Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on October 16, 1964 and formed the first Wilson ministry , a Labor government, which held positions with a narrow majority between 1964 and 1966. In an attempt to earn the majority of which can be worked out in the House of Commons, Wilson called a new election for March 31, 1966, after which he formed the second Wilson ministry, a government that served for four years until 1970.
Video Labour government, 1964-1970
History
Formation
The Labor Party won the 1964 general election by a four-seat majority. Profumo's affairs have seriously undermined the previous Conservative government, which means the Premiership Alec Douglas-Home only lasts 363 days. The small majority of Wilson caused impotence during this Parliament, and in 1966 another election was called, leading to a majority of 96 and a continuation of the Wilson administration.
Domestic Issues
Social issues
A number of liberal social reforms were passed through parliament during Wilson's first period in government. These include virtually elimination of capital punishment, sexual decriminalization between men in private, liberalization of abortion laws and the abolition of theater censorship. The Reform Act of 1969 was passed by Parliament (and came into force in 1971). Such reforms were mostly through private members' bills on 'free votes' in line with established conventions, but the vast majority of the Labor Party after 1966 was undoubtedly more open to such changes than the previous parliament.
Wilson came culturally from the provincial nonconformist background, and he showed no particular enthusiasm for many of these agendas (some related to "permissive society"), but the reform climate was driven primarily by Roy Jenkins during the period at Home. Office. The franchise was also extended by reducing the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen in 1969.
The period 1966-1970 Wilson witnessed the growing public's attention to immigration to England. The issue was dramatized at the political level by the famous "Blood of the Tree" speech by Conservative politician Enoch Powell, warning against the dangers of immigration, which led to Powell's dismissal from the Shadow Cabinet. The Wilson government adopted a two-track approach. While condemning racial discrimination (and adopting legislation to offend him), Home Secretary Wilson James Callaghan introduced significant new restrictions on immigration rights to Britain.
Education
Education holds a special significance for a Wilson-generation socialist, given its role in opening opportunities for children from a working-class background and enabling the UK to seize the potential benefits of scientific progress. Under Wilson's first government, for the first time in British history, more money was allocated to education than defense. Wilson resumed the rapid creation of a new university, in line with the recommendations of the Robbins Report, a bipartisan policy that had existed on the train when Labor took power. The economic difficulties of that period deprived the tertiary system of the resources it needed. Nevertheless, university expansion remains the core policy. One important effect is women's first entry into university education in significant numbers. More broadly, overall higher education is significantly expanded, with different biases towards the non-university sector. During Wilson's tenure in office from 1964 to 1970, about 30 polytechnics were formed to provide vocational-oriented courses not fully provided by the university. In addition, student enrollment rates increased from 5% to 10%. Within a year in office, the government gave teachers a 13% salary increase, and also tripled the expenditure for a major publicity campaign to persuade married teachers to return to school. Expenditures on school buildings also increased, along with the number of teachers attending the training.
Wilson also deserves credit for understanding the concept of the Open University, to provide adults who miss a second chance education through part-time study and distance learning. His political commitments include assigning implementation responsibilities to Jennie Lee, widow of Aneurin Bevan, leftist charismatic leader Laborer Wilson has joined in resigning from the Attlee cabinet. The Open University works through summer schools, postal tuition and television programs. In 1981, 45,000 students have received degrees through the Open University. Money is also channeled to colleges run by local authorities.
Campaigns are also being launched by the government to encourage people to take the proven benefits of what they deserve. For example, publicity campaigns launched by the government increase the fraction of eligible children for free school meals. As early as 1968, the standard cost for welfare milk increased to 6d but, in addition to remissions for low income, new fees were automatically waived "for children who were more than two in families with three or more children under five years." By the end of 1968, some 200,000 young people in England and Wales received milk automatically for free under this arrangement. "In addition, the number of children receiving free school meals rose from 300,000 to 600,000 in 1970, while the provision of adult education was expanded.
