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37 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What were the results of the 1951 election? |
The Conservatives won power but with a slim majority |
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What was the Conservatives majority in 1951? |
17 seats |
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Why was the 1951 election unusual? |
- CON won 51% of seats but won 48% of votes - LAB won 47% of seats but won 48.8% of votes |
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What were the key issues the CON had to face? |
1) Decolonisation 2) Review of the nations world role 3) Financial commitments to nuclear weapons 4) NHS 5) American financial support |
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In the 50s, LAB and CON had similar ideologies, what was this called? |
Consensus |
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What did both parties agree on? |
Using a mixed economy, with element of private and public provision working together |
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What problems did the Conservatives face during the first term in office? |
1) Churchill was 77 and had already suffered 2 strokes 2) Churchill's priority was foreign affairs 3) They only had a narrow majority 4) They had won less popular votes than the Labour Party 5) A balance of payments deficit- £700 million |
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What did the CON pledge in its 1950 conference? |
To build 300,000 houses a year |
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Who was appointed Housing Minister? |
Harold Macmillan |
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What did the Ministry of Housing achieve? |
In 1952-53, over 318,000 houses were built |
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How did the Ministry of Housing achieve their goal? |
They reduced the high standards set by LABs Bevan |
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How many houses had been built by 1964? |
1.7 million however 60% were private |
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How was it possible for the CON to build so many houses? |
- Property Owning democracy - Special rates and mortgages gave people the opportunity to buy |
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Who was appointed Minister of Health? |
Ian Macleod |
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Why did the NHS remain unchanged? |
It was put to the back of the queue behind housing |
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What was introduced in the NHS? |
Prescription charge of 2s |
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Why did the CON win in 1951? |
1) Labour had run out of steam and had only been elected on a small majority of 5 2) Labour had increased public spending despite economic problems 3) The CON promised to end rationing and economic austerity |
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Who was seen as a key figure in Churchill's Gov't? |
R.A.Butler the Chancellor of Exchequer |
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What was considered R.A.Butler's greatest achievement? |
The Education Act 1944 |
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What economic policy did Butler follow? |
Keynesian economics |
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What did the CON manifesto list as aims? |
1) Maintain welfare state 2) Roll back the nationalisation scheme 3) To set people free of socialist rules 4) Promised to build 300,000 5) End rationing |
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How did Churchill make a point of sacrifices having to be made? |
Cut ministerial wages by 20% and the PMs pay by 30% |
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How did Churchill form a liberal CON Gov't? |
Many key posts were given to Conservative reformers such as Macmillan Most of the ministers were not traditional Conservatives |
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What did the Conservatives inherit? |
A balance of payments deficit racing towards £700 million |
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How did Butler respond to the balance of payments deficit? |
Savage cuts to imports, credit, travel allowances and food subsidies |
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What was the result of Butlers cuts? |
£259 million surplus by 1952 |
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What were Butler's economic policies? |
1) Food subsidies were cut 2) Ministers salaries were cut 3) Abolition of the identity card and end of rationing 4) Iron and steel was denationalised |
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Give an example of Butler using stop-go policies. |
1) 1955 budget included cuts to taxes 2) Interest rates were cut in 1952 3) Interest rates rose in 1954 and 1955 |
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Where did the term Butskellism originate? |
The Economist used the term to describe the similarity between CON Butler and LAB Gaitskell's policies |
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Give examples of Butler and Gaitskell not having similar policies. |
- Butler preferred economic control through interest rates - Gaitskell preferred high taxation |
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What did Macmillan achieve under Churchill? |
1) 1953 over 320,000 houses were built 2) 1952 the housing subsidy was increased from £22 to £35 3) Policies were implemented to encourage mortgages 4) New towns such as, Basildon, Hemel and Crawley were completed |
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How did critics argue against Macmillans success? |
1) Standard of housing built was much lower 2) Over emphasis on house building instead of long term industrial building |
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How much was the expenditure on social services increased? |
From 39% to 43% in 1955 |
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How many people claimed benefits in 1954? |
In 1948 there was 800,000 but in 1954 there was 1.8 million |
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What, if any, progress was made in Education? |
- Double the number of students were staying in school until 17 in 1955 - Lagging behind European countries - Uni students fell from 85,000 in 1950 to 82,000 in 1954 - New schools were halted |
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How did Churchill respond to TUs? |
- Conciliatory approach - Promised there would be no reappeal of the Trade Unions Act 1947 - Strongly supported the efforts of Monckton to negotiate with the TUs |
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How many immigrants were entering Britain by the late 50s? |
26,000 per year mainly from the West Indies |
