Conservative Party decline 1959-64

• Macmillan's government appeared old and tired, he tried to reshuffle to re-energise his government but this failed to seriously improve his popularity and Conservative failures damaged the unity of the party
• There were losses in by-elections throughout 1962 (Middlesbrough, Orpington) and a decline in the opinion polls
• A series of scandals also damaged the government in 1963, such as the Vassall affair, the Philby case, the Argyll divorce case and the Profumo Affair, making it appear that the government was incompetent and untrustworthy
• Although Britain's economic position was more difficult by the early 1960s


  The Conservatives had still delivered a long period of rising living standards, especially 1957-59
• There had been a massive increase in real wages, the cutting of income tax, greater purchase of labour-saving goods, and greater availability of credit
• Most people "never had it so good"
• Wilson's leadership showed more sensitivity to the public mood and managed to unite his party behind a technological revolution and economic moderation
• Wilson achieved victory in the 1964 election with a 3.5% swing to Labour in the popular vote - his ideas/policies attracted the new generation
• When Douglas-Home was Conservative leader, Gaitskell in Labour abandoned a revisionist challenge to Clause Four after the 1959 GE, and united his party behind his opposition to Macmillan's bid to take Britain into the EEC
• Labour only won by a 3.5% swing in the October 1964 GE, and only succeeded in winning a five-seat majority against the unimpressive Douglas Home
• Due to workers being needed to fill the labour shortage, there was a stream of immigrants, and they were blamed for housing shortages and job shortages - this led to race riots in 1958, especially in Notting Hill where white youths tried to attack black-owned rented properties
• The 1962 Commonwealth Immigration Act which limited immigrants entering Britain created a flood and increased resentment among white males
• The youth sub-culture increased violence - mods and rockers had greater money to spend, and had less respect for the Conservative values and their authority
• New forms of entertainment like rock and roll and satirical TV shows challenged expected deference towards authority, and other youths felt alienated and developed anti-social behaviour
• Many areas of Britain were still untouched by immigration and the race riots, which were restricted to the inner-cities
• Younger voters may have been alienated by the Conservative traditional image, but these didn't account for a majority of the electorate