Politics 4 (1939-1964)

"List two criticisms of Neville Chamberlain that led to his resignation."

• Norwegian campaign disaster which resulted in need for Dunkirk evacuations

• Failure of appeasement

• Military unpreparedness for when war did break out

"When did Winston Churchill become Prime Minister? (month/year)"

May 1940

"List two positives attributed to Churchills’ running of the British war effort."

• Energy

• Ultimate faith in victory

• Refused to even consider negotiation with Nazis

• Worked with Labour and trade unions

• Focused on national interest not party politics

• Great orator → kept morale up

• Took a close interest in military matters

"Name two Labour members of Churchill’s war cabinet."

• Clement Attlee (Deputy PM)

• Ernest Bevin (Minister for Labour and National Service)

• Arthur Greenwood (Minister without Portfolio)

• Herbert Morrison (Minister for Supply)

• In total Labour occupied 27 posts within wartime government

"Trade Union membership rose from 6.3million to what figure during World War Two?"

8.9 million

"Give two reasons why World War Two led to rising living standards for many people."

• Rationing led to improved nutrition, many evacuees experienced better quality of life

• Free milk, free vitamins, better maternity care, treatment of bomb victims in hospitals

• The average male weekly earnings rose by 80% 1938-45

• Average earnings for female workers doubled

• Controls on prices, rents and profits benefited the w/c

• Full employment

"In what industry were the 20,000 ‘Bevin Boys’ put to work?"

Coal mining

"How many people were made temporarily homeless during World War Two due to the bombing raids?"

2 million

"By 1943, what percentage of married women were working as well as looking after a house and children?"

80%

"How was agriculture supported during the war?"

Guaranteed prices and state subsidies

"How much money in total did the US lend to Britain under the 1941 Lend-Lease Act?"

£27K

"What was the name of the Act passed in 1939 and extended in 1940 that gave the government unlimited authority to regulate any aspect of life necessary to secure the defence of the realm?"

Emergency Powers Act

"Explain what is meant by the ‘Blitz Spirit’"

Sense of national unity and collective resilience

"When was the Beveridge Report published? (month/year)."

November 1942, sold 630 000 copies

"List the five giant evils named in the Beveridge Report."

Want, Ignorance, Squalor, disease, Idleness

"Explain what is meant by the ‘move to the left’ that occurred during World War Two?"

There was increased support for collectivism and Keynesianism. Public saw mobilisation of population for the common good – conscription for men and women, poor condition of inner-city evacuees, rationing etc. highlighted need to work together for better country– more support for ‘socialist’ principles and state intervention. M/c began to support these ideas.

"What was the name of Attlee’s Labour manifesto for the 1945 election?"

Let us face the future

"List two policies included in the 1945 Labour manifesto."

• Full employment

• New homes

• NHS

• Free education for all

"List two reasons the Conservatives could be blamed for their election defeat in 1945."

• Memories of 1930s hardship (70% unemployment in Jarrow/hunger marches)

• Association with failures of appeasement

• Gestapo speech

• Conservative campaign focused on Churchill rather than social policy

"How many seats did the Labour Party win the 1945 General Election?"

393

"Define: Post-war consensus."

General agreement amongst two main parties (Labour and Conservative) on full employment, welfare state (Conservatives accept this as part of their 1947 industrial charter), mixed economy and corporatism (+ role of trade unions)

"Why was the Labour party divided?"

• Split between expansionists and Consolidationists

• 1947 convertability crisis led to Cripps attempting to remove Attlee (no support)

• 1951 split between Bevan and Gaitskell over prescription charges

"Why do Labour lose the 1951 election?"

• Divisions within the party

• Fulfilled 1945 manifesto (347 acts of parliament!) lacked direction

• Repeated economic crises (1947 and 1949 currency crises)

• Continuation of rationing, Attlee could not unite party over divisions

• Conservatives acceptance of post-war consensus

"Labour’s share of the vote increased to 49% in 1949 but still lost. What does this tell us?"

Labour were still popular, but they failed to convert this into seats. WC as prime beneficiaries of social policy = + votes. Continued poor socio-economic conditions led more MC voters to swing back towards Conservatives, so + votes only seen in ‘safe’ constituencies.

"Who were the Conservative Prime Ministers 1951-64? List with dates."

• Churchill (1951-55)

• Eden (1955-57)

• Macmillan (1957-1963)

• Douglas-Home (1963-64)

"Identify 2 strengths of the Conservative party."

• Lord Woolton as party chairman raises 1 million

• Expertise of ministers (Eden as FM, Rab Butler as Chancellor)

• Rise in living standards… ‘supermac’

• Acceptance of post-war consensus and building on Labour’s welfare reform (Churchill increases spending on social services to 43% from 39.2%)

"Identify 2 scandals which plagued Conservative governments."

• Suez Crisis shone a light on Britain’s declining international relevance

• Exploitative landlords i.e Peter Rachman who gained from 1957 Rent Act

• 1962 Vassal Case

• 1963 Philby defection

• 1963 Profumo Affair

"How many Etonians did Macmillan have in his government?"

35

"What was the Establishment and why was it criticised?"

The ‘ruling’ class (monarchy, Church of England, Aristocrats, private schools), criticised for being out of touch – rise of satire e.g. Beyond the Fringe mocking Macmillan to his face in the theatre

"Which labour leader was unable to unite the party?"

Attlee, Gaitskell

"To which organisation was Labour linked which proved unpopular?"

CND – Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

"Under whose leadership did Labour regain its popularity?"

Harold Wilson, did not use polarising language like nationalisation, abandoned commitment to Clause IV, used TV as a political tool, committed to modernisation