Political parties and the Uk timeline

Conservative landslide

1979 - The Conservatives (Margaret Thatcher) are in power. She begins to introduce free-market policies, bringing the winter of discontent. A great change to that of labour, is her plans a rdical approach?

1981 - Thatcher government begins programme of privatisation of the state, industries such as BP and BA where key targets for her, she felt that private companies would feel the need to compete so therefore providing a better service that is more efficient, causing economic growth. As a consequence both the public and cabinet were at a divide; as a result 3.3 billion are left unemployed.

1982 - Argentina invades the Falklands Islands. England fights back, and wins. This gives Margaret Thatcher authority in the cabinet, country and a respectable name on the world stage. Teachers audacious move to tackle the unions head on pays off, victory over the miners greatly reduced their ability and power in decision making. She almost puts a lock on this by passing policy that can leaver strikers at risk of paying possible profit lost for the time off.

1982-87 – The lib dems fought in the elections as the liberal SDP alliance in 1983 they won 25% of the vote.

1987 - Thatcher re-elected and is about to pass some of here most controversial policies yet. The introduction of poll tax causes uproar with the opposition and the public, riots brake out in the streets. Thatcher’s authoritarian approach does not seem to be working at this point.

1988 - The former Liberal MP Paddy Ashdown was elected leader in July 1988 when the 2 parties (SDP & Liberal party) formally merged to become the liberal democrats.

...

This is a preview of the whole essay

1982-87 – The lib dems fought in the elections as the liberal SDP alliance in 1983 they won 25% of the vote.

1988 - The former Liberal MP Paddy Ashdown was elected leader in July 1988 when the 2 parties (SDP & Liberal party) formally merged to become the liberal democrats.

1990 - Thatcher resigns as prime minister after she fails to defeat a challenge to her leadership of the Conservative party. Instead of going through with a second vote she saves face and resigns, John Major becomes prime minister.

1992 - Major re-elected as prime minister. Labour party chooses John Smith as its leader however following the elction the reputation of the Conservatives for competent handling of the economy was shattered following black Wednesday.

1994 – As a shock to the labour party and nation John Smith dies. Tony Blair becomes Labour leader. A lot of his policies and aims liken or are based upon those of John Smith (his almost mentor in the party) Blair is almost all set up for victory.

Labour landslide

1997 Labour under Blair wins landslide election victory. He plans and does introduce the following:

Increased control of party leadership to decide policy (Policy forum)
Decline f Trade Union influence
Chang of Face, (New labour is now active)
His plans are summed up in three words “Education, Education, Education”
Left wing policies abandoned (social democracy for a 3rd way)
Acceptance of free market Thatcherism & give individual interest rates to the bank of England.

1998 - Good Friday Agreement on a political settlement for Northern Ireland is approved by voters in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland.

Blair re-elected

2001 Blair's Labour party wins a second successive general election victory. There is further change No nationalisation- a change in clause 4, and privatises some services such as air traffic control.

2005 Controversial anti-terrorism policy passed after debate

Labour Party's Tony Blair wins a third successive term, with a much-reduced majority in parliament. The use of public private partnerships (PPP’s) to improve public services such as health and education with private finance.

London bombings

2005 7 July - 52 people are killed and around 700 are injured in four suicide bomb attacks on London's transport network. Two weeks later, would-be bombers fail to detonate four devices on London's transport network. (bbc news .com)

28 July - Irish Republican Army (IRA) announces a formal end to its armed campaign. Tony Blair suffers his first House of Commons defeat as prime minister when MPs vote against increasing from 14 to 90 days the length of time terror suspects can be held without charge. Instead, they back increasing it to 28 days.

Pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) becomes the largest party in the Scottish Parliament following elections.

2007 Gordon Brown succeeds Tony Blair as PM and is soon to find that he cant always stick to his policies he planned on.

Nick Clegg won a closely fought contest to be the new leader of the Liberal Democrats

2008 The government nationalises the troubled mortgage lender Northern Rock. Funding problems at the bank in the second half of 2007 triggered the first run on a British bank in more than a century. (thetimes.co.uk) something Gordon brown promised not to do.

Ruling Labour Party In the contest for Mayor of London it loses to the candidate of the main opposition Conservative party, Boris Johnson. The government part-nationalises three leading UK banks with a 37 billion pound rescue package. It also pumps billions into the UK financial system after record stock market falls precipitated by the global "credit crunch".

Now tax cuts are being introduced to increase public spending along with millions of pounds increase of public spending, critics state however that Mr Brown is simply throwing money at the situation in ope this will recover it… will it?

Tim Linehan