The Affluent Society

Who won the 1951 general election?

Winston Churchill

When was Anthony Eden Prime Minister?

1955-1957

When was Harold Macmillan PM?

1957-1963

When was Alec Douglas-Home Prime Minister?

1963-1964

What was the post-war consensus?

-Agreements between all main political parties on major issues.

Key Elements:

1.) Belief in a mixed economy: Involvement by the State and private enterprise

2.) Importance of extensive welfare systems and NHS 'from the cradle to the grave'

3.) Ensure full employment (due to fears of mass unemployment in the 1930s)

4.) Working alongside trade unions

- This can be referred to as Butskellism, after Conservative MP R.A Butler and Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell

5) Foreign Policy based on support for the USA and opposition towards USSR/Communism

6) Independence for the colonies of the empire

What did Labour label the Conservative rule of 1951-64?

13 wasted years

What were 4 reasons for Conservative success during this period?

1. Economic policies seemed successful with min unemployment and significant increases in standards of living

2. Conservatives associated with a new Elizabethan age of optimism and prosperity headed by the young Queen Elizabeth II who had been crowned in 1953

3. Britain still seemed like a world power, with nuclear weapons and the 1953 Korean War, where Britain was deemed commendable

4. The conservatives maintained welfare spending and economic planning to engender full employment

How many houses did Churchill's government build per year?

300,000 - though mostly for purchase rather than public sector housing

How many new schools were built ?

6000

When was the first motorway (M1) built?

1959

When was the explosion of the first British atomic bomb?

1952

How many seats did the Conservatives get in the 1951 election compared to in 1959?

1951 - 321 seats

1959 - 365 seats

What were some reasons why Labour was in disarray in this period?

- Party became split during 1950's, particularly in relation in relation to defence spending - many wanted more spent on welfare, and opposed building of nuclear weapons - which leadership supported

- Labour faced huge problems beyond control such as when popular leader Gaitskell died in 1963

- Electorate was satisfied with Conservatives rule due to continuing prosperity, and thus many didn't trust Labour to maintain it

Why were Labour defeated in October 1951?

1. Attlee's government was worn down - heavy economic and financial difficulties coupled w/ divisions in party over introduction of prescription costs and nuclear weapons. Economic problems such as war time debts, balance of payments, declining exports etc : introduced wage freezes and devalued the pound

2. Industrial concerns - TU resentment at Labour policy : slowness to respond to workers demands

3. Entry into 1950 Korean War : angered left, event showed Britain was becoming too American (sheepishly following), esp as it was economically dependent on US (Marshall Aid) - Right argued w/o US aid Britain would not be sustained

4. Bevanite Rebellion 1951 : forced by financial difficulties to make expenditure cuts, imposing charges on prescriptions and dental treatment - Bevan (who constructed NHS) led number of ministers into resigning from Cabinet - 'death knell' of Attlee's government

5. Conservative recovery of morale - Cons sharpened by Labour divisions+nationalisation issues

How did Labour lose in 1951 despite winning the popular vote?

FPTP

Who were the Conservative Party leaders of 1951-57?

Churchill: 1951-55; not considered greatest post-war PM: inactive in politics but viewed himself as an international statesman. Left day to day running of parliament to key ministers like Eden and Butler

Eden: 1951-55 role as acting PM, and actual PM 55-57

Butler: 'Best PM Britain never had"

MacMillan: 'SuperMac' successful housing minster under Churchill achieving ambitious 300K target, became PM in 1957, had tensions between Butler and Eden

How much did men's weekly wages go up from 1951-61?

1951: £8.30

1961: £15.35

When did rationing end?

July 1954

Why did the Tories win in 1955?

- Butler boosted election prospects with "give-away" budget provided middle class w/ £134M in tax cuts

- Feel good factor associated with affluence

- Eden called election immediately after Churchill retired - gave him a chance to govern before electorate could just his actually performance as PM

- Continued Labour divisions: conflict between Bevanites and Gaitskellites continued to cause trauma (long running split)

what caused Eden's downfall?

