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Successes and Failures of Wilson (Successes (Social Reforms (Increase in…
Successes and Failures of Wilson
Successes
Presents labour as modern and unified
Excellent parliamentary debtor
Good use of the press
Working Class
appeals to those from a similar back ground
however Wilson may be viewed as tax happy
Social Reforms
Increase in prosperity reduced divisions between social classes
more education, a higher standard of living and less respect for tradition
Youth culture, and the CR movement in US and more employment opportunities for women brought demands for equality
Roy Jenkins as home secretary undertook a policy
of modernisation which led to significant domestic changes:
Nov 1965 - Race relations, banning dis in public facilities
Jul 1967 - Homosexual acts in private among consenting adults legalised
Oct 1967 - Abortion
May 1969 - Voting age lowered from 21 to 18
Race relations acts brought in to tackle tensions following the arrival of immigrants from commonwealth
Immigration often unpopular with labour votes
Traditionalists outrages by abortion and homosexuality acts as it encouraged promiscuous sex and created a passive society
In 1964 changes in society were not reflected int he existing laws
Education
Comprehensive system was expanded
Open uni est. - wilson unsupportive - spending money on nothing
Number of unis increased following the advice of the 1963 Robbins Report on Higher education
in 1964 the education system did not offer enough high quality tech and scientific training
This limited the opportunities for H education
Economic policy
Positive economic dev
Balance of payments deficit improving by 1969 and the value of sterling had been maintained to benefit Britain's important financial sector
govt encouraged industrial dev - e.g. road transport
Wilson faced econ problems in 1964:
Stagflation
meant Britain's growth was slow and Nationalised industries were costly due to the lack of investment in the 1950's and defence costs were high preventing domestic investment
Failures
'In Place of Strife' - Barbra castle
Tries to work with the unions but fails
Labour still seen as dominated by unelected union leaders
'Tech Rev' doesn't happen
Seen as a consummate politician
seen as divisive, self serving and divorced from his grass roots
The Vietnam war
Verbally expressed support but refused LBJ's request to send in troops
Mainly in the left of the party disliked the diplomatic support of the USA in Vietnam
SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN DIVISIONS
Party membership fell significantly
To Appease the left, Wilson criticised the heavy bombing in 1966, and attempted to broker a peace medal in 1967
Irritated LBJ and did not go far enough for the labour left
Southern Rhodesia
Left and commonwealth countries of black Africa want Britain to send in troops to crush the rebellion for S Rhodesian independence
Government used economic sanctions instead - FAILED
Wilson then attempted diplomatic negotiation, offering a settlement which would lead Smith (rebellion leader) in power for the time being, with a majority rule later being intro
Could have angered Left and future commonwealth, but smith refused
Allowed Wilson to maintain his stance as an opponent of the rebellion who still tried to negotiate a peaceful solution
The significant amounts of achievements suggests that conservatives/Liberals wanted the same as labour as labour only had a 4 MP majority showing other parties must have had an imput
Wilson's governments
1964-70