Chapter 21: Conservative governments and dominance

1953 coronation of elizabeth ii

created feeling of new age of national recovery and strength

churchill's leadership

not really a pm during this time nor a nuts and bolts politician, more a war leader - but prestige ensured support

spent majority of his time abroad or on holiday

suffered stroke in 1953 and had to retire in 55'

church + eden's r strained as he refused to retire

1955 election result

conservative - 344

labour - 277

liberal - 6

called 3 days after butler's pop budget (majority from 17 to 60)

eden's leadership

progressive domestic ideas but lacked experience to enforce industrial partnership and prop-owning democracy

worked exclusively in foreign policy and was anxious making decisions

given to fits of temper + backtracked butler's budget

suez crisis, oct 1956

uk + france gave israel and egypt an ultimatum to stop fighting and withdraw from the canal; ignored

brit bombed egyptian airforce (israel invasion planned beforehand to regain control of the canal after it was nationalised by nasser)

eden lied and said he knew nothing of the israeli attack

britain withdrew in dec 1956

consequence of suez crisis

illusion of imperial power and us reliance became clear

rebellion of 40 tory mps

chief whip (heath) strongly opposed

eden resigned in early 1957 due to ill-health

butler vs macmillan

butler popular in country but not in the party due to his tax cuts which had to be reverted ('pots and pans')

close links to appeasement

eden's cabinet liked macmillan as he had no enemies and was an appeasement opposer

macmillan's leadership

quite radical views on social justice

one-nation conservative

nearly joined labour in the 1930s (attlee)

party unity restored and economic prosperity

100 seat majority in 1959

used tv opportunities

housing policies

manifesto promised 300,000 houses pa and macmillan (housing minister) achieved, but lower quality than bevan's

social service policies

benefits rose slightly

nhs not altered and ran well

cost increased, prescription charges at 2 shillings

education policies

most schools grammar or secondary modern

starting to fall behind the other advanced industrial counties

other social reforms

1956 clean air act: introduced smokeless zones and said power stations should be built outside cities; prevent reoccurrence of early 50s smog

1957 homicide act: restricted imposition of death penalty

1957 wolfden commission: recommended abolition of homosexuality as a crime

factory acts improved working conditions

internal labour divisions

split after bevan resignation widened during late 50s

g + b stood for labour in 1955; g won, increased tension

right-wing wanted to revise clause iv but left wanted to be more socialist

butskellism

coined by economist magazine

few differences between the conservative butler and his shadow chancellor gaitskell - 'consensual'

consensus agreements

mixed economy; labour accepted some private enterprise

conservatives denat steel + road transport industry (1951) but leave other industries alone

government intervention in social and economic policies

full employment + co-operation with trade unions

support for nhs and welfare state