Suez Crisis 1956

Why did Britain withdraw from the Suez?

- America/UN/Commonwealth condemned British actions

- USSR threatened aggression if troops were not withdrawn

- Labour gaining support for opposing CON. actions

- American's refused to aid the UK in economic problems and run on the pound unless they withdrew

What were the outcomes of the Suez?

- Diplomatic fiasco led to turning point for Britains illusions of imperial power

- Eden seemed weak : came under attack from opposition and national press e.g Manchester Guardian; lied to Parliament about collusion w/ France/Israel - tarnished image

- Split Cons: Nutting (Colonial Minister) resigned from Cabinet + 40 MP's rebelled; Heath chief whip responsible for keeping party in line but even he was opposed

- Britains financial weakness w/o America exposed as US started a run on the pound

How did the Conservative Party survive Suez but not Eden?

- MacMillan emerges as PM and party unity restored without lasting splits

- Continuance of affluence keeps electorate satisfied

- Reputation of 'Supermac' : housing minister (300K homes a year succeeded)

- Labour Party had problems under Gaitskell

Why was Macmillan successful at first?

- restored party unity and continued economic prosperity

- Post war economic boom continuing

- Theatrical style, media in palm of his hand, used TV with flair

- cabinet members (butler,macleod) capable and efficient in tune with political opinion

Why did the Conservatives win the 1959 election?

- Age of affluence showed no sign of slowing

- Economic recovery by 1959 coinciding with April tax cuts

- Ineffective opposition - Divisions of Labour (disagreements of character of party, how far party should push socialist agenda like nationalisation, EEC, splits over nukes etc)

- Supermac likeable character

Why was Labour so divided in the 50's?

- Attlee becoming less effective leader and death of Bevan meant party unity on the decline

- Intensification of Bevan/Gaitskell split over prescription charges

- Failed to attack Conservative on Suez

- Divide of nuclear weapons led to TU's challenging Labour leadership with leader Cousins - 1959 Blackpool and Scarborough Party Conference - fought over direction of party ; Gaitskell "fight and fight again to save the party we love"

- Gaitskell puts forward idea of abolishing Clause IV: forced to back down for increased splits

What was Clause IV?

Constitution of Labour Party which commits them to nationalisation

Why did Labour splits increase after the 1959 election?

- Growing opposition to the party leadership from TU's

- Simmering division over nuclear weapons : many Labour left wingers joined CND campaigns more Unilateral Disarmament

Who were CND?

- Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

- Support from 30% of population

- Best known for Aldermaston March 1959 which attracted 8000 supporters

Why did Labour's political position improve after 1960?

-The party appeared more united.

-A change in culture made the public more critical of the Conservative government. (rise of satire - Private Eye)

-Gaitskell died in 1963 and Labour elected a new leader Harold Wilson.

Why were the Conservatives appearing out of touch by 1960?

- Leadership was again - consensus they were unrepresentative of 'New Britain'

- Satirists mocked leading figures - political figured caricatured

- Various establishment figures had been caught in spy scandals for the Soviet Union such as the Vastall Affair

What was the Vastall affair?

- January 1963, Kim Philby, trusted M16 agent fled to USSR, and had been passing on sensitive information for most of his career

What was the Profumo affair of 1963?

John Profumo had an affair with Christine Keeler who was also sleeping with a Soviet spy Ivanov. When questioned in Parliament Profumo denied the allegations but was forced to admit his deceit and resign in disgrace- made government look ridiculous

What was the satire boom?

Increase in satirical writing. Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Alan Benne made a big impact with their satirical stage show 'Beyond the fringe'. From 1961, the magazine 'the private Eye' rapidly established a loyal following for its witty disrespect for the great and famous. In 1962, then ground-breaking TV show, 'That was the week that was', made its debut on BBC television, satirising and lampooning public figures.

