The Making of Modern Britain (1997-2007)

What did a 1998 British Social Attitudes survey suggest about homosexuality?

50% believed same-sex relationships were wrong

What happened to the Bank of England in 1997?

It was given independence over monetary policy + treasury rules set about how much could be borrowed - government set inflation targets and bank would control interest rates

Why did pensions lose £8 billion by 2007?

Dividends were taxed

What did Labour do to public services?

Increased investments to make up for the Conservatives underspending - exam results increased

How much did the pension savings rate decline by?

From 9.7% to 3.7%

Which country spent more on public transport?

Germany - 2 / 3 more per person

How many people were employed in the public sector by 2007?

7 million (25% of all employed)

Why did Blair and Brown’s relationship deteriorate?

Brown thought Blair would step down in 2001, according to their 1994 agreement

What was the impact of the 1997 referendums in Scotland and Wales?

Devolution of power was approved

When were the Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly set up?

1998

When were the Welsh assembly powers extended?

2006

When was the mayor of London introduced?

2000

Why did Blair block Livingstone from standing as a Labour candidate in the 2000 mayoral election?

He feared it would awaken memories of left-wing local councils

Why was Blair forced to accept Livingstone?

He ran as an independent + won

What did the 1998 Jenkins Commission recommend?

First-past-the-post should be replaced with a proportional system - no change occurred from this

What did the 2000 Freedom of Information Act do?

Gave the public the right to request information on public bodies

Why did Blair dislike the 2000 Freedom of Information Act?

He said it stopped politicians from making difficult decisions

How was the European convention of human rights incorporated into British law?

Through the 1998 Human rights act

When did Labour achieve all of its 1997 pledges?

2001

What was Blair’s priority?

“Education, education, education”

What was New Labour accused of not understanding?

Rural issues - rising fuel prices in 2000 led to blockades by farmers + lorry drivers

What was there outrage over in 2001?

10 million animals were culled due to foot + mouth disease

What did 500,000 people protest in 2002?

The government banning hunting with dogs - law passed 2004

What was the impact of Brown’s continued use of PFIs?

Prevented large scale borrowing BUT created future debts

When was Hague the leader of the Conservatives?

1997 - 2001

Why was Hague Thatcher’s chosen option?

He was a Eurosceptic

How did Hague unify the Conservatives?

He ruled out joining the EU

What did Peter Lilley warn about in 1999?

The continuation of Thatcherite reforms - Hague condemned this

Who were the divisions in the Conservative Party between?

Mods vs Rockers

Who threatened Hague’s leadership?

Portillo who regained his seat in 1999

When was Ian Duncan Smith the leader of the Conservatives?

2001 - 2003

What did Ian Duncan Smith rebel against?

The 1992 Maastricht Treaty

What was Ian Duncan Smith concerned with?

Compassionate Conservatism - his visit to a deprived estate in Glasgow sparked this

What is an example of Ian Duncan Smith being socially conservative?

He voted against allowing unmarried couples to adopt children

What did Theresa May (party chair) warn about in 2002?

The Conservatives risked looking like “the nasty party”

Which war did Ian Duncan Smith support Britain’s involvement in?

Iraq war - could not criticise Labour later on

When was Howard the leader of the Conservatives?

2003 - 2005

Why did the public dislike Howard?

He was unpopular as the Home Secretary in the 1990s

When was Cameron the leader of the Conservatives?

2005 - 2016

What did Cameron promise?

To maintain Labour’s level of spending to maintain public services

How many seats did Labour win in 2001?

412 - 4 less than 1997

How many seats did the Conservatives win in 2001?

165

What did voter apathy lead to?

59% turnout - compared to the 70% in 1997

Why were Labour losing popularity by the end of the 2000s?

Involvement in Iraq War + divisions between Blair and Brown

How many seats did Labour lose in 2005?

57

What else did Cameron promise?

• Conservatives would take climate change seriously

• Support for gay rights

• Protection of NHS

How many seats did the Conservatives gain in 2005?

32

How many votes did the Liberal Democrats gain?

6 million

When was minimum wage introduced?

1998

Out of the 120 female MPs how many were part of the Labour Party?

101 in 1997

What did a survey on housework find?

Women did up to 3x more housework in 2007

How did the introduction of ASBOs in 1998 affect youth?

It was disproportionately used on them

When was the 1st black cabinet minister appointed?

Paul Boetang was appointed in 2002

How did the BBC chairman describe its workforce?

“Hideously white” in 2001

How many members of the Conservative Party were estimated to be eurosceptic?

145 / 165

What is an example of Blair’s relationship with Europe?

Britain had a leading role in the 2001 Treaty of Nice

Why was Britain losing its influence on Europe?

By 2007 it had extended to include 27 states (Eastern European)

What is liberal interventionism?

The belief that a country should intervene in another if it is necessary to support human rights

What is an example of liberal interventionism?

Britain’s involvement in Sierra Leone in 2000 - stopped rebels + ended civil war in 2001

When did the Iraq war begin?

America sent forces in 2003 + was supported by Britain and other European nations

How did the Iraq war cause domestic issues?

4 ministers including Cook (foreign secretary) resigned + 1 million joined a “stop the war” march in 2003

What was the outcome of the Iraq war?

By 2007 little success was achieved + Blair’s reputation was damaged

When was liberal interventionism introduced?

In Blair’s 1999 doctrine