The Making of Modern Britain (1979-1989)

What were Thatcher’s supporters called?

Dries

What were opposers of Thatcher called?

Wets

What was Heseltine?

Wet

Who became the Labour party’s leader in 1980?

Foot

When was the SDP formed?

1981

Who left Labour for the SDP?

Jenkins, Owen, Williams + Rodgers

Who became the leader of Labour in 1983?

Kinnock - won 71% of the vote

What was Kinnock’s aim?

To modernise Labour

What did Kinnock reform in 1987?

Labour’s Manifesto

What % of the votes did the Conservatives receive in the 1983 election?

42.4%

How many seats did the Conservatives gain in the 1983 election?

397 - record high

What was Labour’s 1983 manifesto described as?

Longest suicide note in history

How much was income tax reduced by at the basic rate in 1980?

33% - 25%

How much was income tax reduced by at the top rate in 1980?

88% - 50%

How much did VAT increase by in 1979?

8% - 15%

When was the recession?

1980

What was the level of inflation in 1980?

15%

What was the level of inflation in 1983?

5%

How many were unemployed by 1983?

3 million

When was British Gas privatised?

1986 - biggest share offering

When was British Airways privatised?

1987

How many people owned shares in 1990?

9 million - highest number ever

When was the “big bang” ?

1986

How high were interest rates in 1979?

17%

What level was inflation at in 1986?

2.5%

When did Britain join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) ?

1990

How many people were employed in manufacturing in 1990?

5 million

What was the level of unemployment in Liverpool?

25%

What kind of democracy did Thatcher want?

A property owning one

How many had bought houses through the Right to Buy scheme by 1988?

2 million

When did Heseltine resign over the Westland affair?

1986

What % did the SDP win in opinion polls + who did threaten?

50% + conservatives

What was the level of inflation by 1990?

10.9%

What helped Thatcher win the 1983 election?

Success during the Falklands war

What was the newspaper headline after the falklands success?

Empire strikes back

When did the stock market crash?

1987

What led to the creation of the Green Party in 1985?

Originally, the 1973 People’s party which had 5 candidates became the Ecology Party in 1975 with 53 candidates in 1979

What economic principle did Thatcher favour?

Monetarism - government cuts

How many people were unemployed in 1981? (Stagflation)

2 million - rose to 3 million 1983

What prevented the pound from being devalued and a balance of payments crisis in the 1980s?

North Sea oil

What were the impacts of Thatcher’s 1981 budget?

£4 billion was taken out of the economy + 364 economists publicly advised for a U-turn

What did the 1986 Local Government Act do?

Abolished big metropolitan local authorities

What was the impact of the 1986 Local Government Act?

Increased power of central government (success over loony left)

Why could Thatcher not properly cut government spending?

Social spending increased due to high levels of unemployment

How much of the National income did North Sea gas and oil make by 1985?

15%

How many people owned shares in 1979?

3 million

What was London called during the “big bang” ?

Financial centre of the world

What was the GDP’s growth during the 1980s?

2.2% - marginally better than 1970s + productivity lagged behind

When did inflation levels peak?

May 1980 at 22%

How much did manufacturing output fall by?

15%

How much did steel production decrease by?

30%

Why were men more affected by economic realignment?

Men became de-skilled as they could not convert to the service industry

Why did the Conservative government create Youth Employment schemes?

To encourage companies to employ young people with subsidies

Why did the Conservative government reduce national insurance rates?

To encourage job creation

What was economic realignment?

When Thatcher changed the focus from manufacturing to the service industry

What were the effects of economic realignment?

Increase in alcoholism (unemployment), young people moved away + fuelled racial tensions in 1981 riots

What did the Scarman report identify as the cause of the 1981 riots?

Poverty + race, ethnic minorities felt targeted by the sus law

What did level of unemployment in Liverpool fall to?

10% - never lower than this throughout 1980s

What did Heseltine spearhead?

Redevelopment projects in the old dock land areas in London + Liverpool

How did economic realignment widen the North / South divide?

In 1986 10.1% in the south east were unemployed versus the 19.1% in north east + they earned £71 less weekly in 1985

What was an impact of the 1982 Falklands War?