Wilson's notes on secondary education, by contrast, are highly controversial. A more complete description is in Education articles in the UK. Two factors play a role. Following the Education Act of 1944 there was dissatisfaction with the tripartite system of academically oriented Grammar schools for a small percentage of "gifted" children, and schools of Modern and Secondary Engineering for the majority of children. The growing pressure for the abolition of the underlying 11-plus selective principle, and the replacement with the Comprehensive School that will serve various children (see the Debate article in grammar school). Comprehensive education became the policy of the Labor Party. From 1966 to 1970, the proportion of children in comprehensive schools increased from about 10% to over 30%. There is also a movement in primary schools toward "child-centered learning" or individual learning, in accordance with the recommendations of the 1967 Pirate Report on improving the education system. Polytechnics was founded in 1965 through the incorporation of existing institutions such as technology, arts and trade colleges. A new external examination, designed for children with high intellectual ability and leading to a Secondary Education Certificate (CSE), was also introduced in the same year. The advanced courses in advanced education were also extended by the government much more quickly than under previous Conservative governments. School Regulations (Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulation 1967 sets minimum standards for educational accommodation, playground and school locations, and also sets the standards for "kitchen, toilets and laundry facilities and staff accommodation." In addition, the School Milk Act of March 1970 "extends the provision of free school dairy to junior students in high school."
The Labor Party is pressuring local governments to turn grammatical schools into a comprehensive one. Conversions continued on a large scale during the ensuing Conservative Heath administration, although Foreign Minister Margaret Thatcher terminated the local government's insistence on converting.
The great controversy that emerged during Wilson's first government was the decision that the government could not fulfill its long-term promise to raise the school age to 16 years, due to the necessary investments in infrastructure, such as additional classes and teachers. Baroness Lee was considered to have resigned in protest, but narrowly decided against this in the interest of party unity. It was left to Thatcher to make changes, during Heath's reign.
Efforts are also being made to improve the provision of nursery education. In 1960, as a means to save money, the Conservative government issued a circular banning the expansion of nursery education. This restriction was slightly relaxed before the July 1964 election, when the authorities were allowed to provide a "place where this would allow married women to return to teaching." In 1965, the Labor government provided further relaxation enabling the authorities to expand "as long as they provide additional places for teachers to whom priority should be given." Nevertheless, the number of children under the age of five in nursing schools treated, primary schools and special schools increased only slightly, from 222,000 in 1965 to 239,000 in 1969. The 1969 Educational Act (Scotland) "removes the powers of local authorities to charge fees, "and also to make childcare services mandatory.
In 1967, the Wilson government decided to spend Ã, Â £ 16 million, especially in the "Priority Areas of Education", over the next two years. Over a two-year period, Ã, Â £ 16 million was allocated by the government for school construction at the EPA, while teachers in 572 elementary schools "extraordinary difficulty" were selected for additional additions. After negotiations with the teachers union, Ã, Â £ 400,000 of this money was set to pay additional teachers Ã, Â £ 75 per year to work in the "extraordinary difficulty school", of which 570 schools were appointed. In April 1966, the government approved a school construction project in 57 authorities in England and Wales. It also sponsors an action research project, experimenting on five EPAs to try to find the most effective way to engage the public, according to Brian Lapping,
"in their school work, compensating children for the deprivation of their background, see if, in one area of ​​pre-school play, in other intensive language lessons, in other emphasis on home-school relationships, would be most effective. "
Overall, public expenditure on education increased as a proportion of GNP from 4.8% in 1964 to 5.9% in 1968, and the number of teachers in training increased by more than a third between 1964 and 1967. The percentage of students who stayed in school after age sixteen increased equally, and the student population increased by more than 10% every year. The student-teacher ratio also continues to decrease. As a result of Wilson's first government education policy, opportunities for working class children were increased, while overall access to education in 1970 was broader than in 1964. As Brian Lapping concludes:
Housing
Housing is a major policy area under the first Wilson administration. During the reign of Wilson from 1964 to 1970, more homes were built than in the last six years of the previous Conservative government. Within a year of the First Wilson Government with office assumptions, the amount of money available to local authorities with favorable interest rates doubled from Ã, Â £ 50,000 to Ã, Â £ 100,000. The proportion of board housing rose from 42% to 50% of the total, while the number of council houses built increased steadily, from 119,000 in 1964 to 133,000 in 1965 and to 142,000 in 1966, with hundreds of multi-storey block blocks (mostly built in cities cities and cities) are among these. A number of new cities were created during the 1960s for the advantages of the city center, namely Telford in Shropshire (mostly inhabited by former residents of Birmingham and Wolverhampton) and Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire (for populations of overpopulated London). Several cities are beginning to flourish to accommodate the advantages of the city, a noteworthy example is the families of Liverpool and Manchester who moved to the expanding city of Warrington, which lies between two cities. Many families from Birmingham also moved a few miles south of the city to the thriving town of Worcestershire at Redditch.
