United Kingdom

Conservative

Neville Chamberlain’s political party

May 1937 to May 1940

Neville Chamberlain’s term

Appeasement and signing the Munich Agreement ceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Hitler

What was Neville Chamberlain best known for?

announced the declaration of war on Germany

What did Neville Chamberlain do following the German invasion of Poland?

Through first 8 months until his resignation as prime minister on 10 May 1940

How long did Neville Chamberlain lead the UK through WWII?

Conservative

What was Winston Churchill’s political party?

1940–1945 during WWII, 1951–1955

Winston Churchill’s term

5

How many constituencies did Winston Churchill represent?

Economic liberalism and imperialism

What ideals did Winston Churchill adhere to?

1964

When did Winston Churchill resign as an MP?

Labour

Clement Atlee’s political party

Highly successful deputy PM

What was Clement Atlee‘s role in Churchill’s coalition government?

20 years

How long was Clement Atlee the leader of the Labour Party?

1945–1951

How long was Clement Atlee prime minister?

1945 in a landslide election

When did the Labour Party take power?

For the collectivist consensus

What did Clement Atlee lay the foundation for?

collectivist consensus

economic policies dealing with the post-WWII economic depression using Keynesian tactics (increased government spending)

social conscience and staunch patriotism

What encapsulated Labour’s experiment in democratic socialism?

creation of the National Health Service and the nationalization of coal mining and steel industry

What is an example of Labour’s experiment in democratic socialism?

Attlee’s effectiveness dramatically declined

What happened after Labour’s defeat in the general election of 1951?

His authority was broken by factional fighting within the party

Why did Attlee’s effectiveness dramatically decline?

He resigned as leader in 1955 and accepted a peerage

What did Attlee do in 1955?

collectivist consensus (definition 2)

time period post-WWII when the Labour Party initiated a welfare state with the general support of Conservatives

welfare state

form of government in which the state promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens

the principles of equal opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility of citizens

What is the welfare state based off of?

nationalization, strong trade unions, heavy regulation, high taxes, and an extensive welfare state

What did the consensus tolerate and encourage?

the UK’s economy was in deep decline and a new breed of Tories (Conservatives) arose, known as neoliberals

By the 1970s…

that economic problems were due to the excess of the welfare state

What did neoliberals believe?

Margaret Thatcher

Who was the “Iron Lady”?

1979

When did Thatcher begin her role as prime minister?

experiment with neoliberal policies/laissez faire in an attempt to stem economic decline

Thatcher was the first leader of an industrial economy to do what?

False

T/F: Thatcher stayed with traditional Tories.

derided the “nanny state” and pledged to diminish the government’s role in the economy

What did Thatcher hate and pledge to do because of that?

lowered taxes, cut social services, privatized industries

What were major themes of Thatcher’s reign as prime minister?

large

Did Thatcher have a large or small majority in the House of Commons?

1) sold millions of public housing units to private owners; 2) defeated trade unions during widespread strikes

What are two specific examples of Thatcher’s policies?

the post-WWII Collectivist Consensus as a new consensus formed around her

What did Thatcher end?

the poll tax

What was particularly controversial about Thatcher’s government?

poll tax

designed to move local governments’ tax burden from property owners to all citizens (Community Charge); fixed rate compulsory tax per capita set at the local level

high-spending, mainly Labour-controlled, councils

What/who did the poll tax target?

resentment turned into rioting

How did the public react to the poll tax?

she resigned in 1990

What did Thatcher do after the public reacted to the poll tax?

Conservative

John Major’s political party

1990—1997

How long did John Major serve as prime minister?

1. Repealed the poll tax

2. Worked for peace in Northern Ireland

3. Contributed to the creation of the Treaty of the EU

4. Navigated economic crisis

What did John Major do during his government’s control?

slim majority = less of a mandate

What kind of majority did John Major have in HOC?

the local level

Under John Major, where the Labour Party begin to gain popularity?

