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Conservative domination 1951-64 (PRIME MINISTERS (Macmillan (calm…
Conservative domination
1951-64
PRIME MINISTERS
Churchill 1951
1955-57 = Anthony Eden
1957 = Macmillan
1963 = Douglas Home
Churchill
Knowledge of foreign affairs
interested in domestic policy is weaker
at 77 lacked energy = figure head
domestic affairs dominated by RA butler
Eden
Highly experienced but Suez Canal in 1956
Macmillan
calm leadership
good with TV
moved with times e.g. ending death penalty and African independence in 1960
controlled economy through stop-go policy
-1959 election - Britain was prosperous 'never had it so good'
Britain had restored relations with USA after Suez and macmillan tried with USSR
Profumo scandal brings down govt
'A Good Butcher'
made changes e.g. 1962 'night of the long knives' = biggest sacking of cabinet ministers in political history
after 1961 unable to prevent economic problems
Britain was not playing significant role in world events e.g. USSR berlin wall and Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
macmillan retired in 1963
Home
gave up peerage to sit in house of commons
Appointed by small group of C's not elected = no democracy leads to a shift back towards labour
mercilessly satirised e.g. by Private eye
Why did they win 1951 election?
Conservative strengths
stronger campaign than 1945 with Churchill making less controversial speeches like those relating Labour to Gestapo
Party united in opposition to labour nationalising steel unlike divided labour
promise to build 300,000 houses a year was popular as not yet dealt with post-war shortage
Promised freedom from rationing (unpopular since 1945) and full employment policies
Labour weaknesses
Done worse in 1950 than landslide of 1945, majority of only 5 seats weakened morale
Associated with AUSTERITY with high tax and rationing and cut back on imported goods to encourage exports
Labour faced problems abroad e.g. Korean war 1950 meant defence spending had risen reducing funds for domestic policies
defence spending led to NHS cuts and intro of charges for spectacles and some prescriptions = DIVISIONS
OTHER
Labour won more votes but fewer seats due to changes in boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1948
by 1951 there was less sympathy for socialism due to cold war seeing USSR as enemy
Decline in liberal support from 2.6 mil in 1945 to 750,000 in 1951
ECONOMY
Defence spending on nuclear weapons = divisions and less domestic spending
Increase in TU strikes - seen to attack the govt who was the main employer at the time
Unemployment = 800,000
Rejected from EEC until 1972
CREDIT
Labours relaxed credit laws = spending through hire purchase
increasing unemployment meant people couldn't pay back creditors so when economy downturns, the credit 'boom' stalls the economy leading to higher interest rates and saving opposed to spending
Conservatives seen to be able to fix
Why were the conservatives able to dominate for so long?
Economic policy
RA Butler and Buskellism
Butler = Chancellor of Exchequer '51-55
Policies similar to Labours Hugh Gaitskell
indicated consensus as there was little difference between 2 parties - CONSENSUS formed the 1950's
e.g. continuation of NHS
Crude economics and control of economic cycle
Peter Clarke argues this was the main reason for conservative dominance
Chancellors were able to control the economic cycle and through doses of reflation and good electoral dates chosen by PM's, stimulation was coordinated with electoral cycle
1955 - Butler's spring budget lowers basic rate of income tax as part of a £134 million tax give away
1959 Heathcoat-amary lowers income tax to post-war low of 38.75%
Closely connected to political factors:
1959 MacMillans slogan 'Life is better with conservatives'
led C's to be trusted with affluence
1950's = full employment
greater disposable income = spending
real wages rose faster than inflation
Stop-go policy created by butler meant controlling the economy by increasing and decreasing interest and taxation (especially indirect)
helped keep inflation steady
Economic affluence meant there was no reason to vote Labour
Rationing ended under churchill
unemployment rarely rose above 2%
Home ownership of 44%
TV ownership of 91%
Macmillan was right when he said his people have 'never had it so good' in 1957
Trade unions
Harmonious industrial relations
committed to nationalisation and the mixed economy - only privatise iron and steel
Govt are now the employer of millions of nationalised industries and membership = 10 million
industrial trouble bought off with higher wages
Shows C's beat labour at their own game as their grassroots were TU's and working-class who now favoured the Tories
C's delivered full employment, low taxation and good industrial relations
Labour weaknesses
Economic
High spending on the welfare state under Attlee led to high taxation and austerity costing them the election of 1951
1950's Bevaneties were pushing for further nationalisation whilst right-wing group favoured Gaitskell and socialist policies (shown in Buskellism by Tories)
social
Labour may have created the welfare state but expenditure increased under the conservatives, both in real terms and as a % of public expenditure - from 39% to 43%
Macmillan was poster boy for commitment to the welfare state. A minister for housing the govt surpassed the 300,000 new houses target and by 1964 1.7 million new homes had been built.
The labour party therefore had nothing new to offer the electorate. They were beaten at their own game by the conservatives
Credit boom led to changes in expectations e.g. more luxury goods
social stability due to 1950's - full employment
Expansion in education - 6,000 more schools built
Grammar schools greater by the Butler act 1944 which continued to give greater chance to those who couldn't afford private education
uni education increased
Political
political unity and strength of C's helped them to win 3 consecutive elections. Their leaders and campaigns were able to highlight the economic competence of the party. Contrasted with divided labour
1955 Eden was popular and effective using media medium to focus on the economic mantra of 'conservative freedom works'
1959 macmillan or 'superman' stressed the theme of continuing prosperity in 'Life is better under the C's' and a campaign promising to double the standard of living within a generation
The 1955 and 1959 election didn't coincide with the problems and mistakes
1956 - Suez crisis
1961 - Didn't get into EEC
Labour
No political match
1955 an ageing and backwards looking Attlee was unable to tame the Bevanites. In 1952, 57 had defied the party and voted against the H Bomb.
in 1959 Gaitskell made a major blunder over not increasing taxation which was perceived to be a crude attempt to buy off the electorate
C's able to highlight their own economic success in contrast to labour disarray
Limitations of this government
Economic
Britains rate of economic growth lagged behind other European countries and its share of world trade fell - exports lagged behind domestic manufactures, this created a balance of payments deficit
A lot of money on defence spending (nuclear weapons) rater than economic improvements 10% GDP
failure to modernise traditional industries e.g. steel and coal
TU's kept work places over manned
Still suffered stagflation
From 1961 weaknesses with rise I'm unemployment, worsening labour relations - 800,000 in 1963
Eden
Suez Crisis
anger at Necker to nationalise the Suez in 1956, Eden with France and Israel invaded
Seen as living in the past worrying about Empire links
Nasser blocked the canal so Briatin couldn't get any oil tankers in
USA disapproved
Russians hostile
British public opposed
Forced to withdraw forces and resign in 1957
Macmillan
Profumo scandal
Christine Keeler has affair with John Profumo (minister for defence)
also involved with Russian military