Allowing the destruction of 1.3 million new homes built between 1965 and 1970, To encourage home ownership, the government introduced the Mortgage Options Scheme (1968), which made low-income households eligible for subsidies (equivalent to tax relief on mortgage interest payments). This scheme has the effect of reducing the cost of housing for low-income buyers and allowing more people to become occupiers of invaders. In addition, homeowners are exempt from capital gains tax. Together with the Mortgage Options Scheme, this measure stimulates the private housing market. To improve conditions for homeless people, a joint bundle of the Ministry of Health, Home Office, and Local Government Ministry in 1966 recommended that families "should not be separated in reception centers, and that family privacy is more desirable." According to one study, "the vast majority" of local authorities incorporate these suggestions into their policies. "
The Government also received most of the recommendations from the 1961 Parker Morris Report for significantly improved space standards and residential facilities of new local authorities. The first Wilson government made Parker Morris recommended mandatory for public sector housing in new towns in 1967 and for local government in 1969. In 1967, nearly 85% of board residence was built to standards compiled by Parker Morris's 1961 Report , and from January 1969, the Parker Morris space and standard of heating became mandatory. in the design of public housing. In 1965, a national framework of uniform building regulations was introduced.
Significant emphasis is also placed on urban planning, with new conservation areas being introduced and a new generation of newly built cities, notably Milton Keynes. The New Towns Acts of 1965 and 1968 together provide the government authority (through its ministry) to designate each area of ​​land as a site for the New City. The government also combined its drive for more recent housing development with the encouragement and subsidy of renovating old houses (as an alternative to their demolitions and replacements). The 1969 Housing Repair Act, for example, makes it easy to turn old homes into new homes by encouraging rehabilitation and modernization through increased grants to property owners. The law seeks to put the housing improvement economy in a much better relationship with rebuilding. Under the Act, local authorities are authorized to designate "areas of improvement" and to pursue a policy of increasing the area. An area may be expressed as an area of ​​increase if 50% or more of the dwellings within its boundaries do not have at least one of the following standard facilities, which include hot and cold water, inner toilets, wash basins, wash basins, and a fixed bath or shower. Local authorities in the area may encourage householders in the area to improve their residences with the help of grants. The law also introduces major financial changes, including an increase in the number of normal grant standards from Ã, £ 155 to Ã,  £ 200, an increase from Ã,  £ 400 to Ã,  1000 in the maximum grant increase that may be awarded over wisdom from local authorities, and new grant funds to local authorities at 50% of the cost for environmental improvement at a cost of up to Ã,  £ 100 per stay in newly designated repair areas. The law introduced a special grant to install facilities in homes under various government jobs and grants towards environmental improvement to an expense of £ 100 per residence, while approved repair and reimbursement work became eligible for grant aid for the first time. Overall, between 1965 and 1970, more than 2 million homes have been built (almost half of which are board properties), more than any other five-year period since 1918.
Protection from Expulsion Act 1964 prohibits the expulsion of tenants without a court order, and according to Colin Crouch and Martin Wolf, do a lot "to stem the tidal wave of homeless," especially in London. The 1965 Rental Act extends the security of ownership, introduces rental registration, and protection from eviction for private tenants, making illegal harassment of tenants. This law is attributed to the fall of the number of homeless families brought into welfare accommodation each year in the LCC region, from 2,000 in 1962-64 to 1,300 in 1965 and 1,500 in 1966. The 1967 Rental Rights Renewal Act was passed to allow holders long leases to buy their house freehold. This law provides about one million lease holders with the right to purchase freehold of their homes. Controls were introduced for the increase in board accommodation rental, the new Lease Act of 1965 froze rent for most non-destructed accommodation in the private sector while providing tenants with greater security of ownership and protection against harassment, and systems introduced in which independent arbitrators have the power to fix a fair rental price. In addition, the First Wilson government encouraged the introduction of discretionary local authority discounts to help with housing costs, and also initiated the possibility of paying tariffs in installments. In November 1969, legislation passed by the government restricted rent increases following anti-eviction protests.
