(2) The Macmillans government approach to domestic policy

(2) The Macmillans government approach to domestic policy

1. Transport

   • Special roads act 1949 - funding
   • Denationalised road transport putting 24,000 lorries into private hands
   • M1 from london to yorkshire opened in 1959
   • 1950 2.5 million cars van's on the road grew to more than 6.9 million by the early 60s
   • British rail employed 475,000 in 1961 but made massive losses
   • Richard beeching cut the scale of the railways by 5000 miles of track, huge change to the industry

2. Immigration

   • 1948-62 open door for imigrants into Britian from common wealth or colons. Alreadly had a population of about 75,000 black and asian people, labour shortage more would be welcome
   • Post WW2 windrush arrival, pockets of colour in inner citys poorst areas
   • Churchill, Eden and Macmillan debated migration legislation, could keep out common wealth seen as racist
   • All passed faily unnoticed Marr "if there were clear rules about how to migrate quielty to Britian ...first be white ... second if not, be small in number ... third if all else fails fed the brutes"
   • Black and asian population had risen to 327,000 by 1961
   • Notting hill riots 1958 - 4000 people went back to the carrabian
   • Notting hill carnival started 1959 as a celebration of black culture and peace
   • Macmillan 1959 election prompted restriction on immigration. In 1962 the Common wealth immigration act - up to 40,000 a year - preference to more skilled workers

3. Economy

   • UK had +14% change in price of manufactor ( italy -18), change in volume of maufactures exports to + 48% (italy +303)
   • Selwyn Lloyd as chancellor from 1960-62
     • Wages continued to rise faster than production - emergency budget 61 purches tax increase and bank rate went to 7%
     • "payfreeze" in public sector- falling standers of living
     • Macmillan and selwyn Lloyd came up with indicative planning to combate the country economy woes. In 1962, the National Economic Development Concil or NEDDY was formed
       • Comprosed from 6 trade unions, 6 industrialist, two inderpendence and three cabinet ministers - it was largly uses less
     • 1962 Budget - increased taxes on sweets, soft drinks and ice cream, taxing the children's pocket money
   • Peter Thoreycroft as chancellor from 1957-58
     • Between 1948- 1956 income had rise by 75% - more disposable income but out put had only increased by 28% - inflaction
   • Derick Heathcoat as chancellor from 1958-1960
     • A pre-election giveaway Budget in 1959 was followed by a panic as the economy began to over heat, sucking up imports
     • IN 1959 exports rise by 4% but imports 10% threaten a balance of payments
     • Appeasement of the unions continued 5% pay increase to rail workers
   • Reggie Mauldings as chancellor from 1962-64
     • Purchase tax on cars cut from 45% to 25%
     • 1963 tax cut £260 million
     • Commitment to encouraging growth through lower taxes and easy credit

4. Maufacturing

   • 200,000 mines jobs went to super pits
   • Britain had the worlds first nulcear power staton which came on stream in 1956
   • Motorcycles made in japan a year came to 500,000, UK output was only 140,000 a year