2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 – The end of Post-War Consensus, 1970–1979 — AQA A-Level History
Test yourself on 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 – The end of Post-War Consensus, 1970–1979 with AQA A-Level practice questions.
7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 – The end of Post-War Consensus, 1970–1979 explained
Edward Heath’s 1970-1974 premiership attempted to break the post-war consensus but was derailed by economic and social crises.
Read the full explanation
Initially pursuing free-market political and economic policies (the Selsdon manifesto), Heath was forced into a 'U-turn' by rising unemployment, nationalising Rolls-Royce. Industrial relations deteriorated sharply; the 1971 Industrial Relations Act failed to curb union power, leading to crippling miners' strikes in 1972 and 1974, which forced the implementation of the Three-Day Week. Simultaneously, the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland escalated dramatically following Bloody Sunday in 1972. Heath suspended the Stormont parliament and attempted a power-sharing solution through the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement, which ultimately collapsed due to unionist opposition.
Labour governments of Wilson and Callaghan: political, economic and industrial problems and policies; problems of Northern Ireland
The 1974–1979 Labour governments under Wilson and Callaghan faced severe political, economic, and industrial challenges. Politically, Wilson's narrow October 1974 majority was eroded by by-election losses, forcing Callaghan into the 1977 Lib-Lab Pact to survive votes of no confidence. Economically, rampant inflation and a sterling crisis forced Callaghan to secure a humiliating $3.9 billion (approx £2.3 billion) IMF loan in 1976, requiring drastic public spending cuts. Industrially, the 'Social Contract' aimed to limit wage demands, but its breakdown culminated in the 1978–1979 Winter of Discontent. Concurrently, problems in Northern Ireland escalated following the 1974 collapse of the Sunningdale Agreement due to the Ulster Workers' Council strike, leading to entrenched direct rule.
Society in the 1970s: progress of feminism; the Sex Discrimination Act; race and immigration; youth; environmentalism
British society in the 1970s experienced significant cultural shifts and growing activism. The progress of feminism was legally cemented by the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act and the 1970 Equal Pay Act (enforced in 1975), though workplace inequality persisted. Race and immigration remained highly contentious; the rise of the far-right National Front provoked fierce opposition from groups like the Anti-Nazi League, while the 1976 Race Relations Act attempted to tackle systemic discrimination. Youth culture became increasingly rebellious, epitomised by the emergence of the punk movement which reflected widespread economic disillusionment. Concurrently, environmentalism gained mainstream political traction, driven by the formation of the Ecology Party and direct-action campaigns by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
Britain's entry into and relations with Europe; the state of the 'special relationship' with USA; attitudes to USSR and China
During the 1970s, British foreign policy shifted significantly. Edward Heath prioritised Europe, successfully negotiating Britain's entry into the EEC in 1973. Harold Wilson subsequently cemented this through the 1975 referendum, despite deep internal party divisions over sovereignty. Consequently, the 'special relationship' with the USA cooled; Heath notably refused to support Nixon during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, though Callaghan later restored warmer ties with Carter. Regarding the USSR, Britain maintained a firm stance, exemplified by the expulsion of 105 Soviet diplomats in 1971 for espionage. Conversely, attitudes towards China thawed in line with global détente, leading to the establishment of full ambassadorial relations in 1972.
Your focus
- Explain the reasons for Heath's economic 'U-turn' and its political consequences.
- Analyse the impact of the miners' strikes on the British economy and Heath's government.
- Evaluate the aims and ultimate failure of the Sunningdale Agreement in Northern Ireland.
Show all 12 objectives
- Analyse the causes and consequences of the 1976 IMF crisis on Labour's economic policy.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the Social Contract in managing industrial relations up to the Winter of Discontent.
- Explain the reasons for the collapse of the Sunningdale Agreement and its impact on Northern Ireland.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act in advancing the progress of feminism.
- Analyse the causes of racial tension in the 1970s and the responses from both the government and grassroots organisations.
- Explain how the economic conditions of the 1970s influenced the development of youth culture and environmentalism.
- Explain the process and domestic political consequences of Britain's entry into the EEC.
- Analyse the changing dynamics of the 'special relationship' with the USA between 1970 and 1979.
- Compare and contrast British diplomatic attitudes towards the USSR and China during the 1970s.
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 – The end of Post-War Consensus, 1970–1979 exam tips
Marking Points
- Analyse Heath's initial free-market economic policies and the subsequent 'U-turn' involving state intervention to rescue failing industries.
- Evaluate the impact of the 1971 Industrial Relations Act and its failure to prevent widespread industrial action.
- Assess the causes and consequences of the 1972 and 1974 miners' strikes, including the imposition of the Three-Day Week and Heath's electoral defeat.
- Examine the escalation of violence in Northern Ireland, the introduction of direct rule, and the significance of the Sunningdale Agreement.
- Evaluate the political fragility of the Labour governments, noting the reliance on the Lib-Lab Pact (1977-1978) to maintain a working parliamentary majority.