1,000 casualties - 251 British people

What did the Falklands war strengthen?

The special relationship with the USA (Reagan supported it)

What did Thatcher allow the US to use against public opposition?

British air bases to bomb Libya

When did Thatcher 1st communicate with Gorbachev?

1984

When did Reagan negotiate with Gorbachev?

1986 at the Reykjavik summit (encouraged by Thatcher)

What was Gorbachev’s policy of perestroika?

Reforming the economic + political systems

What was Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost?

Transparent governing

When was the Immediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed?

1987

What did the Immediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty do?

Limited the use if short range weapons + began nuclear disarmament

What pressure group marched against nuclear weapons?

CND - 200,000 in London 1983

Why was Thatcher the “Iron Lady” ?

Tough stance with USSR

What was the impact of Pope John Paul II busing Poland in 1979?

Strengthened demands for reform as he was a strong anti-communist

What is a sign that the British public feared nuclear war?

The government published Protect and Survive booklets in 1980 (what to do in the event of nuclear war)

How many people marched in West Germany against nuclear weapons?

600,000

What is an example of Thatcher's handbag diplomacy?

The 1984 rebate on the Common Agricultural Policy

What did Thatcher attack in her 1988 Bruges speech?

Possible federalist outcomes of the EU

Which European leader did Thatcher have a good relationship?

French President, Mitterrand (1981 - 1995)

What did Thatcher agree to build in 1986?

The channel tunnel - ran through Britain + France

Why did Thatcher sign the 1986 Singh European Act?

Premise of single European market

What was the 1986 Westland affair?

Heseltine wanted Westland helicopters to merge with a European company but Thatcher wanted it to go to an American one so she blocked its discussion in cabinet

What created the “Lawson boom” ?

Lawson was the Chancellor from 1983 - 1987 + 1988 expansionary budgets HOWEVER this caused a balance of payments problem

When were the left of Labour hostile towards centrists?

During the 1981 Wembley conference

What seats did the SDP win?

Grosby (Conservative), Glasgow Hillhead + Bermondsey (Labour)

When did the SDP and Liberals from an alliance?

During the 1983 + 1987 elections

What did Kinnock do in 1986?

Expelled Bennites + Trotskyites (Militant Tendency)

What is an example of conservative weakness in 1983?

The anti-conservative vote was 3 million more than the number they had won - opposition split so conservatives won 144 seat majority

What was the Right to Buy scheme?

Council houses were sold at a discount of 33% - 50% from 1980

What are some successes of the 1980 Housing Act?

Increased homeownership from 15% - 68% between 1981 and 1990 + it raised £18 billion for the government

What are drawbacks of the 1980 Housing Act?

Mostly benefited richer areas, profits were used to pay off council debts + emergency housing in B&Bs was needed which cost the government

What was the secret 1984 strategy?

To close 75 coal pits - only announced closing 20

What weakened the 1984 miners’ strike?

North oil reduced risk of van energy crisis (smaller impact), strength of police + took place during summer (lowest demand for coal)

What were the impacts of the 1984 miners’ strike?

Led to anti-unions legislation, coal miners numbers fell from 200,000 - 60,000 between 1979 and 1990 + union numbers fell by 1 / 3 by 1990 (win for Thatcher)

What was the impact of the 1984 Battle of Orgreave?

Many were injured + undermined the strike - however police politicised

Where was the poll tax 1st introduced?

Scotland in 1989

What were the impacts of the poll tax?

Damaged Conservatives reputation, 30% refused to pay + 200,000 marched in London against it in 1990

What was the impact of Thatcher cutting government investment to higher education?

Oxford refused to give her an honorary degree

How did the Church of England oppose Thatcher?

Released a report in 1985 that urged the government to help deprived areas more

How long did the 1981 protestors camp in Greenham for?

19 years

What environmentalist group grew in popularity due to nuclear weapon testing?

Green peace - 30,000 to 40,000 members

What was the impact of Thatcher’s 1988 Bruges speech?

European Leaders doubted Britain’s commitment + Eurosceptics celebrated