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The Impact of Thatcherism on Society - Coggle Diagram
The Impact of Thatcherism on Society
Sale of council houses - 'Right to Buy'
Aim - turn Britain into property-owning democracy
The Housing Act 1980
Gave tenants the right to buy their council house
received discount of 33-50% depending on how long they owned the house
Positive impacts
By 1988 - 2 million new homeowners
symbol of the success of Thatcherism
popular, esp in South
Negative consequences
did not have a great impact in less desirable estates
councils ordered to use profits to reduce debts, not build more housing
number of quality homes for rent reduced, and waiting lists for rented homes longer
many housed in emergency B&B accomodation - expensive for councils, not suitable for families involved
The miners' strike and other industrial disputes
Power of unions constrained
1980 - secondary picketing outlawed
1984 - unions under pressure to hold ballots before calling strike action
Newpaper proprietors tried to reduce powers of print unions
Miner's strike 1984-885
Causes
1981 NCB announced closure of 20 pits
Scargill claimed evidence of plans to close 75 (McGregor denied.)
later doc demonstrated plans to close 75 over 3 years
Gov felt more confident and prepared - stockpiled coal unlike 1974
Gov case for pit closures
long term decline in marketability of coal
many running at loss by 1970s
Miner's case for not closing pits
coal mining could have profitable future with proper government investment
Social consequences - mining communities/ 'way of life' (Durham, Wales, Yorkshire, etc.)
Battle of Orgreave June 1984
6000 pickets vs 7000 policemen
93 arrests, 51 strikers and 72 policemen injured
violent clashes
Reasons strike failed
Scargills
The poll tax
Aim
make local councils more accoutable to their electors by ensuring that everyone contributed
councils would be forced into more efficent and responsible spending
Opposition
March 1990 Anti Poll Tax demonstration in Trafalgar Square
200,000 people
turned into riot - 5000 injured, 300 arrests made
comparisions to Battle of Orgreave
Anti Poll Tax Unions
encouraged people not to pay
some areas 30% of people non-payers
Introductions
Scotland 1989
decreased Conservative popularity even further
England and Wales 1990
Thatcher's inability to change course highlighted how out of touch she was
extra-parliamentary opposition
Education and the Arts
Oxford Uni - voted not to give Thatcher honorary degree due to spending cuts in higher education (given to every other Oxford-educated post-war prime minister.)
Playwrights wrote plays that satirised Thatcherism (Caryl Churchill, David Hare)
Programmes that showed social consequences of Thatcher policies - e.g Boys from the Blackstuff
The Church
Published 1985 report - Faith in the City. Called for government to do more for deprived communities
Bishops David Jenkins (Durham) and David Sheppard (Liverpool) outspoken of criticism of Thatcher policies
Pressure Groups
Charities
Shelter - campaigned against increasing homelessness problem
Age Concern - campaigned against pensioner poverty
Pacifism and feminism: the Greenham women
prompted by arrival of Cruise missiles arriving and Greenham Common base (CND)
created camp - remained for 19 years (until 2000.)
April 1983 - 70,000 protesters created 14 mile human chain to protest the missiles
Environmentalism
Growing concerns
Bhopal, India 1984 - gas leak, killed 3000-8000 people
Chernobyl, Soviet Union 1986
1985 - discovery of Antarctic ozone holed caused by CFCs in atmosphere
Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth grew in strength