- Analyse the economic impact of the 1976 IMF crisis, specifically how the required public spending cuts fractured the Labour Party and signalled the end of the post-war consensus on full employment.
- Assess the failure of industrial policies, contrasting the early optimism of the Social Contract with the widespread strikes of the Winter of Discontent (1978-1979).
- Explain the deterioration of the situation in Northern Ireland, focusing on the collapse of the power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement and the entrenchment of direct rule amidst ongoing violence.
- Assess the practical impact of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act, noting the gap between legislative progress and ongoing societal inequality.
- Analyse the polarisation surrounding race and immigration, contrasting the legislative efforts of the 1976 Race Relations Act with the electoral rise of the National Front.
- Evaluate the role of youth subcultures, particularly punk, as a reflection of the socio-economic decay and rising youth unemployment of the late 1970s.
- Trace the emergence of environmentalism as a political force, highlighting the establishment of the Ecology Party (later the Green Party) and the influence of pressure groups.
- Evaluate the significance of the 1973 EEC entry and the 1975 referendum in shaping Britain's European relations.
- Analyse the fluctuations in the Anglo-American 'special relationship', contrasting Heath's European focus with Callaghan's Atlanticist approach.
- Assess the impact of the 1971 expulsion of Soviet diplomats on Anglo-Soviet relations during the broader period of détente.
- Explain the strategic and diplomatic reasons behind the normalisation of relations with the People's Republic of China in 1972.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Evaluate how far Heath's downfall was caused by his own leadership failures versus inherited economic problems like global inflation.
- 💡Connect the failure of the Industrial Relations Act to the broader breakdown of the post-war consensus on trade union cooperation.
- 💡Use the Sunningdale Agreement as a key example of early, albeit unsuccessful, attempts at power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
- 💡Link economic policies directly to industrial unrest, showing how attempts to cap public sector pay to satisfy IMF conditions provoked the Winter of Discontent.
- 💡Use the 1976 IMF crisis as a key turning point when evaluating the end of the post-war economic consensus.
- 💡When discussing political problems, explicitly mention the parliamentary arithmetic that forced Callaghan into the Lib-Lab Pact and deals with minor parties.
- 💡Use specific pressure groups, such as the Anti-Nazi League or Friends of the Earth, to demonstrate the shift towards extra-parliamentary activism in the 1970s.
- 💡Connect social developments to the broader economic context, such as how inflation and unemployment fuelled both racial tensions and youth rebellion.
- 💡Evaluate the limitations of social legislation by contrasting the aims of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act with the lived experiences of women in the workforce.
- 💡Use the 1975 EEC referendum to demonstrate how foreign policy was heavily influenced by domestic political management, particularly within the Labour Party.
- 💡Contrast Heath's relationship with Nixon against Callaghan's relationship with Carter to evaluate the changing nature of the 'special relationship'.
- 💡When discussing the USSR and China, contextualise Britain's actions within the broader Cold War framework of détente and the Sino-Soviet split.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the Sunningdale Agreement successfully resolved the Northern Ireland conflict; correction: the agreement collapsed in 1974 following the Ulster Workers' Council strike.
- Confusing the 1972 and 1974 miners' strikes; correction: the 1972 strike led to a pay settlement, while the 1974 strike prompted Heath to call a general election which he lost.
- Stating Heath maintained his free-market policies throughout his premiership; correction: Heath performed a famous 'U-turn' in 1972, returning to state intervention to manage the economy.
- Confusing the 1974-1979 Wilson and Callaghan governments with Wilson's earlier 1964-1970 tenure; ensure examples like the IMF crisis and Winter of Discontent are correctly attributed to the late 1970s.
- Claiming the Winter of Discontent brought down the government directly; correct this by noting it was a parliamentary vote of no confidence following the Scottish devolution referendum that triggered the 1979 election.
- Assuming the Sunningdale Agreement was a success; correct this by explaining it collapsed in May 1974 due to intense unionist opposition and the Ulster Workers' Council strike.
- Stating that the Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act immediately ended gender inequality; correct this by highlighting the persistence of the glass ceiling and unequal pay in practice.
- Treating youth culture in the 1970s as a continuation of the 1960s hippie movement; correct this by contrasting 1960s optimism with the nihilism and anti-establishment anger of 1970s punk.
- Assuming environmentalism was purely a fringe movement; correct this by noting the Ecology Party fielding 53 candidates in the 1979 election and the growing mainstream awareness of nuclear and ecological issues.
- Error: Claiming Britain joined the EU in 1973. Correction: State that Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC), as the EU was not formally established until the 1993 Maastricht Treaty.
- Error: Assuming the 'special relationship' with the USA was consistently strong throughout the 1970s. Correction: Acknowledge the significant cooling under Heath, who explicitly prioritised European integration over American alignment.
- Error: Treating British attitudes towards all communist states as identical. Correction: Distinguish between the hostile stance towards the USSR, such as the 1971 expulsions, and the improving diplomatic relations with China.