Early issues

• 1980

  • unemployment hit 2 million
  • RPI 20% increase
  • Manufacturing down 16%
  • Cabinet wanted slack of monetarist policies
  • Abolished minister for arts
  • francis Pym is demoted to leader of house - no longer challenge - collective ministerial responsibility
• miners

  • NCB proposed closing uneconomic pits
  • Government backtrack as want to avoid strikes
  • government review prices
• riots

  • Due to recession following monetarist policies
  • Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester and Brixton
  • poor job prospects in deprives areas
  • alienation due to SUS law of black youth - stop and searches
  • 25% Brixton school leavers unemployed
  • government saw these as deliberate
• Northern Ireland

  • IRA members arrested for terror crimes
  • built maze prisons
  • IRA wanted to be treated as priosners of war
  • They didnt wear uniform
  • Dirty protests
  • 10 died through hunger strikes
  • highlighted her conviction
• civil services strike

  • demonstration effect
  • 15% pay rise demanded with 20% inflation
  • 21 weeks till they settled
  • Resulted in unemployment act 1980 - supplementary benefits reduced but not as aggressive as subsequent act As Jim prior was a wet when passed
• the wets led by ted heath challenge thatcher at annual party convention and her popularity is sinking both internally and wth society as the polls predict little win