Far Left Far RightCentre

Draw this line and add on it where Conservatives, Labour, Liberals, Communists, Fascists would be. Add an explanation.

Draw this line again and add on it where Bevan, Bevin, Attlee, Morrison, Gaitskell, Wilson, Laski, Cripps and where any other major Labour figures would be.

To what extent did the Conservatives continue Labour’s policies?

LO – to learn the key events of 1951-57 and assess whether the Conservatives continued Labour’s policies

What does this source

suggest about the

Conservatives following Labour’s policies?

To what extent did the Conservatives continue Labour’s policies?

LO – to learn the key events of 1951-57 and assess whether the Conservatives continued Labour’s policies

Categorise these events into political, domestic and foreign policy.

Then either....1. Explain which one is most

significant for your categories

2. Explain the impact of one event from each category for the Conservatives

3. Explain the impact of one event from each category for British people

4. Research one event from each category in your book and add detail to it

1951 Oct – Conservatives win and Churchill becomes PM1952 Feb – Butler’s first budget, Bank rate goes up (bottom p.61, it made it more expensive for other banks to borrow money from the bank and travel allowances were cut to £50, this stopped money going out of Britain as quickly which was a problem as the dollar gap was growing)1952 Oct – British atom bomb, tea rationing ends1953 – sweet rationing ends, iron and steel denationalised1953 April – Butler’s 2nd budget, tax cuts1953 July – Korean war ends1953 Dec – Macmillan announces 301,000 houses built1954 – atomic energy authority is nationalised1954 July – all rationing ends1955 April – Churchill resigns, Eden in power, Butler’s 3rd budget, tax cuts1955 May – conservatives increase majority in general election1955 Nov – cabinet decides not to join the ECC1955 Dec – Butler demoted, cabinet reshuffle1956 – Macmillan’s first budget – premium bondsNov 1956 – Suez crisis, Britain and France attack Egypt, anti-war demos and no US support1957 Jan – Eden resigns, Macmillan replaces him

To what extent did the Conservatives continue Labour’s policies?

LO – to learn the key events of 1951-57 and assess whether the Conservatives continued Labour’s policies

Fill in the gaps on your tables. Area What the

Conservatives didConsensus with Labour 1945-51

Conflict with Labour 1945-51

To what extent did the Conservatives continue Labour’s policies?

• Do you believe that Butskellism is deserved as a label for the Conservative’s economic policy?

• Is Butskellism a deserved label for the Conservative’s domestic policies in general?

Butler was a major figure in the Conservative government (Chancellor of the Exchequer 195105, Home Secretary 1057-62, Foreign Secretary 1962-4). He was always a more progressive figure

and had a concern for social issues.

Butler set the policy for economics which was followed in the period. He maintained Keynesianism by keeping up demand at any cost. He also continued Labour’s policies on full employment, expanding the welfare state, heavy military defence and developing nuclear weapons. He believed that Labour’s economic efforts with economic loans, austerity and

devaluing the pound had been successful as exports had risen. Butler faced the same problem as Labour, that the economy was very stretched.

Butler’s ideas were so close to Labour’s policies it became known as Butskellism (a blend of Butler on the Conservative left and Gaitskell on the Labour right, invented by the economist in 1954), it suggested that the left and right wing of the two parties had joined together to form a

consensus. However there were some differences, Gaitskell liked high direct taxation and greater government direction whilst Butler believed this was detrimental. Instead he increased

interest rates (see first budget).

To what extent did the Conservatives continue Labour’s policies?

Plan an answer to this question in your books.