Heath Government 1970-1975

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  • The Heath Government 1970-1974
    • Political & Economic Timeline
      • 1970
        • surprise election victory for Cons under Heath
      • 1971
        • decimalistion of the currency
      • 1972
        • unemployment above 1m for the first time since 1930s
        • 'Bloody Sunday' in Derry
      • 1973
        • oil crisis & energy shortages
        • three day week imposed
        • Sunningdale Agreement for power-sharing in NI
      • 1974
        • Heath narrowly defeated in Feb election
        • collapse of Sunningale Agreement after Loyalist's Worker's Strike
        • victory of Wilson & Lab in Oct election
      • 1975
        • EEC referendum brings 2:1 majority for 'yes' vote
        • Heath replaced by Thatcher as party leader
    • Heath
      • went to a state school
      • never devious & too honest for his own good
        • not skilful enough at pleasing political allies
        • Chris Rowe said 'good at policies not politics'
      • supported by Chancellor (Anthony Barber), the NI Secretary (Willie Whitelaw) & Employment Minister (Jim Prior)
      • less enthusiastic were Sir Keith Joseph & Education Secretary, Thatcher
    • Successes
      • 69 Lab rebels helped Heath win parliamentary approval for EEC entry
      • his belief in one nation conservatism remained constant
      • services deemed essential were exempt from 3 day week
      • NUM had good case for improved pay & conditions to match recent rises
      • efficient & pragmatic politician
      • committed to realistic policies
      • enormous welfare spending enriched the lower levels of society
      • North Sea oil due to come on stream in next few years
      • 1972 Local GovernmentActs
    • Failures
      • Heath supported Belfast govt. leader Faulkner & his policy of internment
        • it isolated nationalist communities & was ineffective
      • Sunningdale Agreement collapsed & violence continued for another 24 years
      • Sir Keith Joseph & Thatcher heavily criticised Heath's u-turn
      • Whitelaw moved to be minister of employment to use his persuasion skills on Gormley
        • this failed & in Jan 1974 NUM called a strike
          • it received massive support which led to a BoP crisis
      • ending of free school milk for over 7s
      • inflation didn't see a rise in economic growth & unemployment increased
      • indust. relations court ineffective
      • major strikes 1972
      • went back on election promises
      • society shut down for 4 days a week
      • TU power growing out of control
      • approach to Rhodesia was weak & divided the Cons. party
      • potential damage to special relationship by not getting involved in Vietnam
      • damage to image from homosexual / asexuality rumours
      • right wing backlash against excessive union power
    • Beyond Heath's Control
      • Lab party was divided over the Europe issue
      • Bloody Sunday
      • Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, oil embargo & prices rose x4
    • Heath's Aims
      • to secure B's entry to the EEC
        • he was chief negotiator 1961-63
      • to develop policies in indust. relations & economic modernistion
      • Jan 1970 the Cons held the Selsdon Park meeting
        • setting out approaches to economic problems eg allowing ineffiecnt businesses to go bankrupt

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