Conservatives 1924-29

Conservatives 1924-29

1. Resurgence in the party

   • Dominant till 1939
     • Exception of 9 month Labour government
     • Impact of WW1
       • Split the Liberals
       • Conservatives played large role in coalitions
       • Highlighted Conservative traditional values
         • Patriotism
         • Strong Defense
         • Protection of the Empire
     • Electoral change
       • Representation of the People Act
         • Preserved plural voting
         • Female voters enfranchised in 1918
           • Largely voted conservatives
     • Post-war Ireland
       • Irish MPs left in HoC were from Ulster
         • Pro Conservative
     • Broad Based Support
       • Had the support of the wealthy
       • But also had the support of both the middle and working class
         • Conservatives associated with National Unity and patriotism etc
         • Liberal and Labour associated with radical policies
         • Conservatives seemed moderate and unified
     • Funding
       • Wealth of the Upper and Middle class
         • Provided Conservatives valuable funds
           • Able to run highly organised election campaigns
     • Newspaper support
       • Largely owned by Conservative supporters
         • Gave party favourable news coverage during elections

2. Baldwin's Government

   • Issues Conservatives had to deal with
     • Economic
       • Unemployment remained high
         • 1926 General Strike
       • Baldwin appointed Churchill
         • Chancellor of Exchequer
           • Restored pound to Gold Standard
             • Increased value of pound by 10%
               • Caused more economic problems
                 • Further growth in unemployment
                   • Issue of unemployment dominated the decade
                     • Unemployed known as
                       • "Intractable million"
   • Neville Chamberlain
     • Minister of Health
       • Social Reforms
         • Contributory Old Age Pension
           • Workers and wives
             • Received 10s a week at age of 65
         • National Insurance Act of 1925
           • Unemployment insurance
             • Could be claimed indefinitely
               • If worker 'genuinely seeking work'
         • Local Government Act of 1929
           • Gave local authorities extra duties
             • Roads
               • Public health
                 • Maternity and child care
           • Made farms and 25% of factories except from local rates
             • Hoped this would stimulate industry
               • Make employers more willing to accept extra workers
                 • Act also ended the Poor Law
         • Other Social Reforms
           • 1926, Electricity Act
             • Set up Central Electricity Board
               • Created modern power stations
                 • An effective power grid
                   • Distributed power all over the country
                     • Improved the efficiency of the electricity industry
           • British Broadcasting Corporation set up
           • 1928, Representation of the People Act
             • Gave votes to women aged 21+
               • Put the franchise on equal terms for women and men
                 • Electorate increased to 29 mil from 22 mil
                   • 2 mil more women than men
     • Social reforms earned him a reputation
       • 'Most effective social reformer of the inter-war years'
         • Clear vision of what he wanted to achieve
           • Managed to achieve much of his programme
             • Determination in this administration
   • Baldwin
     • Not the expected replacement of Bonar Law
       • Baldwin stood for respectable post-war Conservatism
         • He desired peace at home
           • Disarmament
     • Appointment of Churchill
       • Not trusted by others in the party
         • Managed to work well in cabinet
           • Supported Chamberlain and his social reforms
             • Effective in handling the General Strike
   • British Economy and Trade
     • Protectionism
       • Baldwin established this to be way to re-stimulate British trade
     • Relations with Russia
       • Baldwin broke off relations in 1924
         • Ended Anglo-Russian trade
     • Gold Standard
       • Came off Gold Standard after war
         • Caused economic problems
           • Britain considered stronger economically on the Gold Standard
         • Came back onto Gold Standard in 1925
           • Churchill decided to rate the value of the pound to it's pre-war rate
             • This increased value of the pound made British exports like coal uncompetitive
               • This caused problems in staple industries