AS
HISTORY
AQA AS History The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
Component 2S Building a new Britain, 1951–1979 (7041/2S)
2026
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7041/2S.
• Answer two questions.
In Section A answer Question 01.
In Section B answer either Question 02 or Question 03.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about:
– 50 minutes on Section A
– 40 minutes on Section B.
7041/2S
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From a speech in the House of Commons by Hugh Gaitskell, the Labour leader,
27 October 1955. Gaitskell was responding to the government’s proposals for an
emergency autumn Budget.
The people of this country were generally surprised when they heard the announcement of
an autumn Budget, which is a most unusual event. It signals the need for emergency
action. Mr Butler, the Chancellor, has persistently and wilfully misled the public about the
health of the economy and he has done so for electoral reasons, buying votes with a bribe
and actively encouraging spending through tax cuts. In reality, the economy needed 5
damping down. This Budget, which we are considering today, is necessary because the
April Budget was a masterpiece of deception, benefitting only the better-off half of the
community. It was very neatly devised, being just enough to give the government the
majority it wanted.
Source B
From the Conservative Party election manifesto, ‘The Next Five Years’, 1959.
Source B cannot be reproduced here due to third-party copyright restrictions
Source B argues that the Conservative Party’s record in managing the economy is
deserving of people’s vote.
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which
of these two sources is more valuable in explaining Conservative management of the
economy in the years 1951 to 1959?
[25 marks]
HISTORY
AQA AS History The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
Component 2S Building a new Britain, 1951–1979 (7041/2S)
2026
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7041/2S.
• Answer two questions.
In Section A answer Question 01.
In Section B answer either Question 02 or Question 03.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about:
– 50 minutes on Section A
– 40 minutes on Section B.
7041/2S
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From a speech in the House of Commons by Hugh Gaitskell, the Labour leader,
27 October 1955. Gaitskell was responding to the government’s proposals for an
emergency autumn Budget.
The people of this country were generally surprised when they heard the announcement of
an autumn Budget, which is a most unusual event. It signals the need for emergency
action. Mr Butler, the Chancellor, has persistently and wilfully misled the public about the
health of the economy and he has done so for electoral reasons, buying votes with a bribe
and actively encouraging spending through tax cuts. In reality, the economy needed 5
damping down. This Budget, which we are considering today, is necessary because the
April Budget was a masterpiece of deception, benefitting only the better-off half of the
community. It was very neatly devised, being just enough to give the government the
majority it wanted.
Source B
From the Conservative Party election manifesto, ‘The Next Five Years’, 1959.
Source B cannot be reproduced here due to third-party copyright restrictions
Source B argues that the Conservative Party’s record in managing the economy is
deserving of people’s vote.
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which
of these two sources is more valuable in explaining Conservative management of the
economy in the years 1951 to 1959?
[25 marks]
