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Britain Booklet 2 - Coggle Diagram
Britain Booklet 2
Liberal reforming legislation
Education
Tripartite system- comprehensive schools established
Open University promoted equal opportunities in education
End of capital punishment
Private members bill
Divorce reform
Until the late 1960s adultery had to be committed in order to get a divorce- only able to be investigated by the rich using private detectives
Divorce reform act passed in 1969
Allowed a no fault divorce
This law meant that they could divorce if they had lived apart for 2 years and both agreed to divorce or they had lived apart for 5 years and one partner wanted the divorce
Legislation of abortion
Until 1967 abortion was illegal
Between 100,000-200,000 illegal abortions were performed each year
Between 1958-60 82 women died from illegal backstreet abortions
The abortion act permitted the legal termination of a pregnancy within the first 28 weeks
Number of abortions increased from 35,000 in 1968 to 141,000 in 1975
Homosexuality
Up until 1961 men could be put in prison for 2 years for homosexuality
1967 sexual offences act- Both partners had to consent, both had to be over 21 and it had to be in private
Social and cultural change
Women
2nd wave feminism spread over to the UK
Growth in female education
Easier divorce created greater freedoms
Still a lack of economic independence (e.g. a male need to sign mortgage forms, either husband or father)
General living
The expansion of mass media
TVs became available everywhere
Hugh Greene became the Director of BBC in which new programmes were commissioned
By 1961 75% of the population had a TV in their home and by 1971 it was 91%
Radios-BBC
Growth of Leisure activities
TV accounted for 23% of leisure time
Hobbies such as DIY, gardening, cookery, knitting etc became more popular
Fewer people were expected to work on saturday mornings and weekends could be spent in leisure activities
Car ownership increased rapidly in the 1960s- 77% of journeys by 1974
number of holidays rapidly increased
Race and immigration
Sudden influx of Kenyan Asians (Ugandan expulsions) led to introduction of COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRATION ACT (limited the right of return to Britain for non-white Commonwealth citizens).
Labour put forward further controls on immigration and set up a race relations board to implement controls and changes.
continuing influx from New Commonwealth = social tensions 1950’s that by 1960’s had not faded.
Youth culture
Young people clashed with their parents over fashion, music taste and moral standards
Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, illegal drug use increased
Different youth subcultures emerged- The skin heads and the hipppies
Wilson and Labour government
Harold Wilson
PM 1964-1970
and then 1974-1976
Ideology
Positioned the Labour Party as a modern alternative to old fashioned Tories
Unified Left and Right of the Labour Party
Economy
Policies
Aimed at ending the ‘stop-go’ policies of the last 13 years
Labour inherited a huge deficit of £800 million. Two options were available:
Deflation - prevent rise in inflation but would in reality continue ‘stop-go’ policy
Devaluation - exports cheaper but emphasise Britain’s weakness (+ Attlee had done this in 1949 = the party of devaluation)
Started the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in 1964 and National Board for Prices and Incomes in 1965 to plan economic changes.
Labour and the trade unions
Trade Unions influence due to post war consensus politics - importance of maintaining full employment
• Favourable with general public > Opinion polls showed 60% people supported
• Macmillan and Wilson tried to court trade unions e.g. Wilson made Cousins (trade unionist) minister of technology
• Wild cat strikes broke out
• ‘IN PLACE OF STRIFE’ 1969 –necessary to curb unions
= Upset TU’s and Labour > storm of protests including the National Union of Mineworkers, 50 MPs ready to rebel
• One of many setbacks (Rhodesia, Northern Ireland), Wilson gave in after many months by striking a compromise with TUC =
• Abandoning the attempt at all times to have harmonious relations with unions meant that successive Labour leaders could not bring the party back together.
Labour divisions
Personal rivalries between wilson and his most powerful cabinet colleagues
Relationship with and policies towards USA