Labour in government (1964 to1970 - 'Swinging Sixties' ) with Harold Wilson as Prime Minister brought in the vote for 18 year olds, the legalisation of homosexuality, reform of the divorce laws, legislation addressing racial discrimination, the abolition of capital punishment, the modernisation of British industry, Open University Education and a variety of job opportunities for all - but some of these things were not popular with everyone at the time and when Labour allowed unemployment to reach half a million the 1970 election put the Conservative Party under Edward Heath into power. But unemployment under the Heath government literally doubled - it shot up to over one million and a three day week was imposed on many of those who still had a job. The Conservative government fell, Heath resigned and Labour was returned in 1974. Now out of government, the Conservatives, inspired by Keith Joseph and Milton Friedman's Monetarism, planned the ousting of their Party leader, Edward Heath, and a return to power. But Keith Joseph did not want the job of Party leader so a keen admirer of his, Margaret Thatcher (a grocer's daughter from Grantham, who had married a wealthy industrialist and had been given a position and promotion by Edward Heath), agreed to stand against Edward Heath for leadership of the Party. The plan being that when the next election came Mrs Thatcher would get the 'woman's vote' and become the first woman Prime Minister. In the Spring of 1979, after a hard winter of industrial disputes the Conservative Party employed an advertising company, Saatchi & Saatchi, to run a well-financed campaign with the slogan "Labour isn't Working" and the Conservatives were returned to power on May 3rd 1979 with Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. Under the new Conservative government unemployment shot up to over three million as manufacturing industry was run down and replaced with 'service' industries. The Nation's public assets (the property of all the British people) were sold off cheaply and became the property of Conservative Party supporters in a 'Privatisation' swindle which Harold Macmillan referred to as 'Selling the Family Silver'. With power and privilege returned to the traditional 'owners' of Britain, those who had to work for a living fought against each other for the few jobs left. Revenue from newly discovered North Sea oil, which could have been used for the benefit of all, was used to finance the growing dole queues. As inflation soared, money merchants, bankers and spivs made private fortunes but for the majority of people the 'Thatcher Government' became the most unpopular in history. By 1982 public unrest had increased and the Conservative Party had become sufficiently hated to be unelectable by any sane society. Some considered the British Government to be run by wealthy criminals so the crime rate increased and riots began - a factor which governments, to this day, do not like to acknowledge. Desperate measures were needed to save the Conservative Party and fortunately there was a tinpot General on the other side of the world who deserved a bloody nose. It may well cost millions from the public purse and it would mean loss of lives but the electorate needed discipline - a cause - a threat - a common enemy - a war - and the Conservative government needed to be seen as the brave protectors of Britain from an evil foreign dictator. With a bit of luck it would be a short war evoking wartime spirit with lots of Union Jacks, heroes, victory parades, Conservative MPs looking tough and possibly even Margaret Thatcher in an army tank dressed up as a soldier ( the tank stunt was eventually used for the1987 election ! ) - followed by a 'Khaki Election' to restore government fortunes . . .
Негізгі бет Harold Wilson to Margaret Thatcher
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