Labour and Tory Governments 1964-79
- Created by: TaylorYS
- Created on: 30-05-19 22:52
View mindmap
- Labour and Tory Governments 1964-79
- Labour 1964-70 (Wilson)
- 1964 Election (4 Seat Majority)
- Conservative Decline
- Tories in 1951-64 had no answer for rising unemployment, inflation, and divisions in wealth
- Douglas-Home and the party itself seemed out of touch
- Conservative Scandals
- Profumo Affair
- Christine Keeler (links to the Russian embassy through prostitution) had an affair with John Profumo
- Vassall Affair
- Vassall spied for the Soviet Union
- Rumoured cover up within the Admiralty
- Philby Case
- Senior official at the Foreign Office had been passing info to the USSR and recruiting spies
- Argyll Affair
- Government ministers affairs with the wife of the Duke of Argyll
- Profumo Affair
- Night of the Long Knives
- Wilson's Appeal
- Classless leader, man of the people
- Was able to gloss over the still present divisions in the Labour party
- Modern, dynamic, and progressive
- Classless leader, man of the people
- Younger society, looking to modernize
- Wilson promised to 'harness science to our economic planning'
- Labour promised to prosper in this scientific revolution
- Revival of the Liberal Party
- Middle Class voters wanting to protest against the Tories would turn to the Liberals
- Conservative Decline
- Successes
- Social Reforms
- Roy Jenkins
- Race Relations (1965)
- Tightened rules on immigration due to its unpopularity in Labour voters
- Many new arrivals from the Commonwealth
- Public discrimination made illegal
- Tightened rules on immigration due to its unpopularity in Labour voters
- Voting Age lowered to 18 (1969)
- Equal Pay law (1970)
- Abortion legalised and contraception more available (1967)
- Private homosexual acts legalised (1967)
- Race Relations (1965)
- Reduced division in social class
- Roy Jenkins
- Education
- 1963 Robbins Report on Higher Education
- Greater number of universities
- Open University for all ages
- Comprehensive system expanded
- 1963 Robbins Report on Higher Education
- Economic Policy
- BOPD improving by 1969
- Value of sterling maintained
- Road transport and industrial development in Wales and the North
- Social Reforms
- Failures
- The Economy
- Labour opted for unpopular spending cuts and higher taxes
- Devaluation of the pound in 1967
- Seamen strikes damaged exports, high inflation, and BOPD led to devaluation
- Wilson initially ruled out devaluation as it would: reduce working class savings, associate labour with the 'easy way out', and upset the Americans
- Labour opted for unpopular spending cuts and higher taxes
- National Plan
- Contributed to victory in 1966 due to it being a coherant vision for the future
- Targeted an annual growth rate of 3.8% in 6 years, and an increase in exports of 5.25% each year
- Achieved very little
- Stagflation
- Trade Unions
- 'In Place of Strife'
- Unions had to ballot members before striking
- Settlements by arbitration
- Abandoned due to unpopularity
- Seamen strikes damaged exports, high inflation, and BOPD led to devaluation
- More powerful than the government
- Demonstrated government weakness
- 'In Place of Strife'
- Rejected EEC membership
- The Economy
- 1964 Election (4 Seat Majority)
- Conservatives 1970-74 (Heath)
- 1970 Election (30 Seat Majority)
- Divisions in the Labour Party
- Wilson's complacency
- Too relaxed, underestimating eath's electioneering skills
- Was ahead in approval ratings, so became overconfident
- Publication of poor trade figures just before election day
- Splits had re-emerged
- Betrayal of the party's roots
- Trade Unions
- Wilson's complacency
- Economic Problems
- Unemployment and inflation had increased under the Labour government
- Failure of In Place of Strife and the National Plan
- Unemployment and inflation had increased under the Labour government
- Conservative Strengths
- Heath's Leadership
- Attacked Labour's economic failures
- Dealt firmly with challenges to authority
- Modern leader, clear policies, didn't tolerate old fashioned opinions
- Policies
- Promised to reform industrial relations, and apply again to join the EEC
- Promised the government would interfere less with the economy
- Heath's Leadership
- Divisions in the Labour Party
- Failures
- Economic record
- Inflation rose by 5%
- Level of unemployment stayed the same, but more days were lost to strikes
- Balance of Payments deficit
- Industrial Relations
- Britain would fail to benefit from joining the EEC without improved industrial relations
- Joining the EEC (1973)
- Industrial Relations Act 1971
- Legal right to join a Trade Union
- National Industrial Relations Court (NIRC) and Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) established
- Unions registered would have better protection against unfair dismissal
- TUC told members to deregister, and there were bitter confrontations between Unions and employers
- National Industrial Relations Court (NIRC) and Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) established
- Similarity to 'In Place of Strife' led to unpopularity
- Legal right to join a Trade Union
- Miners' Strike 1972
- Violent incidents, poorly organised government, and skilfully organised miners
- Encouraged further striking, increased inflationary pressure, weak government, and emphasised failure of the IR Act
- Britain would fail to benefit from joining the EEC without improved industrial relations
- Heath's U Turn 1972
- Change in policy to save failing businesses
- Oil Price Shock 1973
- Egypt and Syria went to war against Israel, cut supplies and quadrupled prices due to perceived western support for Israel
- Government response was:
- Electricity for industry and businesses only 3 days a week
- 50mph speed limit on all roads
- Television closed at 10.30pm
- Economic record
- Successes
- Joining the EEC (1973)
- 1970 Election (30 Seat Majority)
- Labour 1974-79 (Wilson/Callaghan)
- 1974 Election (-33 Seat Minority)
- Heath seemed to have lost control and didn't communicate effectively
- 'Who Governs Britain?'
- Voters disliked terms of entry to Europe (unpopular Common Agricultural Policy)
- Three Day Week affected most voters
- 1974 Election (3 Seat Majority)
- Heath seemed to have lost control and didn't communicate effectively
- 1974 Election (3 Seat Majority)
- Divisions in the Party
- Drift to the Left
- Michael Foot and Tony Benn
- Europe
- Wilson promised to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership to the EEC
- Held a vote amongst ministers on membership, 2:1 in favour of continued membership
- Drift to the Left
- Economic Difficulties
- Stagflation
- Inflation reached over 25% per year
- Higher worldwide oil prices
- Labour accepted a pay rise for miners, leading to more groups demanding more
- Economic recovery depended on conquering inflation
- IMF Loan (while deepening the rift between the left and the moderate) prevented an economic crisis
- Increased taxes and cut government spending, limit on wage increases (gradual fall in wage increases)
- Stagflation
- Lib-Lab Pact 1977-78
- Public confidence in government was falling, Tories had a 25% advantage
- New liberal leader and Callaghan made a deal of support
- Winter of Discontent 1978-79
- Inflation rose, wages were frozen, Trade Unions pressed for wage increases
- Strikes in Winter hit public services
- 1979 Election
- Callaghan seemed out of touch to the crisis
- Broken promises to Scotland and Wales of devolution
- No confidence motion with the Tories
- 1974 Election (-33 Seat Minority)
- Labour 1964-70 (Wilson)
Comments
No comments have yet been made