AQA_2024: AS History - The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 Component 2S: Building a New Britain, 1951–1979 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: AS History - The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 Component 2S: Building a New Britain, 1951–1979 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) AS HISTORY The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 Component 2S Building a new Britain, 1951–1979 Monday 20 May 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Afternoon  Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes  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. For AS History: The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007, Component 2S: Building a New Britain, 1951–1979, focus on the following key areas: 1. The Post-War Consensus (1951–1964):  Conservative Domination: Study the long period of Conservative rule under Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, and Alec Douglas-Home. Understand how they maintained the post-war consensus, which was a mutual agreement between major political parties on issues such as welfare state, nationalization, and Keynesian economics.  Economic Policies: Focus on the policies of full employment and mixed economy, including Macmillan's "You've Never Had It So Good" period, which was a time of economic prosperity. 2. The Decline of the Consensus (1964–1970):  Labour Government (1964–1970): Study Harold Wilson's Labour government and its attempts to modernize Britain, focusing on technological advancements, education reform, and the Open University.  Economic Challenges: Understand the economic difficulties, including inflation, unemployment, and the devaluation of the pound in 1967, as well as the attempts to tackle these issues, such as the National Plan and wage controls.  Social Change: Examine social changes of the 1960s, including the Cultural Revolution, the "Swinging Sixties", and significant changes in attitudes towards issues like sexual morality and youth culture. 3. Edward Heath and the Conservative Return (1970–1974):  Conservative Government (1970–1974): Focus on Edward Heath's Conservative government and his attempts to modernize the economy through policies like entering the European Economic Community (EEC) and controlling inflation. Understand how the government struggled with industrial unrest, leading to the Three-Day Week and economic stagnation. 4. The Labour Government and Crisis (1974–1979):  Wilson’s Return and the Winter of Discontent (1974–1979): Study Harold Wilson’s return as Prime Minister and the subsequent challenges his government faced with economic problems, strikes, and a growing sense of instability.  The IMF Crisis: Focus on Britain’s need to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1976 due to economic mismanagement and the loss of confidence in the pound. 5. Key Social Changes and Movements:  Post-War Immigration: Study the impact of immigration on British society, including the challenges faced by immigrants and the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment.  Civil Rights and Women's Movement: Examine the impact of social movements, including the rise of the feminist movement, the civil rights movement, and changing social attitudes towards race and gender. IB/M/Jun24/G4002/E3 7041/2S 2 Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From ‘The Time of My Life’, an autobiography by Denis Healey, 1989. Healey was Defence Secretary in Wilson’s government, 1964–70. No prime minister ever interfered so much in the work of his colleagues as Wilson did in his first six years. He gave me a pretty free hand on defence, though, except that when there was a crisis he liked to take control. Unfortunately, since he had neither political principle nor much government experience to guide him, he did not give Cabinet ministers the leadership they needed. He had no sense of direction, rarely looking more than a few months ahead. His own ambition and short-term opportunism often plunged the government into chaos. Worse still, when things went wrong he imagined everyone was conspiring against him. To limit challenges to his leadership, he shifted his ministers around far too often. 5 Source B From a public lecture on Harold Wilson by Bernard Donoughue in 2018. Donoughue was a lifelong Labour activist and joined Wilson’s personal staff as a political adviser in 1974. I observed Harold Wilson closely when I was a lecturer in Politics from 1963. He was the best political operator I ever saw and a remarkable, relaxed, party leader. He achieved much in the years 1964 to 1970, modernising the party and keeping it united through difficult times. He always made people feel at ease. It was hard not to like him, which meant political colleagues usually forgave him his mistakes. He has been criticised for thinking and planning for the short term but this was his strength. He always said that if a leader doesn’t get the short term right, he may not have a long term. 5 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which of these two sources is more valuable in exp