BRITAIN 1930-97

term

definition

Wartime Coalition

Conservatives + Liberals + Labour united National government led by Churchill set up May 1940 - May 1945

Appeasement Policy

Nerville Chamberlain, policy of negotiations and making concessions in order to avoid war

Beveridge Report

1942, committee to think about reconstruction. 5 giants: want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness

Welfare State

A term meaning that the state takes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens, including their health, housing, environment and employment.

Event of 1944

Butler education act

1946

Nationalisation of the Bank of england + air transport

1948

When was the creation of the National Health service?

5 July 1948

National health service act come in operation entitled everybody to free medical care Conprehensive service, with all the citizens receiving all the advice, treatment and care they need Hospitals under states ownership NHS financed by taxes (80 %) and contributions (20 %) Universal system Great sucess but huge cost

National Insurance Act

In return for weekly contribution (sickness, maternity, widows and unemployment benefit + old age pentions)

National Assistance Act

To fill in any failure of the last one Complementary to the NIA Designed to help the poorest people (homeless, disabled and mentally ill )

Means Test

An investigation into the financial well being of someone to determine the person's eligibility for financial assistance

Butler Education Act of 1944

Made secondary education available to all, free of charge and without restriction. implemented in 1947 free education until school leaving age 15 Secondary education divided into grammar, technical and modern following asssessment at 11

Nationalisation

the taking over and subsequent control of an industry by the state

1950-1953

nationalisation of iron and steel industry

Keynesianism

Keynes: economic depression avoidable. Fall in demand=industrial economies into recession. If the gvt uses budget to raise capital= genuine recovery and growth= books= workers= earnings= spent on goods and services. Dominated british gvt policy 1940-1970

Lend-Lease Agreements

1941, UK could import materials from the US with no obligation to pay back until the end of the war. Truman removed it

Austerity Policy

To stabilize the economic situation by preventing inflation and reducing the balance of trade deficit = 1) Encourage production to rise in order to boost exports 2) limit imports by restraining the purchasing power and the domestic consumption = higher taxation, wage freeze, rationing

5 giant evils

Want Disease Ignorance Squalor Idleness

1949

Devaluation of the pound

Marshall plan

1948= massive financial help from the US to many european countries. 10% UK. to prevent weak countries from collapsing and becoming communist= to support democracies.

First-past-the-post system

MP are elected for particular geographical areas : districts. The winner is the candidate with the most votes regardless of wether it is a 50% majority or not= important that the votes are evenly speed

1962

Macmillan's major cabinet reshuffle (Knight of the long Knives) December- USA agrees to supply Britain with Polaris missiles

Profumo Affair

1963 Profumo with a call girl with a russian military = security risk

Abortion Act

1967 legalised if provided by 2 doctors who certified that it was medically or psychologically necessary

Sexual Offences Act

1967 decriminilising of homosexuality

Race Relation Act

1965;1969 in public places, employment, education, insurance, housing

1951-1964 PM

13 years conservative

1951-1955 PM

Winston Churchill

1955-1957 PM

Anthony Eden

1957-1963 PM

Harold Macmillan

1963-1964 PM

Alec Douglas-Home

1964-1970 PM

6 years labour: Harold Wilson

October 1956

Suez crisis

Event in 1963

Britain's first application to join the EEC vetoed by France

1945-1951

6 years of Labour: Attlee, Bevin, Morrison, Bevan…

1960

Macmillan's 'Wind of Change' speech

Nassau agreement

1962: Britain buying Polaris missiles from the Americans

Go phases

Taxes cut, interest rates lowered = more spendings = demand led recovery = economic expansion

Stop phases

Raising taxes, raising interest rates, import controls = reducing consumption, trade gap = to prevent economy from overheating

Comprehensive schools

to provide a wild range of secondary education within the same building

devaluation

reducing the value of the pound against the $ with the principal aim of making it easier to sell british goods abroad

in place of strife

1966 reduce unions' liberty :28 days before strike

Stagflation

This combines stagnation and inflation, where industry or the economy declines but prices still rise.

Industrial Relations Act

1971

National Industrial Relation court

to judge the validity of strikes

lame ducks

business which did not work very well and did expect financial help from the state

Three days week

1973, industries limited to 3 days electricity and people in the use of fuel

1974

UK entered the EEC

1974-1976

Wilson's second mandate

1976-1979

Callaghan

winter of discontent

1978-79: strikes among public service workers = schooll meal services, garbage, deads

Unilateral disarmament

Get rid of nuclear weapons without waiting for other countries

Butskellism

Butler:conservative, Gaitskell :Labour.Right left and Left right are close=common economy

Mixed economy

Where the economy is run using a mixture of state or public and private owned industry. Would also mean that there was state intervention in the marked

dependency culture

state benefit payments destroy the incentive to work, thus creating a society in which the long term unemployed come to expect permanent state support

policy of privatization

nationalized industries were to be private=more efficiently run as the boss has to make profit

entreprise culture

society based on the prospect of wealth: everybody involved in the running of the economy

Hayeh

Austrian economist 1944 "road to selfdom" against keynesiamism +state direction of the economy= state to provide conditions of freedom+ a state reduced to a minimum= social order+defend the nation

