Why Thatcher won three elections in a row (1979, 1983, 1987)

Question 1

Which regions decided the outcome of the election by swinging towards the Conservatives?

Answer 1

London, the South of England, and the Midlands (1979)

Question 2

How many seats changed hands from Labour to the Conservatives due to the middle-class vote?

Answer 2

40 seats (1979)

Question 3

Why did middle-class voters turn against Labour in the election?

Answer 3

They were punishing Labour for the ‘Winter of Discontent’ and its perceived failure to deal with the trade unions (1979)

Question 4

How many votes did the Liberals lose in the election?

Answer 4

1 million votes (1979)

Question 5

Why did the Liberals lose votes in the election?

Answer 5

They were punished for the ‘Lib-Lab’ pact and keeping Callaghan in power (1979)

Question 6

How did the loss of Liberal votes help the Conservatives?

Answer 6

In the Midlands and the South, many former Liberal votes went to the Conservatives, allowing them to win despite the Labour vote not declining (1979)

Question 7

Which advertising agency did the Conservatives hire for their campaign?

Answer 7

Saatchi & Saatchi (1979)

Question 8

What was the name of the famous Conservative campaign poster?

Answer 8

‘Labour Isn’t Working’ (1979)

Question 9

Which newspaper coordinated its message closely with the Conservatives?

Answer 9

The Sun (1979)

Question 10

Who owned The Sun newspaper?

Answer 10

Rupert Murdoch (1979)

Question 11

How did The Sun persuade voters to support the Conservatives?

Answer 11

It featured many ex-Labour MPs explaining why they were voting Conservative (1979)

Question 12

Which Conservative policy targeted skilled working-class voters?

Answer 12

The ‘Right to Buy’ policy (1979)

Question 13

How much of a swing did Thatcher achieve from skilled working-class voters?

Answer 13

11% swing towards the Conservatives (1979)

Question 14

What event did Thatcher organize to showcase her working-class support?

Answer 14

A ‘Conservative Trade Unionists’ rally in London (1979)

Question 15

How did Thatcher appeal to far-right voters on immigration?

Answer 15

She co-opted some rhetoric from the National Front and stated on TV that people feared being “swamped by people with a different culture” (1978)

Question 16

What major foreign conflict boosted Thatcher’s popularity before the election?

Answer 16

The Falklands War (1982)

Question 17

Which country invaded the Falkland Islands?

Answer 17

Argentina (1982)

Question 18

How did Thatcher respond to the invasion?

Answer 18

She sent a ‘Task Force’ of ships, planes, special forces, and infantry to recapture the islands (1982)

Question 19

How many Argentine soldiers were killed in the Falklands War?

Answer 19

655 (1982)

Question 20

How many British soldiers were killed in the Falklands War?

Answer 20

255 (1982)

Question 21

What event celebrated Britain’s victory in the Falklands War?

Answer 21

A ‘Victory Parade’ in London (October 1982)

Question 22

How many people attended the Victory Parade?

Answer 22

300,000 (1982)

Question 23

What did Thatcher say the Falklands victory made people feel?

Answer 23

“Proud to be British” (1982)

Question 24

Who was elected Labour leader in 1980?

Answer 24

Michael Foot (1980)

Question 25

Why was Michael Foot controversial as Labour leader?

Answer 25

He was perceived as being on the left due to his support for nationalization, unilateral nuclear disarmament, and government regulation (1980)

Question 26

What was the name of the right-wing Labour faction that split from the party?

Answer 26

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) (1981)

Question 27

Who were the ‘Gang of Four’ that founded the SDP?

Answer 27

Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Shirley Williams, and Bill Rodgers (1981)

Question 28

Why did the formation of the SDP hurt Labour?

Answer 28

It split the anti-Conservative vote (1983)

Question 29

What was the Labour manifesto of 1983 called by Gerald Kaufman?

Answer 29

‘The longest suicide note in history’ (1983)

Question 30

What major socialist policies were in the 1983 Labour manifesto?

Answer 30

- Unilateral nuclear disarmament - Withdrawal from the EEC - Abolition of the House of Lords - Nationalization of British Aerospace and British shipbuilders

Question 31

Which Conservative policies were popular before the election?

Answer 31

The ‘Right to Buy’ scheme and privatization of industries (1987)

Question 32

What economic improvements helped the Conservatives?

Answer 32

Falling unemployment and a strong pound (1987)

Question 33

Who became Labour leader after Michael Foot?

Answer 33

Neil Kinnock (1983)

Question 34

What controversial left-wing faction did Neil Kinnock attack?

Answer 34

The Trotskyist group ‘Militant Tendency’ (1985)

Question 35

Which city council was taken over by ‘Militant Tendency’?

Answer 35

Liverpool City Council (1980s)

Question 36

How did Kinnock try to move Labour towards the right?

Answer 36

- Expelled ‘Militant Tendency’ - Refused to back the Miners’ Strike (1984-85) - Rejected withdrawal from the EEC - Renounced most nationalization promises

Question 37

How many extra votes did Labour gain under Kinnock?

Answer 37

1.5 million more votes (1987)

Question 38

How many extra seats did Labour gain in the election?

Answer 38

20 more seats (1987)

Question 39

What percentage of the vote did the SDP-Liberal Alliance receive?

Answer 39

7.8 million votes (1987)

Question 40

How many seats did the SDP-Liberal Alliance win?

Answer 40

23 seats (1987)

Question 41

Why did the SDP-Liberal Alliance help the Conservatives win?

Answer 41

They split the anti-Thatcher vote, allowing Conservatives to win despite receiving fewer total votes than Labour and the Alliance combined (1987)

Question 42

How many total votes did Labour and the Alliance receive?

Answer 42

17.3 million (1987)

Question 43

How many total votes did the Conservatives receive?

Answer 43

13.7 million (1987)