By the late 1950s a group of writers called 'angry young men', led the way in using arts to attack the behaviour and attitudes of the established upper class. The first of these was a play called 'Look Back in Anger'.

Who replaced Macmillan and what was the problem with it?

- Replaced by Alec Douglas Home after he retired in 1963

- Suggested antiquated methods and privilege - renounced his peerage to stand in House of Commons - criticised by Labour for being out of touch and aristocratic; two cabinet ministers refused to take office under him

What was the result of the 1964 election ?

- Lab 317 seats - Harold Wilson

- Con 304 seats

- Lib 9

- Majority of 4

what was the 'white heat' Wilson spoke of in his election campaign?

scientific and technological advancements of the 60's

What were the main aims of Butskellism?

-Maintenance of full employment and economic growth

- Continued development of the welfare state

- Maintenance of defence commitments and nuclear weaponry

What were Britains economic problems during this period?

- Balance of payments issues: imported more than it exported, so by 1961 there was a deficit of £95M

- Britain couldn't afford to build a modern competitive economy, develop the welfare state, and maintain its defence commitments

- Growing inflation : people spoke of 'stagflation', or continued price rises despite a downturn in economy

- Industrial relations : as inflation grew, workers began demanding pay rises in excess of price rises

How much did Britains debts increase from 1957-64?

1957 £540M, 1964 £800M

Had Britain 'never had it so good'?

- Largely yes, but much of consumer spending was on credit, and while employment remained high, unemployment was nevertheless growing - 367,000 in 1951 to 563,000 by 1958

What two organisations did the government set up in 1961 to promote economic development?

- National Economic Development Council (NEDDY) where representatives of employers, unions, and government planned growth

- National Incomes Commission (NICKY) to regulate wage demands

What did the government announce in July 1961 to curb excessive pay demands, and did it work?

Introduced a pay pause, but was effectively a non starter as they gave in to demands from electricity workers who threatened strike action

What was the economy like by 1964?

- UE risen to 800K in 1963

- Chanellor Maudling adopted free-spending budget, reducing int rates and cutting taxes to reduce UE - falls to 500K to 1964, but budget deficit now at £800M

- Government unsuccessfully tried to join EEC

How much did car ownership go up ?

3-7 million

How much did the number of TVs owned grow?

340K in 1951 - 13million in 1963

Was the 50's a revolutionary decade for the position of women?

- Commonly seen as a regressive age for women; 'evolution not revolution'

- Largely tied to the home and childcare, career opportunities limited

- Most professional women became nurses,teachers, or office workers

- Women received on average 40% less pay than men for the same roles

What was education like for women in the 50's?

- in school, expectations of girls tended to be low, with some concentration on subjects such as domestic science to prepare girls for their anticipated role in life

- less than 2% of women went to university in the 50's

What positive changes occurred for women in the 50's?

- Civil service introduced equal pay in 1958

- Maureen Nicol began Housewives' Register to bring women closer together, and Dora Russell organising a peace caravan to protest about nuclear weapons in

How was the role of class and the Establishment changing in the 50's?

- WW2 saw some levelling of society engendering sense of all being in it together

- Welfare state and NHS had led to significant improvements in wellbeing and raised expectations of less well-off

- Growing affluence and improving living standards served to reduce class divisions to some extent

- Satire and government scandals helped encourage decline in deference

When did ITV launch the age of commercial broadcasting?

1955

what were kitchen sink dramas?

plays that reflected social tensions in society rather than the comedies of manners audiences were used to

playwrights such as john osbourne were dubbed 'angry young men'

How much did immigration increase from 1940-9 to 1950-9 to 1960-9?

