Harold Macmillan 1957 - 1963

Coming Into Power
1. Eden abdicating, Butler unimpressive in his place
2. Macmillan unscathed from Suez
3. Macmillan speech 'learn from Suez but don't get overwhelmed'
  1. 3rd January 1957 as C of Ex. Week later becomes PM
Economy
1. Stop-go
  1. Prices rising too quickly, 'brake' put on
    1. Interest rates and taxes rise, harder to borrow
  2. Production and exports decline, 'accelerator' pressed
    1. Interest rates and taxes cut, easier to borrow
2. Stagflation
  1. Industry declining, inflation persisting, worst possible occurrence
3. By 1964, Balance of Payments deficit of over £800million
4. 1959, Heathcoat-Amory election winning giveaway budget. U-turn soon after
5. Britain's GDP lowest in Western Europe
  1. 1951-1964 GDP Growth Rate: UK 2.3%, Italy 5.6%
    1. Large defence expenditure over this period, doesn't reflect data accurately
      1. 1964, Britain spending £1.7billion on defence. 10% of GDP
Society
1. July 1957, Britain 'never had it so good' speech
2. Living standards continually rising
  1. Average weekly wage of male worker, more than doubled between 1951-64
3. Hire Purchase
  1. Relatively easy to pay off over time, brought greater freedom and consumer boom
    1. 1950-65 car sales almost quadrupled
4. Housing, 300,000 to be a built a year
  1. By 1964, Tories claimed to have built 1.7m new homes
5. Rent Act, 1957
  1. 6m properities on market due to end of rate control
    1. Rent rate considerably high, harder for poor to afford
6. 'Property-owning democracy', number of home-owners increasing
7. Unemployment
  1. By 1963, 800,000. Double 1957 Level
8. Education
  1. Edward Boyle, Education Minister 1962-64
    1. Pushed for end of 11+
      1. Comprehensive schools implemented as test
Relations
1. Emigration still far exceeded Immigration
  1. Lack of jobs, immigrants blamed
2. 1958-59 Riots
  1. August 1958 Notting Hill
    1. 'The Salmon Report'
    2. Teddy Boys
3. Commonwealth Immigrations Act 1962
  1. Many condemnned act as racist
    1. 1960-62, 230,000 Immigrants To UK
      1. As News circling
4. Youth Subculture
  1. Mods vs Rockers
    1. Young ignoring traditional ways
      1. Especially with rise of satire
5. Winds Of Change Speech
  1. 3 February 1960
  2. Granting independence to its colonies
Later Years
1. De Gaulle vetoes EEC application
  1. Americas 'special relationship' with UK cause
  2. Highly embarrassing for Macmillan
2. Vassal Affair 1963
3. Profumo Affair 1963
  1. John Profumo, Minister For War
    1. Christine Keeler, mistress of Soviet Spy
      1. Profumo denies in Parliament, then confesses
Labour Over The Period
1. Gaitskell gifted politician, faced differences over party image
2. Left of party opposed Gaitskell, Bevanites
3. Unilateralists mainly left of party
4. CND mainly left
5. 1960, Gaitksell manages to drop policy of unilateralism

Next up

Harold Macmillan 1957 - 1963

Description

Resource summary

Similar

	Created by George Thomas almost 11 years ago