(3) Macmillan approach to
domestic policy continued and never had it so good?
Description
A level British History (Conservative, Macmillan 1957-64) Mind Map on (3) Macmillan approach to
domestic policy continued and never had it so good?, created by Marcus Danvers on 23/01/2014.
(3) Macmillan approach to
domestic policy continued
and never had it so good?
Comsumer Life
No mass unemployment
of the inter-war years
Living standers had risen steadily
1959 and 1964 the real wage of
manual workers increase by 19%
Self owership of house was 44%
Vacuum cleaners were no longer
the preserve of the middle class -
75% of all homes had one
Washing Machines were replacing
mangles and fridges were bringing about a
revolution in the storage and use of food
The Consumer revolution had arrivied
Society
Home Office
Butler was left to his own
devices at the home office, his
instincts were more liberal
He pushed through a
series of important Acts.
Inherited a Homicide Bill, limiting the dealth
Penlty certain categories such as the murder
of policeman and prison warders
It was suspected that Butler was sympathetic to
abortion, but the time was not ripe and it would certainly
not have been popular with the party faithful
Wolfenden Report - Sexual Practises, covering both prostiution
and homosexuality. It recomonded tighter legilation regarding
street soliciting and decriminalization of homosexuality. It
became clear that a liberal move on homosexuality woul dbe
unpopular with Tory back-benchers - the time was not ripe
The Street Offices Act seemed to have had
the desired effect to reducing street soliciting
by imposing tougher penalties on prostitutes
- hard to impose penalties on clients
The Act therfore attracted the hostilitly of feminist groups
He also pushed through a Charities Act,
modernising the administration of charity law
The Commonwealth Immigration Act, attempting to
control the numbers of Commonwealth citizens arriving in
the UK. It was denounced at the time by Gaitskell as
racist.
But Labour did not repeal the Act when they
took power in 1964, but actually tightened the
restrictions in there own Act of 1965
Defence
There was a determined attempt to cut the burden of
defence spending, which was far higher than any
comparable European country - 10% of GDP
Ducan Sandys as Minister of Defence -
clear breif to run down the armed forces
He creatred a Defence paper out
lining his reasons for his policy
"In addition the retention of such large forces
abroad gives rise to heavy charges which places
a serve strain upon the balance of payment"
There was a increasted relyanse on
Nuclear weapons as a deterrent and
as a prop to great power status
Britan's international
position
EEC
It was hoped that access to the dynamic
market of western Europe with over 150 million
consumers would revitalise Britian industry
Health headed up negotiation, Britain hoped to safe guard her special
relationship with the commonwelath and the very diffrent nature of
Britsh agriculture compared to that in europe, which posed a problem
European Community had been built around the need of
french agriculture and german industry and such a design
did not naturally fit British needs
Britain - cheep food to benefit
the city in the 19th centry
Europe - expensive food
to benefit french producers
The insuperable obstacle
proved to be Charles de Gaulle
He feared Britain
was too tightly
bound to the USA
The liberation of france by
USA and Britain induced
resentment not gratitude
On the 14 January
1963, De Gaulle vetoed
Britain entry
Britian economic
performance
Britian was slipping behind her
competitors and was well on the way
to becoming the "sick man of europe"
Britianshare of the world trade fell
from 25% in 1950 to 15% 1964
France, which britain had clearly passed in the
level of economic development in the early 19th
century, now begain to pull ahead of Britain
Germany and Japan, the deafeated
in 1945, now surged ahead
What had produced this
relative decline fueled a
lengthy nation debate
To the Right it was a consequence of the burden
of the wealfare state and over powerful trade
unions, resistant to changes in working practices
To the Left of the political spectrum it arose
from complacent managment, the class
structure and bloated defence commitments