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A CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE - Coggle Diagram
A CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
THE LIBERAL PARTY (1918-31)
Believed in Free-Trade
Limited role for Government
Party of social reform
After WW1 - Lloyd George was seen as a hero !
(1906) Onwards -->
State pensions
unemployment relief
Beginning of state-provided healthcare
They were the party for the Middle class and artisan Working class
WW1 resulted in a coalition with Conservatives (1915)
--> This was good for conservative as they wanted to broaden who they represented - like the middle class as they wanted to
'better themselves'
DECLINE OF THE LIBERAL PARTY :red_cross: --> (1922) Lloyd George
He was also selling titles Knighthoods : 1,500
Peerages : 100
This was Blatantly done, and some were even given away freely to Fleet Street newspaper Magnets
He split the party by campaigning against members who opposed him out
War with Chanak = Turkey --> if sought to revise the terms of the peace treaty it had been forced to sign in 1918
His Conservative partners disagreed with the policy
Also so soon after '' THE GREAT WAR''
*ALL DAMAGED HIS REPUTATION
:red_cross:*
Brought
the Representation of the Peoples Act
👩🏻 (1918) Giving women the right to vote --> this tripled their voting from 7.7 million to 21.4 million
THE LABOUR PARTY (1918)
The First government was led by Ramsay MacDonald (1924)
It was a majority government
The party was committed to parliamentary democracy - very moderate
Many said he run his government very similar to the repressive regime in Soviet Russia
MacDonald was forced to make harsh economic choices that affected the poorest voters
(1924) Housing Act
🏠
Increased the amount of money available to local authorities to build homes for low-income workers
As a minority government it depended on liberal support
SCANDLE :
Campbell incitement to muninity against a socialist newspaper - Workers Weekly- concluded relations between Russia and Britain and communist sympathizers -
Very fitting for MacDonald
Zinoviez Letter
General Election (Octoer 1924) A Conservative supporting Newspaper claimed that a letter from Russia to British Communist had been discovered
It said to prepare for the communist to overthrow the government.
The Daily Mail hoped it would sway people away from voting any type of left wing.
His government collapsed in Auguust (1924) following a motion of no confidence - with the letter. MacDonald accused both Conservatives and Liberals of having communist sympathizers
Successes :
improved social reforms in unemployment, benefits, pensions and public works
The Housing Act - led to
500,000
council houses built over the next 10 years
Good in foreign affairs - Dawes plan in France
CONSERVATIVE DOMINANCE (1924-29) Stanley Baldwin
Moderate politicians
He believed in Class Wars
SOCIAL REFORMS :
(1930) The Housing Act
🏠🏠
Cleared 750,000 of slum houses and replaced them with modern homes by 1939
(1930) The Coal Mines Act
Attempted to ensure better pay for workers and more efficient pits
BUT - the weakness of the legislation ensured mine owners were able to ignore it :red_cross:
MacDonald amended the Unemployment Insurance Act, giving the government powers o create public work schemes to alleviate unemployment. Funded with £25 million of government's money
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
; (1931) rumored the forthcoming budget would be unbalanced
The government was spending more than they could afford --> increased Borrowing 💲
Government then said there would be spending cuts and tax hikes - the biggest on would be the
10% cut in unemployment benefit
😭
He resigned in (1931) with a split in labour and tories
THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT (1931-45)
Following the government collapse in August, MacDonald called for an election (October 1931)
The National Government by huge majority won, however it was the conservatives within it who really won it. :check:
MacDonald became the figure head
Stanley Baldwin replaced him by 1935 :check:
Clement Atlee was the new leader for Labour and gained 154 in the next (193) election demonstrating them recovarying from their slump
MacDonald's Premiership (1931-45)
Dominated by the Great Depression and attempts to alleviate it in effect of economic recovery
Also dealing with the rise of Facism within Europe and at home
ECONOMIC POLICIES AND IT'S EFFECTS:
Implemented spending cuts Public sector cuts by 10% felt very harsh that it led to a mutiny in the Royal Navy
Introduction of limited number of tariffs
(1933)
END OF THE GOLD STANDARD
🥇
Standard and low interest rates stimulated economic recovery
EXTREMISM (1930'S)
Both far left and far right
BUF = British Union of Facists
1934 = 50,000 member
Communist Party of Great Britain
9,000 members
OSWALD MOSLEY :
Taken inspiration from Hilter and Mussolini
'Biff Boys'
Violent
British Union of Fascists (BUF)
(1936) Public Order Act
Banning groups from wearing uniforms and requiring permission for marches and demonstrations
STANLEY BALDWIN PREMIERSHIP (1935-37)
By 1935 , MacDonald was very unwell and was forced to step-down, and Baldwin replaced him
He became PM for the 3rd time and called a general election in (October 1935)
In his manifesto he pledged new houses, jobs and government help for the most economically deprived parts of the country
Also pledge to improve Britain's defense - although there was little desire among the public for rearmament
CHAMBERLAIN'S PREMIERSHIP (1937-40)
Baldwin resigned in (1937) due to ill heath, making way for his chancellor Neville Chamberlain to take his spot
He was PM during a time of economic recovery, falling unemployment and stable prices.
