Conservative governments 1979-97

• Conservative governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major


  • Greatly influenced by New Right thinkers
  • Preference for nuclear families
  • Encouraged individual and parental responsibility
  • Encouraged mothers to stay at home
  • Concerned that the welfare system might encourage non-traditional family forms and irresponsible behaviour
• Thatcher: 'The family is "the building block of society"'
• The Children Act 1989


  Outlined the rights of children
• The Child Support Agency, 1993


  Ensured absent fathers paid maintenance for their children
• Married Men's Tax Allowance


  Lowered taxes for men whose wives do not work (to encourage stay-at-home mothers)
• Divorce reform


  Planned to introduce a one-year "cooling off" period before people could divorce (never actually introduced)
• Section 28


  Law restricting education about gay relationships
• "Back to Basics"


  John Major began a back to basics campaign to encourage "Victorian family values" (there wasn't much in terms of concrete policies, and it caused problems for the government after a string of high-profile "sex scandals")