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Britain Revision 1964 - 1970 The Sixties Booklet 2 - Coggle Diagram
Britain Revision 1964 - 1970 The Sixties Booklet 2
Political
Harold Wilson as Prime Minister 1964 - 1970
Labour Leader from 1963 - 1976
He supported Britain's nuclear deterrent and attempted to reform the trade unions
General Election results 1964
Labour Seats 317 and Conservatives Seats 304
General Election results 1966
Labours seats 363
Conservative seats 253
Labour votes 47.9%
Conservative votes 41.9%
Modern Leader
First Prime Minister to be educated at a state secondary school
Smoked a pipe
Yorkshire accent
Relaxed and skilful performer on television
'Kitchen Cabinet'
Harold was anxious and insecure about his leadership
Wilson relied on his personal team of trusted advisers from outside the government and civil service
Team was dominated by Marcia William his 'personal political secretary'
Took place in the kitchen at 10 Downing Street
included of economic advisers and inner circle of MPs
James Callaghan
Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed in 1964
Served both as Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary
Roy Jenkins
Replaced Callaghan as Chancellor in 1967 to 1970
Served as Home Secretary from 1965 to 1967
Strongly in favour of Devaluation in 1964
Other Domestic Policies
Wilson wanted to emphasise technology and science modernising Britain's economy
Government was hindered by lack of expertise
Roy Jenkins the first minister of aviation, admitted that he had difficulty understanding his briefings because of his non scientific mind
Frank Cousins the first minister of technology, had little interest in technological development.
In 1966, Tony Benn took over as minister the department performed better
However, research and development was costly
But Britain pursued some projects such as the supersonic plane Concorde, which developed in partnership with the French Government
Couldn't compete with the USA which spent vast government sums on research and development
Labour Divisions
Divisions in Left and Right of the Labour party
Bevan the leader of the Left died in 1960
Gaitskell the leader of the right died in 1963
Wilson emerged as 'middle ground' leader of the party
concentrated the Labour Party the party of technology modernisation
which united both the Left and Right of the party which minimised tensions such as that over Clause IV
feared he might face a leadership challenge from Brown or Callaghan or Jenkins
Brown was resentful that he had lost the leadership election to Wilson and disappointed that he was not made Foreign Secretary in 1964
Wilson was also suspicious of Jenkins 'a gailskellite' (right of Labour party)
He did not support Jenkins liberalising legislation as home secretary
seaman's strike of 1966 caused sterling crisis jenkins tried to get the cabinet to support Devaluation
Callaghan did not approve of Jenkins pro european stance nor of his liberalising legislation
Jenkins was critical of the failure to devalue when callaghan was Chancellor and was a supporter of the trade union legislation that Callaghan helped to block
Wilson didn't face a challenger from the left of the party, but those who were more left wing in the unions, local government and young people were frustrated by his government
this made it likely that the divide between the Left and Right ould re-emerge in the 1970s
The beginning of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland
Unionists supporting the union with Britain and Nationalists supporting a united Ireland
Majority of the people in Northern Ireland were Protestant Unionists
Evidence that Catholics in Northern Ireland discriminated against employment and housing
electoral boundaries had been drawn to prevent Catholics from being elected
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) the Northern Irish police force was biased against Catholics
In 1964, civil rights movement in Northern Ireland started to challenge this
tensions rose an some uniosts feared that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) would start a new campaign.
so called Loyalists started to set up paramilitary organisation to defend the union
Civil Rights Marches held in 1968 to protest against discrimination, they were attacked by Loyalists
Catholics complained that the RUC failed to protect them
Television broadcast the world showed RUC officers beating Catholics
Apprentice Boys went ahead with their annual march in Derry
August 1969 the Wilson government sent in British army troops in a attempt to keep the peace
Post War consensus
By 1970 first sign of post war consensus breaking down
Economic problems did not seem to be solved by the consensus policies
Trade unions were uncooperative
Forcing Labour to try and reform industrial relations
Social problems and poverty had not been ended
The Conservatives were beginning to doubt the post war consensus
questioning whether the State should take s great a role in planning the economy
the need for trade union reform
Loss of 1970 Election
Wilson was considered to be a master campaigner, more experienced and popular
Heath had greater strengths he was given credit for
hardworking
conscientious
competence
others believed that Heath's actions appear strong and principled
Labour's position in 1970 was fragile
1966 and 1969 Wilsons government had setbacks and real or perceived failures
1968 Enoch Powell made is famous speech 'rivers of blood' warning against further immigration
sacked by Heath from the shadow cabinet in 1968
Powell made voters vote Conservative
Conservative Seats: 330
Labour Seats: 287
Votes Conservative: 46.4% Labour: 43%
Private Members' bills
Labour did not set out with a liberalising agenda
Labour leaders such as Wilson and Brown were conservative on moral issues
many working class Labour MPs remained suspicious of change
Laws on moral questions are usually free votes (individual MPs can vote according to their own conscience rather than following an official party line)
Labour favoured the use of 'expert witnesses'
vast majority of proposed legislation passing through Parliament was government bills
