Labour and Conservative
Governments 1964 - Chapter 5
Lynch: years of consensus 1964-79,
pages 65-114
PART 1
1964 general election, pg 66-67, 112-114
Reasons for Labour’s victory in 1964, pg 67, 112-114
Labour difficulties in government, pg 67-68
The National Plan 1964, pg 68, 122-123
Tensions with trade unions, pg69
Devaluation 1967, pg 69-70, 123-124
Labour and Europe 1967, pg 71, 129-130
‘In Place of Strife’ 1969, pg 71-72, 125 -126, 127-128
The record of the Wilson government 1964-70, pg 73
Social reforms, pg 73, 117-118
Roy Jenkins as Home Secretary, pg 73
Criticisms of Wilson’s first government, pg 73-74
The Vietnam War, pg 74, pg 118
The end of Britain’s ‘east of Suez’ role 1967-71, pg 74-75
The 1970 general election, pg 75, 127-128
,Chapter 5
PART 2: Heath’s government 1970-4
Heath’s initial aim as PM, pg 76-77, 129
The industrial relations Act 1971, pg 77-78, 130 (+kind of 131, Miners strike) +133,
social contract
Heath’s U-turn, pg 78-79, 132
Problems with unions, pg 79, 125
The 3-day week 1973, pg 80, 132
1974 (Feb) general election, pg 80, 132
Reform of local government, pg 81
Britain’s entry into Europe 1973, pg 81-83, 129-130
The weakness of Britain’s bargaining power, pg 83
The international oil price rise 1973, pg 84, 132
The economic effects in Britain of the oil price rise, pg 84, 132
PART 3: Labour in office 1974-9
Labour’s narrow commons majority, pg 85, 116 133?
Inflation, pg 86
IMF crisis 1976, p86-87, 135
Labour and the unions, pg 87
The referendum on Europe 1975, pg 87-90
Wilson’s retirement in 1976, pg 90, 134
Callaghan’s problems , pg 90-91
The ‘winter of discontent’ 1978-9, pg 91-92, 135-136
The 1979 general election, pg 92-93
, Chapter 5
Labour and Conservative governments 1964-1979
1964 ELECTION
Held five years after the previous election, + thirteen years after the Conservative Party, first
led by Winston Churchill, had gained power.
Result: LABOUR WON
Conservatives, (led incumbent PM Douglas-Home), narrowly losing to the Labour Party, (led
by Harold Wilson);
…Labour secured a parliamentary majority of four seats and ended its thirteen years in
opposition.
Background:
Both major parties had changed leadership in 1963.
…Following the sudden death of Hugh Gaitskell early in the year, Labour had chosen
Harold Wilson (at the time, thought of as being on the party's centre-left),
… while Alec Douglas-Home had taken over as Conservative leader and Prime Minister
in the autumn after Harold Macmillan announced his resignation. Douglas-Home
disclaimed his peerage under the Peerage Act 1963 in order to lead the party from the
Commons.
Macmillan resignation:
Macmillan had led the Conservative government since January 1957.
Despite initial popularity and a resounding election victory in 1959, he had become
increasingly unpopular in the early 1960s,
…and while it was for a while thought likely that the Conservatives would win the
scheduled 1964 general election, albeit with a reduced majority,
…the emergence of the Profumo affair in March 1963 and Macmillan's handling of the
matter all but destroyed the credibility of his government.
—> While he survived a vote of no confidence in June 1963, polling indicated that the
Conservatives would lose the next election heavily if Macmillan remained in power, which,
along with health issues, caused Macmillan to announce his resignation in the autumn of
1963.
Opinion polls:
NOP: Lab swing 3.5% (Lab majority of 12)
Gallup: Lab swing 4% (Lab majority of 23)
Research Services: Lab swing 2.75% (Con majority of 30)
Daily Express: Lab swing of 1.75% (Con majority of 60)
Why did the Labour Party win the 1964 Election?
Why did the Labour Party win the 1964 election?
1) Harold Wilson's leadership of the Labour Party
>Elected -> February 1963, personifies Britain where talented people from humble
backgrounds, former economics teacher at Oxford.
, Chapter 5
>Image - differed from Etonian Tory leaders = Yorkshire-born, grammar school, football
fan — classless professional.
