British Politics and Culture Since 1945

British Culture and Politics
Introduction

January 15, 2013

1. Where are you? * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2. How did this particular title come about? * United is a bit of a misnomer * Part wants to break away * GREAT Britain * “The sun never set on the British Empire” * It is always shining somewhere * Used to take up1/5 of the world * Now only fragments left * Bermuda, British Virgin Islands 3. Money * Newer coins have parts of the British seal * Pounds represent different regions of Great Britain * Each time a new monarch is elected their faces turn to face the other way 4. Stamps * Unique in that no country is written on the stamp 5. Flag * Made up of the different regions, except for Wales * “Union Jack” * Created in 1801 6. Queen * Queen has reigned since 1952 * In theory, signs all acts of parliament * Not allowed in the house of commons 7. Cup of tea * Most comes from Sri Lanka (Selon) * Some comes from India 8. Weather * Carry on, no matter what 9. Pop Culture * The Beatles, James Bond, Ian Fleming 10. No constitution 11. Unconquered since 1066 * Nearly 1000 years of unbroken history 12. Helped keep the balance of power throughout the world for over 200 years * Currently having a difficult time being a part of Europe 13. The House of Commons * Lower chamber, most important body * 650 members exist, Members of Parliament * Red lines: exact distance of a sword length 14. The House of Lords * Upper chamber, not elected * Powers have been limited since 1911 * Power to delay and reject legislation twice * Cannot block financial legislation 15. Legislative System * A long process * Current system began in the 13th century * Like America, has 2 houses * Unlike America, upper house has little power 16. Getting to the ‘UK’ * 4 states * England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales * Devolution began in 1997 * Gave power to the regions, a Parliament in Scotland, and an Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland * London now has its own Mayor (Boris Johnson) * Joined the European Communion in 1973 * The most powerful law making body over British affairs is situated in Europe 17. Magna Carta * King John, 1215 18. Constitutional Status * Courts decide on legal cases- not on what laws are constitutional * Do not want to decide on legitimacy of laws 19. First Past the Post * Whichever party gains the most MP’s forms the government * A low majority makes is hard for a government to pass legislation * If there is no overall majority, the Queen assumes her constitutional role in helping to form a working government 20. Controversies * See slideshow 21. Current Parties * 3 main political parties * Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and New Labour 22. Elections * Elections in Britain can take place at any time up to a maximum of 5 years * A prime minister takes office on the same day as the election finishes

Labor in Power

Into World War Two * The Second WW began for Britain on Sep 3, 1939 * By 1941 Britain, quite literally, stood alone in the Western Europe against the Nazi threat * Selected (but not elected) as PM was Winston Churchill in 1940 who led a coalition government * He would make many legendary speeches which included in 1941 offering the British people ‘blood, sweat and tears’
Churchill was a fantastic orator
Most of Swansea was taken out by the German Luftwaffe

Turning Point * Hitler did not finish his war on the British front, choosing instead to change direction and attack the USSR because in the worlds of Ian Kershaw he ‘longed to flatten the East’ * Hitler believed that GB would ally with him * However, 1941 marked the turning point of the war. Not only was Hitler late in attacking the USSR but over in the far East, Japan awakened the sleeping tiger of the USA following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.
Don’t attack Russia in the fall – all your soldiers will freeze to death

Yalta Conference * Allied leaders met at Yalta in February in 1945 to carve up Europe post WW2

VE Day * Victory in Europe came on May 8th 1945 * However, victory had come at a huge cost * Britain had lost around 25% of its total wealth * It had sacrificed its economy to the needs of the war * The war would speed up British decline that was already in progress

Britain was already in decline at this point, but it sped up as a result of WW2

Churchill * Churchill remains a much revered figure * He wanted to hold off any election until after the war ended in the Pacific * No election had been held since 1935 and the Labour Government wanted to hold an election as soon as possible (no elections during such a time of war) * It seemed inconceivable that the man who had led Britain through its darkest hour could possibly lose – so holding an election now would be great timing to keep Churchill in power * He did hold an election in 1945, conservatives lost by a landslide, by a huge majority * How is it possible that the greatest Britain ever lost this election at a time when he brought England through the war? * He was an amazing military leader, but there was much more going on; below
The war in Europe was over, but there was still conflict happening in the Pacific – brutal place to be during the war. Churchill wanted to keep the coalition going until the war in Japan was won.