1940-9: 240,000

1950-9: 676,000

1960-9: 1,243,000

What were the 1958 Race Riots?

series of racial attacks from Nottingham to Notting Hill on August Bank Holiday, TV coverage showed attacks on police drew attention to conflict, prompting further disturbances

subsequent inquiry (Salmon Report) found tensions largely due to the result of cultural differences and pressure on availability on accommodation - inevitably immigration into already overcrowded and deprived areas caused problems

What was the salmon report?

the official report of the race riots.

found following reasons for tensions:

- indigenous population resented willingness of immigrants to work for low wages which they feared undercut their own employment potential

- immigrants were forcing up the cost of rents, prepared to live in cramped conditions to share out the cost of accommodation, thus lessening the housing stock available to white people

- there was some sexual jealousy : some young white men objected to white women going out with black men

What was the Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962?

Act limiting the number of commonwealth immigrants to Britain, according to whether a) would-be migrants had a job to go to, b) they possessed particular skills, for example, in medicine, c) they were dependents of people already here

Who were the Teddy Boys?

Were around in the early 1950s. The nickname was derived from the Edwardian fashions, such as long coats, narrow trousers and winkle picker shoes, worn by young males; the dress sense and behaviour of the Teddy Boys was seen as a challenge to older people and their ideas about social order.

What was Britain's relationship like with the USA/USSR?

- Firmly tied to NATO and the USA during Cold War, becoming heavily involved in the Korean War

- Macmillan tried to act as a mediator between the superpowers, emphasising the 'special relationship' between Britain and the USA - always supported USA in disputes such as Cuban Missile Crisis

When was the EEC formed and was it considered a success?

Founded in 1957, and yes, as founder member W.Germany achieved an annual growth rate of more than 5% from 1951-64, meanwhile compared to less than 2.5% in Britain

What was the EFTA and how did it compare to EEC?

European Free Trade Association, created in 1960 by Britain, along with Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland as an alternative to the EEC. It was only moderately successful and did not match the economic growth of the EEC

When did Britain first try to join the EEC?

1957 - was a failure as De Gaulle rejected it as he feared their commitment to Europe was weak, and didn't want to see special trade agreements with the Commonwealth, or the USA

What were Polaris missiles?

Missiles attached to US submarines in 1960 which could be fired from anywhere under the sea - Britain was buying them and criticised by France for not having their own nuclear deterrent

What was the 'Winds of Change' speech?

Made by Macmillan in 1960 in S.A - Western governments must accept the independence of african nations

Provide nations support so they don't turn to communism

Marked a shift in Britain as an imperial power, and recognised that colonialism was dead

What was Rhodesia?

white supremacist government in Rhodesia declared independence in 1965 rather than submitting to black majority African rule

When was Ghana granted independence?

March 1957

Why was the Suez Canal important?

- key stone of Britain's overseas empire and trade routes > Main artery connecting trade routes from the Mediterranean to countries even beyond Asia.

- Vital route for oil shipments > 80% Western oil imports passed through the canal.

Why did Britain respond the way it did to the Suez Crisis?

- Nasser proposed threat of nationalism and independence - military action rather than diplomacy

- Response fuelled by Eden's personality, had little faith in diplomacy (regarded himself as a master of foreign policy) and belief britain was still an imperial power

- Eden was supposedly a master in foreign policy so cabinet didn't feel they had grounding to critique his choices

When was the financial crisis, and what was the problem?

Summer 1957, inflation was rising due to wages running ahead of productivity run on £ (risk of devaluation)

What were the two opinions on how to solve the 1957 financial crisis?

- Thorneycroft wanted monetarism (limit wage increases and cut money supply)

- MacLeod opposed as it would lead to increased unemployment and cutbacks in housing

What was stop-go economics?

The economics of 'Stop-Go' derived its name from the tensions between an expanding economy (go) and the results of the economy overheating (stop) through higher interest rates, spending cuts and wage freezes.

What solution to the financial crisis did Macmillan side with ?

