(4) Why did the Conservative lose the 1964 General Election?

Scandals
1. Profumo Affair
  1. March 1963 John Profumo, Minister for War hits the headlines. He’s been having sex with Christine Keeler, a prostitute to clients such as members of the Soviet Embassy. In the House of Commons, Profumo denies any involvement with her but the media jumped on risk to national security.
  2. June 1963 Profumo admits to having lied and resigns his position BUT it doesn’t end there, details emerge of him having met Keeler at Cliveden, a house used by Dr Stephen Ward as a high class brothel. Ward had many Conservatives on his books and though many were genuine patients the Party was smeared by association.
  3. Ward was put on trial for living off immoral earnings and committed suicide instead of face the results.
  4. Separately, Keeler was found guilty of perjury and jailed for 9 months.
  5. EFFECTS OF the Profumo Affair
    1. Macmillan is criticised for believing Profumo’s first denial.
    2. Tabloids and broadsheets begin to suggest the PM is losing his grip.
    3. This starts on a slippery slope to the general public opinion that the Conservative Govt is outdated and faintly ridiculous.
2. Argyll Divorce Case
  1. A high profile divorce case with the Duke of Argyll sued his wife Margaret for divorce in 1963 on the grounds of adultery.
  2. The duchess had sex with allegedly 88 men, and on a occasion having group sex – this was said to include 2 Govt ministers, including one who appeared in a compromising photo used as evidence in court.
  3. The Judge granted the divorce saying the Duchess had engaged in ‘disgusting sexual practices’
3. Philby Affair
  1. January 1963, Kim Philby, a senior official in the Foreign Office is exposed as having passed information to the USSR for decades including recruiting agents and running a spy network.
  2. Philby fled to Moscow and stayed there until his death in 1988
  3. Macmillan’s Govt (unfairly?) took the brunt of the blame for the Security services not having spotted this for so long.
4. Vassall Affair
  1. The Govt held an official investigation into the case of John Vassall, a civil servant in the admiralty who was caught spying for the Soviet Union in 1962. He was Homosexual and was being black mail by the KGB because they had photograph's of him in compressing with men in Moscow
  2. It was suggested that senior Admiralty figures had tried to protect Vassall
  3. Talk of cover up suggested the Govt was not in control of its departments.
Satire
1. Beyon the fringe 1962- Peter Cook
  1. The queen found macmillan impersonation funny. Macmillan decided to attend but was personal humiliated
2. Privet Eye - 1968
3. Vicky, Low
Political figures
1. Harold Wilson
  1. Labour party leader, united the labour party
    1. Lectured at Oxford in economics - 21
    2. Unified the party
2. Alec Douglas-home
  1. Left commons to go to the lords
  2. Macleod and Maulding expected to be PM, he never wanted it
  3. Eton educted
  4. Old education prevalent in the Conservative party made them seem out of touch and non reforming
Policy Problems
1. Unemployment
  1. 1959-621,000
  2. 1962,590,000
  3. Spickd in 1963-878,000
    1. Questioned asked about full employment
2. EEC Failure
  1. Macmillan economic recovery was hinged on a successful entry into the EEC
    1. It was hoped that access to the dynamic market of western Europe with over 150 million consumers would revitalise Britian industry
      1. De gaulle veto there entry because he feared the "special relationship", the Having the cake and eating it ( Keeping the Commonwealth), cheap agriculture and britain dominating the EEC

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(4) Why did the Conservative lose the 1964 General Election?

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