Conservative Party in the 50s A-level history
post war consensus
1951 to 1964
Broad consensus on the Independence of the colonies
foreign policy consensus on supporting the USA in opposition to the USSR and communism
final breakup of the British Empire
final breakup in the British Empire in the 50s 60s and 70s
at the height of the Cold War
support for government intervention in the economy to ensure Max growth in this Period
broad support for the British welfare state
importance of NHS "from Cradle to grave"
expansion of welfare state
reasons for conservative dominance in 1951 to 1964
conservative success
labour failures
economic policies were broadly successful
low unemployment
increase of standard of living
Conservatives were associated with the "new Elizabethan age" Elizabeth being crowned 1953
Britain was a world power
had nuclear weapons
new atomic era
one of the few countries to have nuclear weapons
improvement in the housing market
300,000 houses being built
per annum it under Churchill
economic success
6000 new houses being built
first motorways being built during this time
past the M1 being built in 1959
link to conservative governments
a new large development
labour party was split in the 50s
over extent of the fence spending
over the development of nuclear weapons
huge opposition to development of nuclear weapons
opposition to the Conservative Party
and within the Labour Party
Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell died suddenly in 1963
people didn't want the post-war consensus prosperity to end
didn't want change
affluent Society
Society in the 50s
the 50s saw the best growth in living standards
That's why it's described as the affluence Society
speech by Macmillan suggests that "we never had it so good"
the 50s was marked by economic consumerism
people would purchase items and
pay them off with weekly installments
is called paying off by credit
car ownership went from 3 million to 7 million so this is in the 1950s
this meant buying more things
growth of consumer ownership
society changed with the rise of the number of TVs
TV ownership went from 340,000 in 1951 to 13.000.000 by 1963
large increase
1963 near the end of conservative governments
people had access to popular culture
more access to television programs
women in 50s
position of women in society was particularly limited during this time
that was a huge gender pay gap for up to 40% for the same job
in education women were often passed up for men men when it came to things like university places
despite the period of affluence
so the woman would be paid 40% less than the man in the same job
a lot of sexism in education
evidence in the 1950s around 2% of girls went to university
basically wanted men for university instead of women
however there were signs of some changes
example equal pay was introduced in 1958 in the civil service
there were more women's organizations
with the likes of Dora Russell organizing a peace caravan to protest against nuclear weapons
role of women in politics changing
the idea of women in politics the growing
the influence of class in Society in the 50s
class was still a hugely influential part of British society
most of the Conservative Party was often white, well off, upper class men
clear class of people
minority of people
didn't represent the voters
Conservative Party look a little bit more out of touch
as well as scandals
signs of Change of class in the society
World War Two gave a "all in it together" type of vibe
the welfare state meant improvements in living standards and then increased the expectations of the lower classes
example of welfare state NHS
less gap in class divisions
this point about also applies to the general growing of affluence experienced in this Period
economic growth and prosperity
positive impact on everybody
maybe more on upclass but that don't matter
the ride in satire and the increase in scandals also helped encourage the decline in difference
scandals conservative upper class
we can laugh at the wealthy rich pricks of the Conservative Party which bursts that bubble
all I know definitely arrived in Living standards
women see little change but still at the bottom of the classes
and the Divide in class will close things the gap a bit
Social tensions in 1950s
race relations and immigration
due to labor shortages people from the new commonwealth were encouraged to move to Britain
new Commonwealth such as
India
Pakistan
the Caribbean
all different people from around the world
former colonies
this made become different communities
around each industry
Asian Communities often became centred in textiles and areas in northern towns
Asian and Caribbean Communities focused around heavy industry
Urban areas
people from all around the world moved into London
London was a Centre
was ethnic and culturally diverse place
numbers! on immigration
between 1940 to 1949 the number of immigrants moving into the UK was 240,000
between 1960 to 1970 immigration numbers increased to 1.2million
Groove in racial violence
1958 series of racial attacks in cities
Nottingham
London
on August bank holiday
TV news coverage Drew attention to this issue
inquiry bound tensions were largely result of cultural differences and pressure on the availability of accommodation
citizens had the right of a British citizenship
passing at the Commonwealth immigration act made it so immigrant had to have a job guaranteed and they had to have particular skills
often skilled labor
men on the skilled people who don't have a job cannot come to Britain
youth culture
post-war years seen a large number of births
baby boomer generation
by 1950s these young people were growing up and developing a Pacific youth culture
cultures cemented by the fact there was low unemployment
most young people having jobs with disposable incomes
development of a certain group known as teddy Boys
hair slick back hair and Edwardian style suits they were often violent and had literary respect for old people the results of this was shown in the growth of Fight vandalism and racist attacks on immigrants
cultural changes at this time
youth culture paid a part in racial violence