
Contents
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Inflation, Industrial Relations, and Economic Turbulence 1970–1976 Inflation, Industrial Relations, and Economic Turbulence 1970–1976
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The Politics of Participation: The Referendum on the European Community, 1975 The Politics of Participation: The Referendum on the European Community, 1975
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The Politics of Participation: Referendums in Scotland and Wales The Politics of Participation: Referendums in Scotland and Wales
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Thatcher and the Realignment of British Politics 1975–1979 Thatcher and the Realignment of British Politics 1975–1979
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A Nation, and an Opposition, Divided: 1979–1983 A Nation, and an Opposition, Divided: 1979–1983
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Thatcher’s Britain? 1983–1992 Thatcher’s Britain? 1983–1992
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Conclusion Conclusion
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6 Divided Democracy, Early 1970s to Early 1990s
Get accessProfessor of Modern British History, School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities
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Published:November 2024
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Abstract
This chapter shows how the tensions underlying British politics emerged more clearly from the early 1970s as the economic situation worsened, and Conservative and Labour governments alike struggled to deal with challenges of weakening growth, inflation, and industrial action. Ordinary voters were becoming increasingly disillusioned with the main parties and susceptible to alternatives. Margaret Thatcher, who became Conservative leader in 1975, was able to exploit the appetite for change with a rhetoric of individual opportunity and the return of traditional values that resonated with people who were anxious about the overreach of the state, the power of trade unions, and the pace of social change. Thatcher alienated as many voters as she attracted, but she was able to marshal a powerful electoral coalition against a divided political opposition, particularly after her leadership in the Falklands War transformed belief in her overall competence. With social and economic divisions widening, however, and modest victories in general elections translating into crushing parliamentary majorities, significant sections of the population were becoming further disaffected with politics. The 1992 election demonstrated the importance of competence in voters’ calculations, but enthusiasm for politics, and trust in politicians, remained at a low ebb.
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