Labour goverments Wilson and Callahan

Jim callahan, general election 1979, devoloution, Wilson, problems and situations of the 70's

By how many seats did the conservatives win the 1979 election

43 seats

Why was the position of labour weaker by 1979

• The winter of discontent

• Trade union image damaged

• unemployment

• power of the unions

• lack of law and order

When did wilson come to goverment

1974 after beating heath

What was the economic situation by 1974

• Major inflation due to wage increaces

• Inflation was 15%

• Ballance of the payments deficit £3billion

what was the balance of the payments deficit by 1974

£3billion

what was inflation by 1974

15%

what was the political situation in 1974

• Poor situation in Northern ireland

• Labour party un-united

• Wilson was older and less energetic

• Minority government formed making it dependent on other partys to pass legislation

What was the industrial situation by 1974

• Miners strikes and disruption in unions

Why did Wilson have another election in October 1974

• So he could have a greater majority giving him more support to pass legislation

How many more seats did Wilson get in the oct 1974 election

18 seats and a majority of 3

What were industrial relations like under Wilson

• 1973 he negotiated an social contract with the trade union congress

• This meant he could end the three day week

Who was MInister of employment in 1974 under wilson

• Michel Foot

who was minister of industry in 1974 under wilson

• Tony Benn

Who was Chancellor under Wilson 1974

• Denis Heanly

What did Denis Heaney bring in as chancellor

• Two budjets

• 1975 formal wage policy introduced

• increaced taxes

• reduced goverment spending

What were Wilson’s economic reforms 1974

• Jan 1975 Healey gave a speach about the dangers of wage increaces

• April 1975 Healeys budjet increaced taxation and cut spending

when was the national enterprise board created and who was in charge

1974 Tony Benn

• To try and increace investment

However by 1975 the extent to which it helped was questioned because of its poor finacial performence.

What and when was the winter of discontent

Nov 1978 and Feb 1979 under callahan

• In december there was a 9 week lorry drivers strike

Ford workers got a pay rise of 17%

• Mass disruption to transport eg. Train drivers

• Hospital porters, clerical staff

• dustmen

• and grave diggers

when did the winter of dicontent end

March 1979

• With an average pay increace of 10%

why did the winter of discontent happen

Goverments policy of pay restraint

• The goverment refused to raise wages more than 5% in 1978

• The TUC rejected this in the light of the high inflation

what was the goverment respinse to the winter of discontent

• Callaghan refused to introduce emergency laws against unions.

• He appeared out of touch and careless

• "Crisis? What crisis?"

What was the lib lab pact

12 Liberal MPs agreed to vote with callahan

• In retern they wanted support for the devoloution of scottland and wales

What is devoloution

• The transfer of power to lower levals of govermnet

When was the devoloution act for scottland and wales

1978

What was the issue with the devoloution of wales and scottland 1978

• Many conservitive and labour MPs were against it

• Resulted in a referendum

When and why did the Develoution referndum fail

1st March 1979

• 40% majority to pass the bill

• Due to low turn out so only 32.9% of the total electorate voted yes.

• Low support in wales

What triggerd the Election in 1979

Devoloution failure ment the Scottish national party withdrew support for labour

• 28th March 1979 vote of no confidence againt labour

• By one vote

What was Jim callahans impact on industry

• Mannaged to reduce the number of days lost due to work diputes to an 10-year low

• Social contract to create less high tension relations

• 5% pay limit built up lots of resentment

what was oil expansion and when under callahan

By 1978 there were 9 oil fields due to North sea oil expansion

What was callahan’s economic action

• 1976 He gave a speech warning the ‘cozy world’ was gone

• Applied for IMF loan

when did callahan apply for the IMF loan

1976

What was Callahan’s IMF loan

£3 billion

• However, spending had to be cut

• Increased tensions as many found it humiliating

Callahan economic sucsesses

• Inflation fell to 8% - due to wage restraint and spending cuts

• IMF stabalised the pound and restored confidence

• unemployment stabalised

what was inflation by 1978

8%

what were callahan’s failures

• Rising unemployment abouve 1.5 million

• IMF damaged labours reputation

• 5% policy failed

• Winter opf discontent

What the problems callahan faced in 1976

• Poor balance of the payments crisis put pressure on the pound

• Brittan didnt have enough currency reserves to support the pound

• Inflation and unemployment

what problems did callahan face in 1977

• Labour had lost majority in the house of commons resulting in the lib- lab pact

when were the strikes that brought down telecomunications in NI

May 1974

When was Northern Ireland declared a State of Emergency?

9 August 1971

When did the Sunningdale Agreement collapse?

28 May 1974.

when was the sunningdale agreement signed

December 1973.

why did the sunningdale agreement collapes

• Strong opposition from many unionists who opposed sharing power with nationalists and the proposed Council of Ireland.

• The Ulster Workers' Council Strike (May 1974) brought Northern Ireland to a standstill.

When was the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention created?

• The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention was established by the British government in 1975.

• Elections to the Convention took place on 1 May 1975.

what was the purpose of the Northern ireland constitutional convention

• To allow locally elected representatives to agree on a new system of government for Northern Ireland.

• The government hoped it would produce an acceptable form of power-sharing.

Who one the majority huly 1975 NICC

Unionists

when was the NICC dissolved

1976

when was special catogry status removed form political NI prisoners and the effect

1976

• blanket protests then

• after 1978 the Dirty protests / No-Wash Protest

• by 1979 over 250 had taken part