Keith Joseph

conservative leader in the late 60's= strong influence on Thatcher

Methodist

morally strict protestant church

"new right" policy

large conservative movement which took power in the 80's in the USA

Monetarism

Friedman: basic cause of inflation= + money supply so the gvt should restrict the amount of money in circulation+ cut in public expenditure

deregulation

act of removing restrictions and regulations+policy of privatization

Privatization

the selling of nationalized industries fully or in part to provide buyers or investors = aimed at "popular capitalism"

1980

Mugabe's ZANU party wins power in Zimbabwe

1981

Inner city riots: Brixton, London, Toxteth and Liverpool

1982

April-June: Falklands War

1984-1985

The miners' strike

1985

Miner strike ends

1988

Bruges speech

1990

March- Violence at anti Poll Tax demonstration in Trafalgar Square October- Britain joins the Exchange Rate Mechanism November- Thatcher resigns; replaced by John Major August- Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

1970-1974

Edward Heath

1974-1979

Wilson+Callaghan

1931:

Although the National Government had been established as an emergency measure before any election took place, its position as the official government of Britain became more firmly entrenched after the election of 1931.

1935:

Last election for 10 years. Won by National Government, now led by Baldwin.

1945:

First election post-WWII. Landslide victory for Labour (Labour: 393, Conservatives: 197). Fought on securing a more equal and fair society, based on the provisions of the Beveridge Report.

1951:

Brings the Conservatives back to power for 13 years, initially under Churchill. Continues with many of the policies of the Labour government - "post-war consensus".

1955:

First modern election? 1 in 3 had televisions so the ability to appeal to the public through this medium was becoming increasingly important. Conservative victory.

1964:

A return to power for the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. This administration is known for its liberalising reforms, e.g. Abortion Act, decriminalisation of homosexuality, etc.

1970:

Conservatives return to office under Ted Heath. Initially tries to move away from the consensus approach but does a "u-turn" after witnessing the appalling economic effects. 1970 - 1974 was also a period of huge industrial unrest, with the Miners' Strikes (1972/1974) and emergency measures such as the 3-day week introduced to combat the effects of this.

1974:

Labour returns to office under Wilson (replaced by Callaghan in 1976).

1979:

Thatcher takes office and remains in power for 11 years. Sees a huge shift in policy, away from the post-war consensus.

1983:

Huge victory for Thatcher (Conservatives: 397, Labour: 209), largely based on British victory in the Falklands War. Labour does not fare well - due to leadership of Michael Foot and their manifesto was referred to as "the longest suicide note in history." This is also a good election for showing the unfairness of the FPTP (first past the post) electoral system. The SDP/Liberal Alliance gained 25.4% of the vote but only won 23 seats whereas Labour gained 209 seats with just 27.6% of the vote.

1992:

First post-Thatcher election, won by the Conservatives under John Major. Modernisation of the Labour Party had taken place under Kinnock but had not gone far enough for voters. Despite an economic recession and predictions of a Labour victory, the Conservatives won.

1997:

A landslide victory for Labour (Labour: 418, Conservatives: 165). This was due to modernisation within the Labour Party, discontent with the Conservative government under Major and a desire for political change after nearly 20 years of Conservative rule.

How significant was the decline of the Liberal Party in British political history 1918-1945?

• Peerages and knights scandal 1922. - Labour took over the Liberals role. - Tories attracted right wing Liberals. - Labour became the Party of the working class, rather than the Liberal Party.

What were the main objectives of the consensus between 1945-1979?

• Full employment - Mixed economy - Welfare state and NHS - Co-operation between the government, industry and the trade unions in managing wages and prices. - Keynesian Economics

What was significant about the National Economy Act, 1931?

• Introduced 'means' testing - created 'poverty trap'

How successful was Baldwin at dealing with the 1925 prior to the General Strike?

• Led propaganda campaign and radio campaign to boost support against the strikers. - Organisation for the maintenance of supplies, hired volunteers to do what the strikers were not doing. - Ended the strike - Major victory over general strikers.

Recall all the prime ministers in order from 1945-1979?

• Attlee - Churchill - Eden - Harold Macmillan - Douglas - Home - Wilson - Heath - Wilson - Callaghan

How bad was Anthony Eden in maintaining international relations?

• Suez crisis an attempt to invade the Suez Canal, ended with the U.S.A. threatening to collapse the pound? - Eden resigned shortly afterwards.

What were some of the aims of the political consensus 1945 - 1979?

• Full employment of the expense of inflation. - Mixed economy - Heavy industry - Welfare state + NHS - Co-op between government, industry and trade unions.

Was James Callaghan a successful prime minister in dealing with industrial relations 1976-1979?

• Union protests - Winter of discontent 1979 - Ford pay negotiations 1976 - Haulage strike 1978-1979 - Public sector 1979 - Pay rises - Unions agreed to Callaghan's pay restraints.

What was the trend of women MPs between 1951 - 1979 and why?

• Stayed the same (20-30) due to prejudice of what women should do. - Stay at home etc.

welfare state

the government tries to provide the best possible social services for everybody. Aims to relieve poverty, reduce inequality, achieve greater social integration and solidarity

austerity policy

to stabilize the economic situation by preventing inflation and reducing the balance of trade deficit=1) Encourage production to rise in order to boost exports 2) limit imports by restraining the purchasing power and the domestic consumption = higher taxation, wage freeze, rationing….

Profumo affair

1963 Profumo with a call girl with a russian military= security risk

1951-1964.Party in power

13 years conservative

1963. Europe

Britain's first application to join the EEC vetoed by France