4SSIE001 – Challenges and Transformations: British Political History Since 1945

Module Leader: Dr Michael Kandiah Institute of Contemporary British History, N.227, 2nd Norfolk Building, Surrey Street, King’s College London, WC2R 2LS. (Office Hours: Most Mondays, , and Wednesdays, Appointments recommended)

Lecture: Lecture: The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition

Background to 2010 Aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis Success of Cameron “detoxification” of the Conservative brand Success of Nick Clegg, leader of Liberal Democrats in election debates Unpopularity of Gordon Brown

General Election 2010 Party SeatsVotes%±% Conservative30610,703, Labour2588,606, –6.2 Liberal Democrat576,836, Scottish National6491, Others23

Basis of the Coalition No party crossed the “official winning line” of 326 MPs Extraordinary circumstances brought about the crisis of 2008 Inability of Liberal Democrats to work with Gordon Brown

How was the Coalition Government to work Set out in a document “Coalition Agreement for Stability and Reform, May 2010” nt_data/file/78978/coalition-agreement-may-2010_0.pdf nt_data/file/78978/coalition-agreement-may-2010_0.pdf

The Programme for Government May 2010 A list of agreed policies, and included areas where the governing parties could disagree Conventions to be adopted on collective responsibility The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 established 7 May 2015 as the date of the next general election unless an early general election was triggered under the Act.

David Cameron “Detoxification” of the Conservatives Tough of terrorism LGBT rights and same sex marriage Libya Defeat over Syria

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister Constitutional Reform Reform of the House of Lords Introduction of elected members Abandoned in 2012 Electoral Reform Alternative Vote Referendum 2011 – 68 per cent not in favour Reduction of MPs Tuition Fees

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer Promised to be “tougher than Thatcher” on Britain’s budget deficit 2010 Spending Review fixed spending budgets for each government department to Project Merlin lend more to small firms, curb bankers bonuses & salary details of top earners 2012 – cut tax rate for top earners to 45 per cent 2013 – UK loses AAA – Deficit cut but government debt still rose

Rise of UKIP Nigel Farage, leader since 2006 Immigration Europe Performance in local elections 2013 – increased from 4 to – won further 163 seats by-elections Clacton – Oct 2014 (Douglas Carswell) Rochester & Strood – Nov 2014 (Mark Reckless)

Rise of the Scottish National Party Labour under Ed Miliband Scottish Referendum 2014

Run up to the 2015 Election Polls indicated another coalition government or hung parliament

General Election 2015 PartySeatsVotes%±% Conservative33111,334, Labour2329,347, Scottish National561,454, Liberal Democrat82,415,8887.9–15.2 UKIP13,881, Others22