division of backbench MPs to propose legislation through private members bills
In 1960s they brought forward a number of reforms through this mechanism
successful because Jenkins as Home secretary was sympathetic and so enabled enough parliamentary time to be available for the reforms to be passed
Society
The End of capital punishment
arguments against the death penalty had been advanced in the 1950s
public remained divided on this issue
anti- hanging campaign had received a boost from the case of Ruth Ellis a young mother convicted of murdering her abusive boyfriend in 1955
In 1957 tories reduced the number of offences carrying the death penalty
Labour backbencher Sydney Silverman campaigned to win support for total abolition
In 1965 on a free vote hanging was abolished for trial period of five years
1969 this was made permanent
Jenkins refused to authorise of prisoners
ceased after 1967
brought in majority of verdicts for ENglish juries rather than demanding unanimity
This helped convicted many dangerous professional criminals
although the abolishment of hanging didn't reduce number of murders or violent crimes as supporters hoped
Divorce Reform
before 1960s, divorce law demanded evidence that one person had committed adultery
this rich used private detectives and camera for other divorce was often impossible
Jenkins believed the law was out of date
Divorce Reform Act passed in 1969
allowed for 'no fault divorce'
You could divorce if: they had lived apart for two years and both partners agree to a divorce or/and they had lived apart for 5 years and one partner wanted a divorce
huge increase in the number of divorces
1950s there had been fewer than 2 divorce decrees by 1000 married couples
By mid 1970s nearly 10 in every 1000 marriages ended this way
Legalisation of Abortion page 51
Economic
Modernisation of Britain's economy
By 1964, Britain was lagging behind other countries such as West Germany and Japan
Britain's economy seemed to be trapped in the cycle of 'Stop-Go'
leading to inflation, runs on the pound and regular crisis over balance of payments
Harold Wilson's aim was to break out of the stop and go cycle
Devaluation
would make imports more expensive
help exporters by making Britain's goods cheaper in other countries
Wilson and Callaghan were against this
feared that Labour would gain a reputation of Devaluation
Atlee had already devalued the pound 1949
Would make Britain look weaker in the world
Roy Jenkins had been strongly in Favour of Devaluation
Replaced Callaghan as Secretary in 1967
deflationary methods he raised taxes and tightened up government spending in all areas of the economy
top priority to improve the balance of payments
made government unpopular
but by 1969 Jenkins had achieved balance of payments
however inflation was still running at 12%
Department of Economic Affairs (DEA)
led by George Brown
He set growth targets and devised a nation system of economic planning councils
tried to establish voluntary agreement about wages and prices with industrialists, trade union leaders and civil servants
Right wing of the Labour Party
Created by Harold Wilson 1964
Brown's economic proposals came to nothing
No united government support
Competition with
Chancellor James Callaghan
orthodox economists at the Treasury
Brown was blamed as he could be impulsive and inconsistent
others blamed
old fashion/ anti labour civil servants at The Treasury
Bank of England
In 1966
Wilson moved Brown to Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In 1967 the DEA was abandoned
Government brought in a Prices and Incomes Policy to keep down inflation implemented by a Prices and Incomes Board
There was another sterling crisis in 1966 caused by long bitter strike by the National Union of Seamen
The government defeated the strike
Many shocked at Wilson's response and critical attitude
Trade Unionist Frank Cousins resigned from the cabinet over the incomes policy
The relationship between the government and the unions was starting to break down
Labour government survived sterling crisis in 1965 and 1966
But in 1967 there was an outbreak of War in the Middle East affecting oil supplies
Major national dock strike in August 1967 affected the balance of payments
The government decided that Devulation could not be avoided
Pound dropped by 14 per cent to 2.40 US Dollars
Labour made defence cuts
Labour introduced purchase restrictions and higher interest rates
looked a little different from 'Stop-Go' policies by previous Tory Government
Industrial Relations and the trade unions
In 1964 Wilson made the trade unionist Frank Cousins minister of technology
Key elements to Post War Consensus was the influence of the trade unions, government saw potential to maintain employment and unionists happy
Opinion polls in early 60s, nearly 60% of people said they have favourable view of the unions
Strikes by Seamen and the dockers in 1966 and 1967
Old union bosses were losing their control
A lot of strikes started with 'wild cat' strikes by local activists who would not take orders from the top
Edward Heath announced a policy that called 'Fair Deal at Work'
New Employment Minister Barbara Castle
In January 1969, she produced her white paper 'In Place of Strife' she knew it would be controversial suggesting it could be 'political sucide'
strengthen the unions in dealing with employers
key aspects that were difficult for the unions to accept
28 days 'cooling off' period before a strike when ahead
government could impose a settlement when unions were in dispute with each other in 'demarcation disputes'
strike ballots could be imposed
Industrial relations court would be able to prosecute people who broke the rules
her proposals were liked by voters and Labour MPs such as Roy Jenkins
her proposals were hated by the unions and the left of the Labour party
Storm of protest by Union leaders such as Jack Jones of the Transport and General workers Union
Supported by James Callaghan and 50 Labour MPs ready to rebel
1 more item...
Foreign Relations
Application for the EEC
This was Rejected
Devaluation crisis damaged it's credibility
Much of the Labour Party did not want to join