Wilson 1974-76

Question 1

IMF crisis 1976

Answer 1

• Balance of payments crisis.
• Chancellor of the Exchequer of the Callaghan ministry, Healey, applied for a loan of $3.9 billion from IMF.
  Loan conditions were that Britain had to make cuts to public expenditure.
  Giving in to the demands of the IMF hurt Labour government reputation

Question 2

Social changes 1970s

Answer 2

Changes for women:
~ First rape crisis centre in London 1976
~ Marches for equal pay
~ Feminism arose
~ 1975, sex discrimination act - illegal to discriminate on gender/marital status
~ 1976, domestic violence act - women could take out orders on partners
Changes in Youth:
~ National front became more active
~ Punk movement - bands such as sex pistols - offered outlet for working class their songs spot for anger/isolation
~ Skinheads from the mod culture, the working class was linked to hooliganism
~ Football became referred to as the ‘British disease’
~ Punks created moral panic, spat on the stage/swore, and often violent
Changes in Race and Immigration:
~ 1976, race relations act
~ In 1974, 1 million immigrants had arrived in Britain from Commonwealth
~ In 1977, the Anti-Nazi league to combat violence against minorities
~ In 1971, rush of immigrants (Bangladesh) after breakaway (Pakistan)
~ Representation minorities was weak, skinheads involved in brutal attacks which were known as ‘Paki-Bashing’
Changes in Environment:
~ ‘Environmentalism’ - pollution, nuclear waste, etc.
~ Pictures of earth from space impacted people’s view on the world.
~ 1970 - Year of European conversation
~ 1973 - People’s party was set up which is now known as the ‘green party’
~ 1971 - ‘Friends of the Earth’ came to Britain from US
~ 1979 - Attenborough’s life on earth series gained massive television audiences worldwide
~ 1977 - Green peace UK established

Question 3

1975 referendum

Answer 3

Motivation to improve relations with unions and left Labour Party, both were sceptical of the EEC’s Common Market.
Labour government favoured staying.
Labour MPs, saw Common Market as ‘capitalist club’ - got in the way of Labour making Britain more socialist

Question 4

Wilson resigns

Answer 4

Wilson resigned as Prime Minister and Labour leader in 1976. In a press conference held on 16 March 1976, the day he resigned, Wilson claimed that he had never intended to stay in office for more than two years. He claimed this was a favourable time to resign, as the economy was improving, and a new leader would help bring a fresh outlook to Britain’s problems.