A level Edexcel Britain transformed 1.1 Politics

To what extent were the liberal party responsible for changing party fortunes, 1918-31?

- Partially accurate, as divisions within the liberal party contribute to their downfall, however the rise of labour due to enfranchisement and economic issues played a greater role. Lib divisions = short term changes, eg cash for honours, other changes= long term

P1- LIBERAL PARTY AS RESPONSIBLE

- Liberal party divisions, as DLG continues with the coalition with conservatives in 1918 coupon election, HH asquith not happy.

IMPACT- makes liberal party seats reliant on conservative coalition to maintain power- coalition libs only win 127 seats SHORT TERM

- Liberal party failures- eg CASH FOR HONOURS, Dlg selling peerages out of private office, damages moral network of liberals, results in Carlton club 1922 and distrust from conservatives.

P2- LABOUR RISE

- Enfranchisement of people 1918 expands electorate 7m-21m

- Labour have more of a political identity as WC

- widens working class base, as labour born of trade union movement, Labour more succeasful at including women (1800 womens sections by 1929), better at appealing to electorate)

And FPTP favours two party system- so as soon as labour rise, unlikely to bring back libs

Much longer term though- Labour dont gain majority govt and rise isnt rapid

BUT may be argued that conservatives were electorally dominant in the 20s, so this limits impact

P3- ECONOMIC STRUGGLE

Interwar economic struggle- 1929 depression

- wall street crash leads to doubled unemployment rates in the immediate post war years

- 1931 Financial crisis- ramsay macdonald propose spending cuts to welfare which divides labour and leads to national government formation

How far was a political consensus maintained between 1945-1979?

Although it is true to a large extent that political consensus was strong between 1945 and the late 1960s, it is true to a low extent to claim it was fully "maintained" until 1979. Whilst the beginning of this period displays a high extent of continuity from the post war labour government upon economic management, trade union relations and government intervention, economic problems and trade union militancy arising during the late 60s undermines the continuation of this consensus. However, it may be argued that between 1945-79, a high extent of maintained consensus may be seen through the continuation of the welfare state. Therefore, the breakdown of consensus towards the end of this time period undermined its ability to be considered a "maintained consensus".

AGREE- WELFARE

- LABOUR- 1946 Nat Insurance Act, 1948 Nat Assistance Act, 1948 NHS created

- CONSERVATIVE- continuation- Macmillan "One nation", 300k housing and slum clearance, 1962 enoch powell Hospitals act.

due to inflation and worsening economic conditions, the need to maintain welfare stayed.

EXPANSION UNDER HEATH- Pensions, increased family allowances for families with children.

EXPANSION UNDER CALLAGHAN-

child benefit universalised in 1977.

ULTIMATELY some rollback due to IMF cuts 1976, but ideological groundwork of welfare provision is not restrictd majorly in this period.

SOME RADICAL WINGS OPPOSE, Eg Nigel Birch, Peter Thorneycroft and Enoch Powell, BUT these people are never in power. Keith Joseph makes dependency argument

DISAGREE- ECONOMY

- STARTED AS CONSENSUS

- Butskellism, accept Keynesian demand management- repeated intervention in "heating up" and "cooling down" the economy- recs of Bev report maintianed

- Unemployment remains a priority for the conservative party in dominant era- remains below 3% in their dominance

- Labour nationalise coal, electric, gas and rail from 1946-50

- Conservative acceptance mostly (apart from steel)

MAY BE ARGUED that conservatives mainly accept rather than build upon, however never actually roll back either.

HOWEVER, devaluation in 1967, Heath proposing less government intervention in 1970 manifesto due to declining living standards, showed the unsustainability and breakdown of Keynesian economics that didnt account for stagflation. Inflation reaches 24% by 1970,Oil crisis fuels this and Inflation becomes priority. In 1976, C'han claims "you can no longer spend your way out of a recession" at conference

P3- Industrial relations

Industrial relations kept under control until 60s- Conservative governments initially believe in close relationship with trade unions being the best way to restrict their militancy

in place of strife, 1971 IR act, voluntarism, social contract, failure, breakdown of consensus

To what extent was the british political landscape transformed, 1918-1979?