The trouble he faced was the need for rearmament, as Hitler continued to tear up the Treaty of Versailles
With war being declared on September 1939, Chamberlain was being ridiculed and faced opposition for the incompetent handling of the war
With trying to form a coalition government with Labour and them refusing to being led by him, he handed it over to Winston Churchhill
CHURCHILL PREMIERSHIP (1940-45)
His first speech to the House of Commons - the offered ' Blood, toil, tears and sweat'
When Britain defeated Nazi Germany, the Labour party signaled its intention to withdraw from the coalition
In (July 1945), a general election was called
Churchill believed he was going to win with a grateful British public for his wartime service and his manifesto heavily focused in foreign policy :forbidden: :warning:
There was bitter memories of Conservative pre-war governments and economic hardships as well Churchill claiming Labour was going to use the 'Gestapo' to police its social reforms
Labour manifesto of 'Let us face the future' promised action on housing, jobs, social security, and a national health service. :check:
THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT (1945-51) Clement Atlee
Establishment of the National Health Service
The National insurance act
The National Assisstance Act
*(1949) Housing Act
:check:*
Extended local authorities powers to build public sector housing for all income groups
Implementation of the Education Act (1944)
Labour win a landslide victory in 1945 and another election in 1950, and even though their majority was declining, despite polling over 1.5 million more voters than the conservatives :red_cross:
DECLINE IN VOTES : :red_cross:
Rationing Post-war --> Food and Fuel
Decline in middle class voters - and the working class was shrinking meaning they were losing votes
Austerity : Struggling to relieve Britain's economy in the immediate post-war years
Taxation : the standard rate (1949) 9 shillings to every £ (45p)
Top rate earners was 90 %
1951 GENERAL ELECTION -->
Foreign Sectary - Ernest Bevin Died (1951)
Atlee found it hard to maintain the labour government, with many of his trusted MP's falling ill or dying
The party was very divided over budget cuts aswell
Britain had also became involed within the Korean war, meaning spending more on the military
This meant paying for prescription which creator of the NHS Ernest Bevin was not impressed
Labour lost to majority, but had more voters, but Britain's first past the post meant conservatives won. :red_cross:
CONSERVATIVE DOMINANCE (1951-64)
13 years
Using 'Butskellism' economics
(1951-55)
Churchill
came back into power, just as a final wartime rations and restrictions came to an end --> known as a 'caretaker' PM:check:
EDEN'S GOVERNMENT (1955-57) 👨🏻
Young
Popular
Foreign Minister in WW2
Relatable
He called a general election to make sure he was a strong enough politician
By (July 1955) Britain has the lowest unemployment figures with only
215,000
people out of work :check:
THE SUEZ CRISIS 🌊
Arab-Israel conflict
Britain had maintained presence in Eygpt to protect the Suez Canal
After India Independence the canal was a meas of shipping out goods , like oil to Europe, Britain and US
President Nassar : Said the canal should be theirs for a fair price
Eden was reluctant and this is when Nassar occupied the Canal (July 1956) with the fear it will fall into Russian hands
France ad Israel invited Britain to invade but didn't tell America, and so president Eisenhower sold reserves of the £ and collapsed the value of the £
Panic was set off in the economy, Britain withdrew and Eden resigned :red_cross:
MACMILLAN'S BRITAIN (1957-63)
Harold Macmillan
Aristocratic Connections
Radical Conservative
Rapport was built with the public through TV apperances and seemingly being one with them
ACHIEVEMENTS :check:
''Night of the long knives'' (1962)
Macmillan sacked 7 of his own cabnit replacing them for younger men as the popularity of the tories were declining
He was seen by the public as ruthless and was able to take action
All of labours governing was scrapped :check:
Rationing
Restrictions of building
Income tax reduced
Removed limits on hire-purchase
Rights to strikes were removed
Wage : (1951-63) rose by 72%
Prices : only rose by 45%
Consumerism : 3 million --> 7 million
Mental Health Act (1959) : Mental illness regarded the same as a physical illness
SCANDALS :red_cross:
John Vassal : Passed top-secret information about the Britsh Royal Navy onto the soviet union
John Profumo : (June 1963) Admitted having an affair with Christine Keeler (sex worker) - But told Macmillan he was not and foolishly believed him, then he later confessed
WILSON'S GOVERNMENT (1964-70)
Harold Wilson
Labour Party
Presented as classless
Face of modern Britain
Chancellor James Callaghan
BUDGET DEFICITS : 💰📉
Britain economic problems were far worse than initially thought - £800 million
Problem :
He promised to improve pensions
Build 500,000 new homes
Maintain Britians defense military overseas
So unfavorably he had to devalue the £
Achievements : New Universities and polytechnic,, open universities, laws on abortions, homosexuality and the death penalty
HEATH GOVERNMENT (1970-74)
Racial policies
Commitment to full employment
"quite revolution"
He wanted to remove the state = improve people's lives
Rocky relationship with trade unions
'Barber Budget' - failed and it caused inflation and grew economic problems