Churchill Defeated * In the greatest shock in British election history, Churchill lost the 1945 election by a landslide (146 seats) * The new PM was leader of the Labour Party, Clement Attlee. He had been Deputy Prime Minister

Why Churchill Lost * Origins come with the failures of 1919 and the promised ‘homes fit for heroes’ under David Lloyd George. He was PM during WW1 and he promised once the war was over, people would return to Britain to home fit for heroes, but for the most part, people returned home with nothing, no work, no homes, etc. * 1920’s and 1930’s economic decline * Churchill was regarded as a bad Chancellor during WW1 and was not seen as a man of the people, when the workers went on strike, he suggested they send the army to meet the strikers * People have this memory, the know him as a man of war and not a man of peace * The failures of the 20s and 30s were very much in the minds of the people and Churchill was a leading politician of those times

The Beveridge Report * The only government report that ever became a ‘best seller’ * Changed the way people live in Britain – may impact us as well * In 1942, report was commission, read by people fighting on the front line * Written by a liberal who tackled what he considered to be the 5 Great Ills of Society, make things better than they were before the war * 1. Disease-if you’re ill, you can’t work (also can’t pay taxes), it’s not your fault that you are sick so the gov should help you get better (National Health Service created) * 2. Idleness-people must have jobs and contribute to taxes, and promote wealth across the country (gov should help create jobs) * 3. Ignorance-people need to be educated (gov should give them education), better education level = higher wages and more wealth promotion * 4. Squalor-poor and overcrowded housing, during the years of the war, people couldn’t fix their houses as no men and no building materials (gov needs to revolutionize the housing stock and make them better) * 5. Want-provide for those less fortunate, such as elderly or unemployed (gov should step in and help) * The people reading this report wanted this to be the way the new GB looked post WW2 * How do you implement this at a time of such great financial problems?

Facing the Future * Whilst Churchill felt the report was unaffordable, Labour promised its implementation in their manifesto entitled: “Let Us Face the Future” * It was on this promise that the Labour party won by a landslide * Labour also promised a program of nationalization of key sectors of the economy including the Bank of England, coal, civil aviation and gas (bought up all these old industry and placed them in the gov’s hands)

The Financial Abyss * Britain’s trading position was very poor and lend-lease was cancelled on Aug 21st 1945 * The UK asked the USA for $6,000M worth of aid – this was refused * In desperation, Britain was forced to conclude a loan of $3750M (with a further $1250M) from Canada * This created some resentment in Britain – we all fought together but in the post WW world, the US wouldn’t give the UK the money they needed (there were even a few anti-US demonstrations in the UK)
USA thought that the UK was exaggerating about how poor they had become. At the time they still had a vast empire.

Problems Deepening * By July 1947, the loan was exhausted * The 1946/7 winter was one of the worst on record (bread was even rationed, though it never saw limitations during the war, so this is a big deal); rationing got worse after the war than during it * Nationalization was running into trouble as the government took back into state hands industries which were in decline. Many of these new industries ran into financial crisis and made matters worse for the UK. * Decolonization (Africa and other commonwealth properties) was costly as well. * By 1950 exports were only at 75% of their pre-war level * The Pound was devalued from $4.03 to $2.80
Britain was not only broke, but had borrowed money and was still broke.

Into the Welfare State * Labour’s creation of the welfare state was based on two milestone acts * 1. National Insurance Act (1946) * 2. National Health Act (1946) * Both acts were underpinned by the notion of ‘universality’-everyone can share in insurance and health * This was under threat post war because of the financial decline * They began a process of bringing about the welfare state * Surely this costs money! And Britain was worse than broke. How did they afford this? * The Marshall Plan-aid from the US from George Marshall, America gave 5% of its GDP to Europe for rebuilding (Also known as ‘Marshall Aid’)

Carry On Britain
British Films

Images and Connections * Films are a kind of cultural history * British films provide a cultural repository for us * British cinema often deals with regional affairs, multiculturalism and of course a major theme of our course – decline * American films do of course reflect American issues…. * ….

The British Dream * Sadly, there is no such thing, only America has a ‘dream’ * Hollywood sells this dream very successfully across the world * Britain’s cultural identity is also reflected in films, it is an identity which is being increasingly questioned * Since the 1950s, Britain has played host to a wave of immigration – this has changed the identity of Britain and of course led to both tensions and a reappraisal of what it means to be British, British ‘identity’.

Filmic Traditions * Unlike US cinema, British cinema is usually in a state of crisis * This reflects that the fact the British film industy has bever been especially strong – especially when compared to Hollywood * East European films would often use films to make covert political messages, France gives a huge cultural * …..

Hollywood Visions * Inevitably, US films dominate the British box office * Britain has never been able to compete with the US film industry – high production values and big budgets are very much the province of Hollywood * The Hollywood Dream is a known quantity, where boy gets girl and they both live happily ever after

British Visions * By contrast British films can struggle for an international audience * Individual British actors and films can be successful but these are the exception, rather than the rule * Areas in which Britain can compete are usually in terms of strong storylines, heavy drama or, as we will see, high cultural borrowings such as Heritage Films.

