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1964-1970 - Coggle Diagram
1964-1970
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goverment
Harold Wilson was the prime minister and labour party leader from 1964-1966, and based most his ideals and legislations on modernising Britain
he was said to be a great politician, state educated and a 'skilled performer' on TV, however it could be said that he was insecure, scared about his political rivals.
this resulted in his "kitchen cabinet", an inner circle of MPs who wilson trusted over his ministers
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a big and growing pattern of division in the labour party, with personal rivalry between Wilson, brown, Callaghan, and Jenkins dominating party politics.
formed the DEA to fix any economic problems, with the main goal being not the have to devalue or deflate the economey.
Barbra castle with 'in place of strife' the meant that any strike action needed to have a 2 week ;cooling off' period before any strikes could actually happen. widly unpopular
elections: 1964, wins by alot. 1966, wins by alot. 1970, loses by alot. what happend in that time to make labour goverment fail so badly?
the goverments relationships with unions was largely mixed, with wilson relying on cooperation from the unions for his economic policy while also trying to stop the 'wildcat strikes'
unemployment was also rising at this time, leading to rising inflation and rising strike activity
struggles in ireland also lead to the wilson goverment having to send in troops, making it look like they were interveining or taking sides
social
many new, largely popular, legislations introduced
end of capitol punishment, 1969
divorce reform, 1969, proof of adultary no longer needed
legislation on abortion,1967 only mental suffering needed as a reasosn now.
legislation on homosexual relations,1967, this did not legalise homosxuality, it did stop it being a criminal offence
labour also seeked to improve the education syspem. the school systen had made the class divide alot more significant, with grammar and private schools.
the increasing number of comprihensive schools meant that studants were selected on the area they lived in, instead of how well they did in the 11+ exam. (minister of education is tony crosland)
when it comes to higher education, things such as the open university and specialised technologey collages were introduced
by the 1970s, 91% of people had a TV in their home, and with the increase in mass media came uniformaty culture and an end to isolated communities
things such as bans on nudity and language on TV and theatre was lifter in the 60s, which was highly supported by Roy Jenkins
large increase in tolirance and equality in society as well,
the second wave of feminism with woman wanting to be properly educated. Employers were still legally able to pay women less than men so frustrations grew
the NHS did however become able to giver out free contraceptives and in 1970 the equal pay act was introduced
the extensive use og drugs caused the goverment to need to pass the dangerous drugs act in1967 to combat the drug use in young people.
the increase in education led to a youth culture that questioned the norm instread of accepted it. many youth cultures were directly anti-war with the vietnam war going on
lots of fear against the struggles in ireland in this time, more specifially, fear against the IRA starting new campaigne and this led to uniionists setting up their own paramillitarys. marches and protests turned into marches.
economey
labour was given an £800,000 debt when they came into office, so the economey of the labour goverment is already out of control.
labour didnt want to cause inflation or mess up the already very fragile economey. they had two options. deflation or devaluation but they didnt want to go with either of them as it would make the pople not like them either way.
they went with a secret third choice, the department of economic affairs (DEA) which didnt actaually end up working in the first place (it was lead by Geroge Brown and he was blamed in the end when is crashed)
a new "prices and incomes" policy introduced in 1966, but with the sterling crisis and the crisis in the middle east, the goverment had no choice but to go with a policy of devaluation.
tougher measures were brought in by Roy Jenkins that stabilised the economy by 1969, however it made the economy incredibly unpopular.
overall, labour was in a very similar position to the tory government in th 50s and 60s