Labour lost power in 1970 because of it's own failings in the years 1964-1970
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A Levels History (The Making of Modern Britain) Mind Map on Labour lost power in 1970 because of it's own failings in the years 1964-1970, created by foison2810 on 24/12/2015.
Labour lost power in 1970
because of it's own failings in
the years 1964-1970
Failings
Economic
George's Brown's national plan 1965
George brown's behaviour and
inconsistency, completion,
competition wigh james Callaghan and
orthodox economists, disagreements
with Wilson and his resignation
1968 devaluation both the delay
in implement it and the effect of its
acceptance in novermber 1967
Failure to negotiate entry into the EEC
public spending cut this reminded
the idea of stop go economics which
Wilson promised to avoid
This clashed with the fact that he had a
progressive agenda to remove the class divide.
Leadership
Wilson's lack of trust in colleagues and reliance on
'kitchen cabinet' government; his reputation for
being devious
Trade Union reform
breakdown of relations with Trade unions 1966/67 and seamen's
and dockers' strikes; the failure of 'in Place of Strife', 1969 and the
resultant splits
1969- 3,000= strikes in
Britain = 7 million days of
lost work
Foreign
problems over Rhodesia and
Northern Ireland
involvement with Biafra famine
Igbo- famine 1967-70. Wilson
sent arms to Nigeria
Immigration
Wilson refused to make the popular topic of
immigration an election issue but Enoch Powell's
'rivers of blood' speech gained support from labour voters.
Other Reasons
that election defeat was not primarily
caused by Labour's failings:
the economic situation was not of Labour's making; a difficult
situation had been inherited from the Conservatives.
Once Roy Jenkins replaced Callaghan, tough deflationary measures
helped to achieve a balance of payments surplus by 1969
from 1966 George Brown was moved to the
Foreign Office and from 1968 was no longer in
the cabinet and causing trouble
a face-saving compromise was
negotiated with the trade unions
before the Election in 1969
in 1970 Wilson's political position was looking
strong and the economy was growing
Heath had a clear programme of policies for the
modernisation of Britain – particularly better
industrial relations and entry to EEC – 'One
Nation Toryism', which had voter appeal
at the Selsdon Park Conference, January 1970, tough
approaches to economic modernisation, influenced by
Sir Keith Joseph, were adopted.
Conclusion
Conservative victory was more
the result of their own strengths
than Labour's failings
Labour's 'failings' were more the product of circumstances
than their own ineptitude although Conservative victory
came as a surprise to both sides and that the fragility of
Labour's position in 1970 was not as obvious at the time as
it might seem in retrospect.