Sided with expansionist policies and continuation of post war consensus policies - led to resignation of Thorneycroft, Powell and Birch- Macmillan shrugged off as 'local difficulties'

Who said Britain had 'never had it so good'?

MacMillan in July 1957

What's evidence Britain was falling behind competitors in the 50's?

- 1951-64: Britains economy grew 40%, but West Germany grew 250% and Japan 400%

- Share of world exports of manufactured goods: Britains share fell 20% (1954) to 15% (1960) whilst Germany rose 15-19%

- 1961: concerns about an over-heated economy led to "pay pause" to hold down wage inflation and ask for loan from IMF

- 1962 - Balance of Payments problem - Macmillan set up NEDC

What was the Night of the Long Knives 1962?

Reshuffle of cabinet - Macmillan dismissed 7/13 members

What was the problem with the Suez?

- Kept suez arrangements a secret from most of cabinet and US - US annoyed at lack of consultation and fear Nasser may turn to USSR for help

- Political protest in Britain + US pressure - Eisenhower shocked at Britain's gunboat diplomacy - Britain not strong enough to stand up to US due to financial crisis - Macmillan realised it was essential to pull out

What was the impact of the Suez Crisis?

- Edens career finishes on a painful anti-climax

- Britain caught acting like an imperial power in a post-imperial world that would not tolerate antiquated ways - end of 'world policeman' role "last throw of imperial stone"

- change in special relationship

- last independent military intervention by Britain - any future conflict part of organisation or with US

What was the Burgess and Maclean affair?

Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean were highly placed officers in British Intelligence. They defected to the Soviet Union in 1951. for years afterwards, there were concerns about finding the 'Third Man' who had tipped them off. The revelation that British spies had been leaking vital secrets to Moscow deeply worried the Americans, who became much less ready to share intelligence secrets with Britain.

What was the Mau Mau rebellion?

The Mau Mau revolt in Kenya was one of several violent nationalist uprisings against British colonel rule after 1945. The leader of the revolt, Jomo Kenyatta, was imprisoned by the authorities but later emerged as president of an independent Kenya. In 1952, the struggle led to great bitterness on both sides. The Mau Mau fighters were accused of committing atrocities; on the other hand, revelations about brutal treatment of captives held at the Hola prison camp badly damaged Britain's reputation.

What was the Test Ban Treaty?

The US and USSR agreed to ban all testing of nuclear weapons above ground

What was Butskellism?

Economic policies of Labour and Conservatives. Butler and Gaitskell, amalgam of Chanellor of Exchequer Butler and Labour Shadow Chancellor Gaitskell

What was the Festival of Britain?

Held a century after the Great Exhibition if 1851, this was intended to mark Britain's recovery from the war and to look forward to the future celebrating new design, culture and industry.

What is hire purchase?

You use goods and pay in installments but goods aren't yours until final payment. Miss the final payment and goods can be repossessed.

between 56-59 how much did the number of households owning washing machines and refrigerators rise?

54% and 58% respectively

When was equal pay for teachers introduced?

1952

What was the Family Allowance Act?

The Family Allowance Act of 1952 extended the family allowance started in 1946 by the Beveridge report.

The act extended the allowance to cover all school aged children

It was paid to women - ensure that women did not need to work, welfare state/conservative government policy was based on the nuclear family and full employment for men

how were women made financially dependent on their husbands?

mortgages and bank accounts in their husband or fathers names

How did the Suez Crisis reconcile the Bevanite and Gaitskellite factions of Labour?

Both sides of Labour condemned the actions in the Suez, and Gaitskell was so impressed by his erstwhile rival Bevan's forceful condemnation that he offered him the role of Shadow Foreign Secretary

What were opinion polls on the Suez, as well as reactions from newspapers?

37% in support

43% opposed

20% unsure

Manchester Guardian urged readers to write letters of protests to MP's

What was the biggest rally in London since 1945 protesting about?

30,000 people attended the anti-war rally ran by Labour and the TUC.