1964 election

• Orpington bi-election

  • 1959 - Conservative majority
  • 1962 - Liberals win - ex Conservative voters = economy is faltering
• MacMillan sacked 7 ministers in an attempt to rejuvenate popularity - it failed
• establishment vs Wilson - I like my salmon tinned

  • Labour presented as modern and prepared for swinging sixties and tech
  • Butler wasn’t made leader who was popular across Britain as drove affluence
  • Election was so close potentially saved it
  • Government included duke, heir to baron and entrenched class attitudes and no social mobility + satire rising
• Party scandals

  • vassal and Blake - Blake convinced of being Soviet spy
  • Vassal civil servant blackmailed by Soviets over homosexuality
  • profumo - Secretary of State lied about sleeping with keegan who slept with Soviet spy
  • Whilst short lived impacts they reinforced idea that MacMillan was Edwardian and out of touch and losing party control
• Economy -

  • lowest GDP and growth rate in Europe
  • 1.7 million on defence - 10% of gdp
  • Lacking infrastructure
  • Budget politics - led to major tax cuts and increased inflation leading to 800 million deficit
  • Stop go
  • 800k unemployed and pay pause hit nurses who- poorest the worse
• Liberals gains 2 million votes which shows protest vote