77 Dec “british disease” refers to perceived economic and social challenges
- 78 march - Bread rationing
- Aug 78 Liberal x Labour pact broke down, so in the vote of no confidence, they didnt have support.
- Dec 78, callaghan narrowly wins vote of no confidence by 6 votes
- jan ‘79 lorry drivers strike, disrupts the entire supply chain
- Nov 78-Feb 79, WINTER OF DISCONTENT, 1.5 mil on strike + trade unions. callaghan’s laid back leadershup called into sustainability.
- March ‘79 vote of confidence by MT, labour loses by 1 vote
= General election in MAY
x
p context of 1979
callaghan was leading a minority govt and forced deals with other parties in order to stay in power/ the election was triggered by the withdrawal of the nationalist party support in scotland and wales following the referendum on scottish and welsh devolution
had originally planned to be held autumn 78
Winter of Discontent, failure to enforce a 5% cap on wage increases, the failing economy, frowing inflation and high unemployment suggested the govt was weak.
“crisis? what crisis? headline = out of touch
VALENCE issues were paramount, labour were seen as weak and unable to challenge the unions
changing demographic where voters who identified as middle class were growing and those in working class jobs in decline. labour increasingly unable to rely on its core voters
p image of leaders 1979
james callaghan
good image, popular and experienced. “sunny jim”
Margaret Thatcher
seen as ‘posh’ and distant. poor reputation as education secretary.
p 1979 the campaign
- conservatives hired media consultants Reece and Bell - modern advertising company. = many photo opportunities to improve thatcher’s public image (eg photo with calves)
- MT turned down TV debates as Callaghan’s charisma would have benefitted his campaign
- labour campaign showed a lack of finesse. callaghan used his campaign to warn voters that a conservative govt would oversee a huge shift to the right but message didnt gain traction
- negative campaigning, started in the USA.
p 1979 manifesto
moderation - both sides were focused on similar issues eg reducing inflation.
thatcher’s campaign did talk of privatisation but there was no indication of the extent to which she eventually pursued
tories focused on “freeing the market” and curbing union power - policies which appealed to middle classes
p 1979 results
turnout 76% many labour voters didnt turnout
conservative majority of 43 seats (incr of 63 seats on ‘74)
1979 manifesto - conservative general
econ, priv, law order, edu house, defence
Economic stability - focus on controlling inflation and reducing govt spending by £1.2 billion resonated with voters. promise of tax reductions appealed to individuals and businesses. save £400 million annually by addressing wasteful local direct labour schemes
privatisation and free market - committment to privatisation signalled a shift to a free-market economy. appealed to those who thought private ownership would lead to greater efficiency and prosperity
law and order - tougher sentences for serious offences and increased police presence addressed public’s concerns about rising crime rates. resonated w voters who sought a govt that would prioritise law and order to preserve safety. eg introduce mandatory life sentences for murder, increase police recruitment by improving pay (proposed £1000 annual increase for constables)
education and housing reforms - proposals to increase parental choice in education and promote home ownership appealed to middle class voters, tapping into aspirations and concerns of a portion of the electorate. right to buy council homes - grant council tenants legal right to purchase their homes at a discount of up to 33% after 3 years tenancy, aiming to sell 500,000 homes
national defence and immigration - commitment to a strong defence capibility struck a chord with voters concerned about Nat Sec and impact of immigration on jobs and public services. 3% annual incr in defence spending incl replacing Polaris with a new nuclear deterrent.
introduce a British Nationality Act to clarify citizenship, ending automatic right for commonwealth citzs to settle in UK