Exodus * The temptation to go to America is of course far too great for British stars and has led to a huge exodus for British talent * Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Ridely Scott, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Same Mendes… * Some actors such as Ewan McGregor…..

War and Film * The british film industry was heavily disrupted by the way * During the war the films had a propaganda function – keeping up morale * The theme of the British people pulling together would also be a theme of post-war films * Shortages got worse, after the war and so films reflected the spirit of sacrifice, limitations and stout spirit * Whiskey Galore, Passport to Pimlico, The Man in the White Suit

Literarey Adaptations * Have always been a strong part of Britain’s film industry – able, as we are, to call upon such great literary traditions as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austin… * Much of Britain’s films output during the 50’s reflected not glamour, but ordinariness * In Hollywood, British actors often reflected a stereotype, alan Rickman or Gary oldman are bad guys whereas hugh Grant is considered posh

Cinematic Decline * In the 50s Britain tried hard to protect its film industry * Extra taxes were imposed on US films and the gov attempted to help this way, US pressured these taxes to be cut * However, the film output of Britain declined into the 80s and 90s * The arrival of TV inevitably aided the decline of the film industry

TV Domination * TV sales rose dramatically in the UK as people rushed to watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (in 1953) * A tv audience could easily fill a cinema hundreds of times over * TV, like cinema, focused on literay adaptations but also gave us reality shows and the inevitable soap operas * British soaps….

1950’s and 1960’s * The 1950s in Britain was a time of increased bureaucracy and saw a rise of a kind of youth culture-personified by the Teddy Boys * Social trends were personified by the ‘Angry Young Men’ which focused on the working class emptiness or the poetry of everyday life * These writers focusses on pessimism, liberal sexuality and anger * Examples: Room at the Top, Taste of Honey, A Kind of Loving, Saturday Night-Sunday Morning

A New Britain * Taste of Honey-written by Delany, Jo has a relationship with a black sailor who gets her pregnant and returns to sea * She then moves in with a homosexual who tries to help her * These events depicted ahead of legislation on race relations or decriminalization of homosexuality

Swinging 60s * The more famous perception of Britain during the 60s was encapsulated in films such as Alfie, The Italian Job and spoofed Mike Myers movies, Austin Powers * Life for many was increasingly harsh and getting worse, and such grim conditions would be seen in films such as Kes or Get Carter

What a Carry on… * A lighter side of British culture was seen in the ultra-long running series of Carry On films * Beginning in 1958 with Carry On Sergeant there would be 30 films * These films finished their original run in 1978 but rumors of their return persist * These films gently lampooned British society and played with sexual innuendo and double entendres * As a cultural history of Britain over two decades they are priceless, despite the low budgets and bottom of the barrel humor

January 16, 2013

Heritage Cinema
Packaging the Past

Film and the 80s * Film was in a poor state * Influence of Margaret Thatcher and Channel 4 * Multiplex brought people to the cinema
Politicization
* The 80s were a politicized decade * My Beautiful Launderette- casts its eye over Thatcherite Briain
Realism

January 12, 2013

Foreign Policy * Decolonization was not progressing smoothly * It began in 1947 with India * The Foreign Secretary was Ernest Bevin * Especially problematic was the British mandate of Palestine * By 1950 growing problems beset the Labour Government, it narrowly won the 1950 election

Finale * Labour staggered through the next few months but the government were increasingly worn out * Another election was held in October 1951 with Labour lost * However, the government of 45-51 had been truly reformist and their achievements formed much of the modern cultural identity of Britain * Instead of spending the Marshall Plan aid money on fixing the British economy, they spent it on the Welfare system

Consensus Politics
1951-1970

60s Music: All You Need is Love

Background * Music impacted heavily by WW2, many dance halls closed and orchestras disbanded * Covent Garden re-opens in 1947 with Carmen * 1951 brings ‘Festival of Britain’
Post-War
* After war music was dominated by slow, sentimental ballads * Major acts Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Mario Lanza, Dean Martin * UK represented by Frankie Vaughan, Dickie Valentine, Ronnie Hilton * Transistor Radio invented in 1955
Charting Success * 1952 brings first UK chart- a top 12 * First British Number One- Here in my Heart- Al Martino
Rock Around the Clock * Bill Haley and the Comets- begin to ‘rock’ Britain in 1956
Rock N’ Roll * Phrase created by DJ Alan Freed * Rock N’ Roll inspired the Teddy Boys or Teds – presented something of a cultural challenge
Skiffle
* Popular in early and mid 1950s * DIY Music * Lonnie Donnegan- Rock Island Line I (1956)
The Beatles * Quarrymen formed in 1957, became Johnny and the Moondogs the Silver Beatles, then The Beatles * Go to Liverpool to check out Beatles library *