>Wilson was able to unite the party, able to gloss over divisions over nuclear weapons
and Europe by presenting the Labour party as modern, dynamic and progressive.
>Election manifesto -> promises a range of policies to promote faster economic growth
and full employment, improved health and welfare services, better housing, programme
of comprehensive education.
>Wilson - create a 'Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this
[technological and scientific] revolution'.
2) Attitude to the Conservatives
>Many blamed Conservatives for economic problems which became apparent in 1960s,
provided no answers for rising unemployment, inflation, industrial unrest and growing
regional disparity. Labour said 'thirteen wasted years'.
>Out of touch with modern democratic society = Douglas-Home, Scottish aristocrat,
fourteenth Earl of Home.
>ADH 60 years old, HW 47 years old. Image —> old-fashioned, self-indulgent elite. The
media exposed differenced more starkly between aristocratic Tories and working class
Labour.
3) Changes in British society/ Liberal revival
>Living standards were improving in 1950s, more money to spend, people became more
independent; less willing to accept traditional authority. Attitudes encouraged by
cultural changes, satire. Challenging conservative attitudes to sex.
>Grammar schools gave underprivileged bright children chance to go to university and
have high-earning careers - created aspirations to create new classless Britain run with
professional and scientific competence.
>Labour benefited —> opinion polls, more popular with voters under the age of 44
although it lagged behind Conservatives = older voters and women.
/
>Middle class chose Liberals as an alternative to the Conservatives, they were less Left-
wing that Labour.
> E.g. By-election Orpington 1962, Liberal victory = majority of 7850.
>Brought publicity, increased funding and more talented new recruits - contest many
more seats in 1964, gained only 3 more seats but almost doubled their vote.
Reasons for Conservative election defeat in 1964
1) Political Scandals of 1963
- Conservatives seen as unfit to lead as they did not appear to have control over their
departments or ministers, who were implicated in socially unacceptable practices
- Vassal affair: Rumours of coverup involving senior figures of civil servant in admiralty
blackmailed to spy for USSR
- Kim Philby: Foreign office took blame for not identifying double agent who passed
information and recruited spies for the USSR
Governments 1964 - Chapter 5
Lynch: years of consensus 1964-79,
pages 65-114
PART 1
1964 general election, pg 66-67, 112-114
Reasons for Labour’s victory in 1964, pg 67, 112-114
Labour difficulties in government, pg 67-68
The National Plan 1964, pg 68, 122-123
Tensions with trade unions, pg69
Devaluation 1967, pg 69-70, 123-124
Labour and Europe 1967, pg 71, 129-130
‘In Place of Strife’ 1969, pg 71-72, 125 -126, 127-128
The record of the Wilson government 1964-70, pg 73
Social reforms, pg 73, 117-118
Roy Jenkins as Home Secretary, pg 73
Criticisms of Wilson’s first government, pg 73-74
The Vietnam War, pg 74, pg 118
The end of Britain’s ‘east of Suez’ role 1967-71, pg 74-75
The 1970 general election, pg 75, 127-128
,Chapter 5
PART 2: Heath’s government 1970-4
Heath’s initial aim as PM, pg 76-77, 129
The industrial relations Act 1971, pg 77-78, 130 (+kind of 131, Miners strike) +133,
social contract
Heath’s U-turn, pg 78-79, 132
Problems with unions, pg 79, 125
The 3-day week 1973, pg 80, 132
1974 (Feb) general election, pg 80, 132
Reform of local government, pg 81
Britain’s entry into Europe 1973, pg 81-83, 129-130
The weakness of Britain’s bargaining power, pg 83
The international oil price rise 1973, pg 84, 132
The economic effects in Britain of the oil price rise, pg 84, 132
PART 3: Labour in office 1974-9
Labour’s narrow commons majority, pg 85, 116 133?
Inflation, pg 86
IMF crisis 1976, p86-87, 135
Labour and the unions, pg 87
The referendum on Europe 1975, pg 87-90
Wilson’s retirement in 1976, pg 90, 134
Callaghan’s problems , pg 90-91
The ‘winter of discontent’ 1978-9, pg 91-92, 135-136
The 1979 general election, pg 92-93
, Chapter 5
Labour and Conservative governments 1964-1979
1964 ELECTION
Held five years after the previous election, + thirteen years after the Conservative Party, first
led by Winston Churchill, had gained power.
