Heath Government 1970-1975
- Created by: yazmintaylorx
- Created on: 04-01-18 13:30
View mindmap
- The Heath Government 1970-1974
- Political & Economic Timeline
- 1970
- surprise election victory for Cons under Heath
- 1971
- decimalistion of the currency
- 1972
- unemployment above 1m for the first time since 1930s
- 'Bloody Sunday' in Derry
- 1973
- oil crisis & energy shortages
- three day week imposed
- Sunningdale Agreement for power-sharing in NI
- 1974
- Heath narrowly defeated in Feb election
- collapse of Sunningale Agreement after Loyalist's Worker's Strike
- victory of Wilson & Lab in Oct election
- 1975
- EEC referendum brings 2:1 majority for 'yes' vote
- Heath replaced by Thatcher as party leader
- 1970
- Heath
- went to a state school
- never devious & too honest for his own good
- not skilful enough at pleasing political allies
- Chris Rowe said 'good at policies not politics'
- supported by Chancellor (Anthony Barber), the NI Secretary (Willie Whitelaw) & Employment Minister (Jim Prior)
- less enthusiastic were Sir Keith Joseph & Education Secretary, Thatcher
- Successes
- 69 Lab rebels helped Heath win parliamentary approval for EEC entry
- his belief in one nation conservatism remained constant
- services deemed essential were exempt from 3 day week
- NUM had good case for improved pay & conditions to match recent rises
- efficient & pragmatic politician
- committed to realistic policies
- enormous welfare spending enriched the lower levels of society
- North Sea oil due to come on stream in next few years
- 1972 Local GovernmentActs
- Failures
- Heath supported Belfast govt. leader Faulkner & his policy of internment
- it isolated nationalist communities & was ineffective
- Sunningdale Agreement collapsed & violence continued for another 24 years
- Sir Keith Joseph & Thatcher heavily criticised Heath's u-turn
- Whitelaw moved to be minister of employment to use his persuasion skills on Gormley
- this failed & in Jan 1974 NUM called a strike
- it received massive support which led to a BoP crisis
- this failed & in Jan 1974 NUM called a strike
- ending of free school milk for over 7s
- inflation didn't see a rise in economic growth & unemployment increased
- indust. relations court ineffective
- major strikes 1972
- went back on election promises
- society shut down for 4 days a week
- TU power growing out of control
- approach to Rhodesia was weak & divided the Cons. party
- potential damage to special relationship by not getting involved in Vietnam
- damage to image from homosexual / asexuality rumours
- right wing backlash against excessive union power
- Heath supported Belfast govt. leader Faulkner & his policy of internment
- Beyond Heath's Control
- Lab party was divided over the Europe issue
- Bloody Sunday
- Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, oil embargo & prices rose x4
- Heath's Aims
- to secure B's entry to the EEC
- he was chief negotiator 1961-63
- to develop policies in indust. relations & economic modernistion
- Jan 1970 the Cons held the Selsdon Park meeting
- setting out approaches to economic problems eg allowing ineffiecnt businesses to go bankrupt
- to secure B's entry to the EEC
- Political & Economic Timeline
Similar History resources:
Teacher recommended
Comments
No comments have yet been made