17 years

John Major’s government brought an end to how long of Conservative rule?

Labour

Tony Blair’s political party

1997—2007

How long was Tony Blair prime minister?

rejection of Thatcher’s policies and desire for new direction

What did Tony Blair’s landslide election victory indicate?

The Third Way

What was Tony Blair’s major policy?

Third Way

political compromise between the right and left

the rise of other centrist movements (ex. in the US)

What did the Third Way influence?

re-established Northern Ireland Assembly; ended most of the violence of the Troubles

What did the 1998 Good Friday Agreement do?

support for the war in Iraq

What did Tony Blair use his popularity to win?

3 cabinet members resigned

Due to collective responsibility, what was an effect of Tony Blair’s push to join the Iraq War?

• progressive social reforms

• devolution

• continued limits on social expenditures

What did Tony Blair’s popularity result from?

Cash-for-Honours scandal in 2005

Why did Tony Blair’s popularity dwindle?

Labour

Gordon Brown’s political party

Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997—2007)

What was Gordon Brown’s position in Tony Blair’s government?

2007—2010

How long was Gordon Brown prime minister?

the Great Recession of 2008

Why did Gordon Brown’s popularity dwindle?

rescue packages + bank bailouts = increased debt

Why was the Great Recession of 2008 so bad?

91

How many seats did the Labour Party lose in the 2010 elections?

Conservative

David Cameron’s political party

2010—2016

David Cameron’s time as prime minister

hung parliament

What did the 2010 election result in?

hung parliament

when no party obtained a majority of seats in HOC

Nick Clegg/Lib Dems

Who did the Conservatives form a coalition government with?

two and a half party system

What system does the UK employ that can result in hung parliaments and coalition governments?

Conservatives won an outright majority = mandate from the people

What did the 2015 elections result in?

• Pursued more neoliberal economic policies

• limited immigration

What did the Conservative government do following the 2015 election?

• issues of national identity

• issues with devolution

What did the Conservatives struggle with following the 2015 elections?

referendum on Scottish independence

What was the significant political event of 2014?

Scotland stayed (victory for Cameron)

What was the result of the referendum on Scottish independence?

referendum on Brexit

What was the major political events of 2016?

opposed Brexit but the UK voted “out”

Why did David Cameron resign?

referendum on the UK voting system

What was the major political event of 2011?

• SMD (single member district/first past the post)

• Alternative Vote (AV)

What were the two options for the 2011 referendum?

proportional representation

What kind of electoral system did the Lib Dems want?

• SMD won

• Lib Dems lost

Who won and who lost in the 2011 referendum?

Conservative

Theresa May’s political party

2016—2019

Theresa May’s length of term in office

to temper the sharper, neoliberal policies of David Cameron

What were Theresa May’s primary policies?

negotiate a Brexit deal/domestic reforms

What was Theresa May’s government too weak to do?

Conservative party lost majority in 2017

What did the weakness of Theresa May’s government result in?

opened the door for Lib-Dems

What did the Conservative loss its majority do in 2017?

due to her inability to execute a Brexit deal

Why did Theresa May resign in 2019?

Conservative

Boris Johnson’s political party

“Get Brexit Done”

What was Boris Johnson’s campaign slogan?

a Conservative majority

What did Boris Johnson win in the “snap election”?

commanding majority for Conservatives (mandate from the people)

What did the 2019 election result in?

a Brexit deal

What did Boris Johnson push in 2020?

He had social gatherings during COVID

Why did Boris Johnson resign in June of 2023?

Conservative

Liz Truss’s political party

44 days (shortest serving prime minister in British history)

How long was Liz Truss in office for?

10 days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II

Why was Liz Truss’s government paused?

a tax-cutting budget that rocked financial markets failed

Why did Liz Truss resign?

a revolt within the Conservative party

What did the failed tax-cutting budget pushed by Liz Truss result in?