Result: LABOUR WON
Conservatives, (led incumbent PM Douglas-Home), narrowly losing to the Labour Party, (led
by Harold Wilson);
…Labour secured a parliamentary majority of four seats and ended its thirteen years in
opposition.
Background:
Both major parties had changed leadership in 1963.
…Following the sudden death of Hugh Gaitskell early in the year, Labour had chosen
Harold Wilson (at the time, thought of as being on the party's centre-left),
… while Alec Douglas-Home had taken over as Conservative leader and Prime Minister
in the autumn after Harold Macmillan announced his resignation. Douglas-Home
disclaimed his peerage under the Peerage Act 1963 in order to lead the party from the
Commons.
Macmillan resignation:
Macmillan had led the Conservative government since January 1957.
Despite initial popularity and a resounding election victory in 1959, he had become
increasingly unpopular in the early 1960s,
…and while it was for a while thought likely that the Conservatives would win the
scheduled 1964 general election, albeit with a reduced majority,
…the emergence of the Profumo affair in March 1963 and Macmillan's handling of the
matter all but destroyed the credibility of his government.
—> While he survived a vote of no confidence in June 1963, polling indicated that the
Conservatives would lose the next election heavily if Macmillan remained in power, which,
along with health issues, caused Macmillan to announce his resignation in the autumn of
1963.
Opinion polls:
NOP: Lab swing 3.5% (Lab majority of 12)
Gallup: Lab swing 4% (Lab majority of 23)
Research Services: Lab swing 2.75% (Con majority of 30)
Daily Express: Lab swing of 1.75% (Con majority of 60)
Why did the Labour Party win the 1964 Election?
Why did the Labour Party win the 1964 election?
1) Harold Wilson's leadership of the Labour Party
>Elected -> February 1963, personifies Britain where talented people from humble
backgrounds, former economics teacher at Oxford.
, Chapter 5
>Image - differed from Etonian Tory leaders = Yorkshire-born, grammar school, football
fan — classless professional.
>Wilson was able to unite the party, able to gloss over divisions over nuclear weapons
and Europe by presenting the Labour party as modern, dynamic and progressive.
>Election manifesto -> promises a range of policies to promote faster economic growth
and full employment, improved health and welfare services, better housing, programme
of comprehensive education.
>Wilson - create a 'Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this
[technological and scientific] revolution'.
2) Attitude to the Conservatives
>Many blamed Conservatives for economic problems which became apparent in 1960s,
provided no answers for rising unemployment, inflation, industrial unrest and growing
regional disparity. Labour said 'thirteen wasted years'.
>Out of touch with modern democratic society = Douglas-Home, Scottish aristocrat,
fourteenth Earl of Home.
>ADH 60 years old, HW 47 years old. Image —> old-fashioned, self-indulgent elite. The
media exposed differenced more starkly between aristocratic Tories and working class
Labour.
3) Changes in British society/ Liberal revival
>Living standards were improving in 1950s, more money to spend, people became more
independent; less willing to accept traditional authority. Attitudes encouraged by
cultural changes, satire. Challenging conservative attitudes to sex.
>Grammar schools gave underprivileged bright children chance to go to university and
have high-earning careers - created aspirations to create new classless Britain run with
professional and scientific competence.
>Labour benefited —> opinion polls, more popular with voters under the age of 44
although it lagged behind Conservatives = older voters and women.
/
>Middle class chose Liberals as an alternative to the Conservatives, they were less Left-
wing that Labour.
> E.g. By-election Orpington 1962, Liberal victory = majority of 7850.
>Brought publicity, increased funding and more talented new recruits - contest many
more seats in 1964, gained only 3 more seats but almost doubled their vote.
Reasons for Conservative election defeat in 1964
1) Political Scandals of 1963
- Conservatives seen as unfit to lead as they did not appear to have control over their
departments or ministers, who were implicated in socially unacceptable practices
- Vassal affair: Rumours of coverup involving senior figures of civil servant in admiralty
blackmailed to spy for USSR
- Kim Philby: Foreign office took blame for not identifying double agent who passed
information and recruited spies for the USSR
