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Y113: Britain 1930–1997

Thatcher and the end of consensus 1979–1997: the Miners’ Strike, the poll tax, Thatcher’s fall and the Major years

  • 1 thing to know
  • Unit group 1

Overview

Recall questions on the Miners’ Strike of 1984 to 1985, the riots of 1981, the poll tax, the Education Reform Act, support for and opposition to Thatcher, her fall, Black Wednesday, Conservative divisions and defeat in 1997.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Evaluation

Why did the miners lose the strike of 1984 to 1985?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Outline the course of the Miners' Strike of 1984 to 1985.

    Model answer

    The National Coal Board under Ian MacGregor announced closures beginning with Cortonwood, and Scargill led the NUM out without a national ballot; after a year of picketing, notably the violent confrontation at Orgreave, the miners returned to work in March 1985 with nothing conceded.

  2. 2

    Why did the miners lose?

    Model answer

    The government had deliberately built up coal stocks and prepared the police for co-ordinated action, the refusal to hold a national ballot split the union and left Nottinghamshire pits working, the courts sequestrated NUM funds, and other unions gave sympathy but not solidarity action.

  3. 3

    What did the riots of 1981 reveal, and how did the government respond?

    Model answer

    Disorder in Brixton, Toxteth and other inner cities exposed the mix of youth unemployment, deprivation and hostility between the police and young black men; the Scarman Report criticised heavy-handed stop and search and racial disadvantage, and led to reform of police procedure and complaints.

  4. 4

    Why did the poll tax fail?

    Model answer

    The community charge replaced rates with a flat sum per adult, so a duke paid the same as a dustman in the same town; it was introduced a year early in Scotland, provoked mass non-payment and a violent demonstration in London in 1990, damaged Thatcher fatally, and was scrapped by Major for the council tax.

  5. 5

    Summarise the changes made by the Education Reform Act of 1988.

    Model answer

    It imposed a national curriculum with regular testing, published results so parents could compare schools, gave heads control of their budgets and allowed schools to opt out of local authority control, extending choice and central direction at the expense of local government.

  6. 6

    Why did so many voters support Thatcher?

    Model answer

    She offered aspiration and the chance to own a home and shares, cut income tax, tamed the inflation and union power that had wrecked the 1970s, and after the Falklands looked like a leader who restored national self-respect, while her opponents seemed divided and extreme.

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