UK History - Section 2 Wilson and the Labour Government

How did Harold Wilson position himself and his party in comparison to the previous party ?

Modern and forward - thinking in comparison to the ‘old fashioned’ and ‘out of date’ Conservatives (Alec Douglas Home)

What was Wilsons appeal like to the left side of his party ?

• Originally thought to have been on the left of the Labour Party as he resigned with Bevan over prescription charges

• Launched a leadership bid against Gaitskell in 1961

What was Wilsons appeal to the right side of the party ?

• Served in Gaitskells shadow cabinet

• In favour of Britain developing nuclear weapons

• As Prime Minister he tried to reform the trade unions in 1969

Why was Wilson’s leadership criticised ?

For his focus on securing his position and from preventing rivals from gaining support BUT this did help keep the party together

What were the regular economic crisis that Britain faced between 1951 and 1964 (3) ?

• Run on the pound

• Rising inflation

• Balance of payments

In 1964, the Labour Government inherited a huge deficit in the balance of trade. Labour was faced with two main policy choices, what were they and what would they do ?

• Devaluation - prop up sterling and prevent a rise in inflation but would continue ‘Stop - Go’

• Devaluation - Would assist with the balance of payments problems (By helping Britains exports become cheaper) but it would emphasise Britains economic weakness - Wilson also feared the Labour Party would be seen as the ‘party od devaluation’ as Attlee previously devalued the pound in 1949

What did Wilson do as a result of not picking the two main policies ?

• Believed that careful economic planning would solve the problems

• Set up the ‘Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in 1964

• Later set up the ‘National Board for Prices and Income’ in 1965

What, Who and Why was the DEA set up ?

• Department of Economic Affairs

• Led by Senior Labour Minister, George Brown

• Set out growth targets and created economic planing councils

• Both the ‘DEA’ and ‘Incomes Board’ aimed to work with business and trade unions to fix wage and price

Why did the Labour Governments (1964 - 1970) have limited economic success ?

• Leadership of George Brown - seen as unreliable and inconsistent

• Rivalry between Brown and Callaghan and between the Treasury and DEA

• Civil Servants were not convinced or supportive of the role of the DEA

• DEA was abandoned in 1967

• Trade Unions were become more ‘Left - Wing’ and more difficult to work with over incomes policy

• Wilsons focus on balancing, rivals rather than ensuring policy success

What two factors (economic and foreign) proved that by 1967, Britains economic problems were not working and what was done as a result ?

• Sterling crisis in 1965, 1966 and 1967 - In 1967 his force Wilson to devalue the pound

• Britains second application to join the EEC was rejected (1967)

• As a result, Roy Jenkins (Chancellor from 1967) introduced deflationary policies that mirrored ‘Stop - Go’, raising taxes and tightening spending

• By 1970 there was a balance of payments surplus

What did Wilson think was needed to manage the relationship with the trade unions ?

• Legislation

• Barbara Castle (on left side of party) produced a white paper (Official Government Document that sets out policy proposal for future legislation)

What was Barbara Castles white paper and what did it set out / aim ?

• 28 day cooling off period before a strike could go ahead

• Government would be able to impose a settlement when unions were in dispute with each other

• Strike ballots could be insisted on

• Setting up of ann Industrial Relations court

What was the consequence of Barbara Castles ‘white paper’ and what did the government do as a response ?

• Trade Unions were appalled and many Labour MP’s who had strong ties to the Trade Union Movement (including Home Secretary James Callaghan) threatened to rebel

• Government backed down

Why did Wilson win the 1964 election and what was the consequence ?

• Promised that that Labour Government would harness the ‘white heat of technology’ and that scientific innovation would help overcome Britains low productivity

• However, economic issues largely overshadowed these developments

Explain the role of Nationalists in Northern Ireland

• Supportive of a united Ireland only

• Republican - does not recognise the legitimacy of British institutions

• Mainly Catholic

Explain the role of Unionists in Northern Ireland

• Supportive of union between Northern AND Britain

• Loyalist - loyal to British institutions

• Mainly protestant

What were the issues of Northern Ireland

• Province was dominated by Protestants

• Growing evidence of discrimination against Catholic in employment, housing and politicians and in treatment by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) which led to to growing tensions between the two sides both end of the 1960’s

What events occurred between 1968 and 1969 in Northern Ireland

• 1968 - Civil Rights marches held to protest against discrimination were attacked and Catholics complained that the RUC would not protect them

• Some Protestant Unionists feared that the ‘Irish Republican Army’ (IRA) would start a new campaign of violence and unionist paramilitary organisations were set up to combat this

• 1969 - The loyalist ‘Apprentice Boys’ march was attacked by nationalists when it passed through a Catholic Bogside estate

• Battle of Bogside ensued when the RUC was prevented from entering the Bogside by 2 days of rioting

• August 1969 - Labour government send British troops to Northern Ireland to keep the peace

Why at the end of the 1960’s were there doubts on both ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ side of the party about the efficiency of the Post - War consensus ?

• It hadn’t dealt with ongoing economic and financial pressures

• Poverty and social problems remained unsolved

At the 1970 election, what were the strengths of the Labour government ?

• Harold Wilson’s ‘affordable’ image

• Impact of devaluation and deflation

• Liberal Reform

At the 1970 election, what were the weaknesses of the Labour government ?

• Economic problems - sterling crisis, devaluation, tax rises and public spending cuts

• Failure to reform industrial relations

• Concerns about the permissive society

At the 1970 election, what were the strengths of the Conservative government ?

• Promise to reform industrial relations

• Heath seen as competent

At the 1970 election, what were the weaknesses of the Conservative government ?

• Heath was unpopular

What were some other factors affecting the 1970 election ?

• Weakness of the liberal party

• Enoch Powells ‘Rivers of Blood speech’

• Concerns about the Post - War consensus