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What impact did Thatcher's governments (1979-1990) have on Britain…
What impact did Thatcher's governments (1979-1990) have on Britain (1979-1997)?
the effect of Thatcher's economic policies
goals:
promote growth & production
monetarism + supply side
privatisation
rise of the house price economy
higher interest & higher repossessions
increased competition
mixed improvement in services
'popular capitalism'
taxation and incentives
furthered social divisions
penalised the poor
deregulation
removed exchange controls- no limit on how much money can be converted to foreign currency and spent abroad
increased consumer spending on foreign goods
relaxed rules on ownership and trading in banks
London -> international finance center
easier access to mortgages and credit cards
greater personal debt
reduced inflation
free market
tackle inflation
reduced public spending
failed- more of the workforce employed in public sector in 1990 than 1979
raise taxes
ineffective
reduce power of TUs
part of the promotion of 'popular capitalism'
perception of TUs
bullying
undemocratic
considerable success
lower membership
decline of manufacturing and coal mining industries (not slowed)
TUs undermined by
reducing funds and subsidies
changing legal parameters of striking
The extent to which state intervention and the public sector were ‘rolled-back’
crush the 'Nanny State'
'TINA'
civil service
some success
massive redundancies
civil servants worked in flexible agencies alongside private sector
local government
disabled local authorities by
reducing funding
reducing ability to raise funds
tried to widen sense of financial responsibility
POLL TAX
promotion of efficient 'contracting out' -> private firms hired by local councils
increased reliance on institutions of central government
considerable success
NHS
goals
reduce public spending on NHS
unpopular with doctors
had to be subtle
enforce privatisation
would have been highly unpopular
completely failed
education
goals
remove LAs
raise standards
national curriculum & standardised exams
catchment areas
increased gvt interference
reduce 'child-centred' learning
encourage competition between schools w/ marketisation
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relative success
The extent of political and social division within Britain
political
divisions between left and right
radicalisation
right-shift of center ground
fall in voter turnout
divisions between local and national government
within Thatcher's government
'Wets' v 'Dries'
social
widened gap between rich and poor
reduced welfare
increased pensioners living below the poverty line
reduction in manufacturing
divisions within the middle class (attack on civil service vs rising incomes)
The effect of Thatcherism on politics and party
development.
on Conservatives
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used opposition from 'wets' to support her
use of computers to contact potential voters (American idea)
more MPs had university education
alienated traditional conservatives (non-neoliberals)
after integration into EEC -> resignation of Geoffrey Howe
POLL TAX -> cabinet revolt
John Major's continued privatisation (more moderate than Thatcher)
lost election 1997
on Labour
fragmentation
moderate members switched to Social Democratic Party (1981)
some areas become more militant
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'looney left'
'New Labour' (rebranded)
Thatcher's economic policies
rejected nationalism
free market
focus on social justice
reach out to middle class voters
'rolling back' of state reduced left support base
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on others
SDP & Liberal party merged 1988
socially liberal with SOME Thatcherite economic policy
SNP and Plaid Cymru dissatisfied with Thatcher
SNP no success
Plaid Cymru achieved Welsh Assembly under New Labour
BUT the change had already begun under Heath
regional
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