The Making of Modern Britain (1970-1979)

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When did Heath become the leader of the Conservative Party?

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1965

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Who was the first Conservative leader to be elected?

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Heath

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84 Terms

1
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When did Heath become the leader of the Conservative Party?

1965

2
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Who was the first Conservative leader to be elected?

Heath

3
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When did the Conservatives hold a conference at Selsdon Park?

1970

4
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What was the “Barber Boom” ?

Tax cuts were introduced to stimulate growth, inflation rose + unemployment reached 1 million (stagflation)

5
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When did Heath nationalise Rolls Royce and why?

1971, as it was struggling (U-turn)

6
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How many were unemployed by 1973?

500,000

7
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When did the Yom Kippur war break out?

1973

8
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What are the effects of the Yom Kippur war?

Oil prices rose ($2 - $35), queues at petrol stations + increase in inflation

9
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When was the industrial relations act introduced?

1971

10
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What did the 1971 industrial relations act introduce?

Strike ballots + a cooling off period before strikes

11
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Who opposed the 1971 industrial relations act?

Trade Union Congress + Confederation of British Industry

12
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When was the miners’ strike?

1972

13
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Who led the 1972 miners’ strike?

Arthur Scargill

14
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What did the Wilberforce Committee do?

Examined the miners’ demands + allowed them to gain a large wage increase

15
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Why was the 1972 industry act unsuccessful?

It aimed to involve the government in agreeing wages to avoid disputes but it failed to do so

16
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When did the miners announce a general strike?

1974

17
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What was Heath’s 1974 general election called?

“Who governs Britain?”

18
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What is a hung parliament?

When a party takes over with a minority government

19
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What were the results of the 1974 election?

Labour took over with a minority (hung parliament)

20
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What level was inflation at in 1974?

15%

21
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What was the balance of trade deficit in 1974?

£3 billion

22
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When was the National Enterprise Board set up?

1974

23
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Who set up the 1974 National Enterprise Board?

Tony Benn

24
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What did the 1974 National Enterprise Board do?

It ran the state’s interest in companies + provided aid (subsidies) when necessary

25
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What happened during the October 1974 election?

Labour won a small majority

26
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What had disappeared by 1977?

Labour’s majority

27
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What brought down inflation + when?

Oil in the North Sea brought it down to 10% in 1978

28
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What did the 1978 Devolution Acts include?

A clause that required 40% of the electorate to support devolution for it to be passed

29
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When did the Winter of Discontent start?

1978

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When did the Winter of Discontent end?

March 1979

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How did the Winter of Discontent come to an end?

Wages increased by an average of 10%

32
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What did Labour lose in 1979?

A vote of no confidence in the House of Commons

33
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What did losing the vote of no confidence in the House of Commons lead to?

1979 general election

34
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Who won the 1979 general election?

The conservatives - majority of 43

35
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When was the pill made available on the NHS?

1971

36
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When did rape crisis centres start opening?

1976

37
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When were women allowed to take out a mortgage without a male guarantor?

1971

38
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When did the Equal Pay act come into force?

1975

39
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When was the Sex Discrimination act passed?

1975

40
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When was the Employment Protection act passed?

1975

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What did the Employment Protection act introduce?

Paid maternity leave + outlawed dismissal on grounds of pregnancy

42
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What percentage of men’s pay were women making in 1970?

59%

43
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What percentage of men’s pay were women making in 1977?

70%

44
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How many people had immigrated to Britain from the common wealth by 1974?

1 million

45
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What was the effect of the 1975 Formal Pay Restraint Policy?

It intensified Labour’s splits - left wing wanted less pressure on unions + more state support

46
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What was Britain’s 4th largest political party in 1977

The National Front

47
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How much did robberies and assaults of Asians + Afro-Carribeans increase by?

1/3

48
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When was the riot at Notting Hill carnival?

1976

49
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What did the 1976 Race Relations act do?

Set up Commission for Racial Equality

50
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What were two youth movements in the 1970s?

Punks + Skinheads

51
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When did Britain join the EEC?

1973

52
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Was Heath a europhile / eurosceptic?

Europhile

53
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Who did Enoch Powell campaign for in 1974?

Labour

54
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What could joining the EEC lose Britain?

It’s sovereignty

55
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What did left wing Labour call the EEC?

Capitalist Club

56
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How many Labour MPs abstained from voting on joining the EEC in 1973?

20

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What were the results of the 1975 referendum on the EEC?

68.3% - in favour

58
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Which president did Heath have a good relationship with?

Nixon

59
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When did Nixon visit China?

1972

60
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What title was Heath given in China?

People's friendship envoy

61
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What did Britain not allow NATO to do in 1975?

Airlift supplies to Israel in Yom Kippur war

62
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Why were the major strikes in 1972 significant?

Longest strike since 1926 general strike

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How many workers were laid off after the 1972 miners’ strike?

1.2 million

64
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Who was the new French president?

Pompidou

65
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When did decimalisation come into effect?

1971

66
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What was the impact of decimalisation?

New 100 pence introduced + it would be in line with other European countries

67
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How much was invested in Upper Clyde Shipbuilders to prevent insolvency?

£35 million

68
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Why was the National Enterprise board controversial?

The government nationalised British Leyland + was another U-turn

69
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What was the impact of the 1975 Formal Pay Restraint policy?

Intensified party divisions

70
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How much was the £ valued at in 1975?

Fell from $2.75 - $1.50

71
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When did Britain apply for an IMF loan?

1976 - £3 billion + the government had to make large spending cuts

72
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What were the impacts of the 1976 IMF loan?

Conservatives said it was a national humiliation, left wing criticised it and become more militant + it reinforced the idea that Britain was in economic deckjne

73
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What issue arose from the Common Agricultural Policy?

Favoured inefficient farmers (e.g. France) + disadvantaged British farmers k

74
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What fraction of the public did not vote in the 1975 referendum and what effect did this have?

1 / 3 + some did not find the results convincing

75
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Who tried to use Heath to exert American influence over Europe?

Kissinger

76
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Who did Callaghan have a strong relationship with and what did he help negotiate with?

Kissinger + he negotiated the replacement of Polaris missiles with Trident 1979 with Carter

77
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What was the Georgi Markov affair?

In 1978 a defector was suspected of being killed by the KGB

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When did Thatcher become the leader of the Conservatives?

1975

79
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How many strikes were there in 1971?

228

80
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How many strikes were there in 1973?

2,873

81
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What % did commodity prices increase by?

160% between 1971 - 1974

82
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How many seats did Labour win in the 1974 election?

42 - 3 majority overall

83
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When did Callaghan become prime minister?

1976

84
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When did Heath visit China?

1974