According to a study, the Housing Act of 1964, authorized by the coming Labor government, "strengthens the powers of local authorities to enforce minimum standards on privately owned housing and encourage housing communities to build for low rents and for joint ownership by building the Housing Company which has the authority to borrow from the Exchequer (Ã, Â £ 50 million in the first instance) for this purpose. "The generous new subsidies were also introduced by the government to encourage the authorities to build more homes and build them into Parker Morris standards. In 1967, the government issued a circular that urged the authorities to adopt and publish lease rebate schemes. As a result of this circulation, the number of authorities who adopted the scheme rose from 40% before the circle to 53% in March 1968. Approximately 70% of the tenants were covered, although not necessarily receive a rebate:
"... Ã, 495 authorities operate a rebate lease scheme, and the total rebate of à £ 9.5 million falls to more than a quarter of a million tenants, representing nearly 12 percent of the total housing inventory.The average rebate, 13s 9d, amounts to one-third of the average rent. "
Legislation was introduced that set tenancies for properties with a budgetable value of up to Ã, Â £ 200 per year (Ã, Â £ 400 in London), which meant that tenants should not only be protected from intimidation, but the eviction would now require a court order. It also restructures the housing subsidy system so that borrowing costs from local authorities from individual local authorities will be pegged to 4%. The 1966 Rating Act introduces an empty property rating and is provided for tariff payments in installments. The 1966 Regional Government Act introduced a "domestic" element in a new Level of Support Grant, providing assistance to domestic clockmakers on an increasing scale, so that as local spending increases, government grants are directed to outrank them. As noted by one historian,
"The amount of grant in the domestic element will be calculated as sufficient to subsidize domestic ratepayers as far as the rate of five percent in the first year, tenpence in the second, and so on."
Housing (Slum Clearance Compensation) Act 1965 continues the provision for homeowners who are not eligible to buy between 1939 and 1955 to be compensated for by market value. The Building Control Act of 1966 introduced building permits to prioritize housing development. Under the Supplemental Act of 1966, an owner who exercised the right to an allowance is entitled to benefits for repairs, insurance, interest rates, and "reasonable" interest charges on the mortgage. The Land Commission was also established to purchase land for buildings and thereby prevent the profiteering of land value, although only limited success. The objective of the Land Commission is to purchase land for public goods such as housing or rebuilding expenditures (mandatory, if needs arise), and investigate the needs of particular regional planning in relation to the Ministry of Housing and some planning authorities to see if any land in a particular area which is required for such a development scheme. Although the Land Commission bought large quantities of land, it did not become the dominant influence on the government's expected land market.
Housing Subsidies Act 1967 fixed interest rate of 4% for council loans to build houses. It also provides financial assistance to local authorities for conversion and repair, while also reforming fitness standards for human habitation. The 1967 Act increased subsidies on new homes in such a way that it became the largest source of individual subsidies after the previous 1946 Housing Subsidy Act. During that period, as part of the prices and revenues introduced by the government, local governments were not allowed to raise rental rates. After that, the limit is set at the allowed rate of increase. In 1969, a form of mortgage interest rate mortgage titled MIRAS was established to help stimulate home ownership.
The City and Country Planning Act of 1968 provides more local autonomy in urban planning. This law aims for greater flexibility and speed in land use planning, and makes public participation a mandatory requirement in the development plan. The law also introduces a new process planning system in which the spatial distribution of social and economic trends replaces physical standards as the main concern of planners. According to Maureen Rhoden, this effectively means that the development control system is operated by new housing demand from local authorities. This allows new development on infill sites or in larger suburbs and villages, "but prevents rural development open and in certain areas such as green belts and the extraordinary Natural Beauty Area." In addition, opportunities for public participation in the planning process are also enhanced by the Act, in part in response to opposition to some features of housing policy and urban planning. The general area of ​​†<вЂ
Increased funds were allocated to social services during the time of Wilson's first government office. Between 1963 and 1968 housing expenses increased by 9.6%, social security by 6.6%, health by 6%, and education by 6.9%, while from 1964 to 1967 social spending increased by 45%. In terms of social welfare, in 1968, health expenditures increased by 47%, education by 47%, public sector housing by 63%, and social security budget by 58%. During the first six years of Wilson's administration, spending on social services increased much faster than real personal income, and from 1964 to 1969, spending on social services increased from 14.6% to 17.6% of GNP, an increase of almost 20%. In the years from 1964/65 to 1967/68, real public spending rose by 3.8%, 5.9%, 5.7%, and 13.1%, respectively. Overall, from 1964 to 1970, spending on social services increased from 16% to 23% of national wealth between 1964 and 1970. As noted by historian Richard Whiting, spending on social services under Wilson increases faster than growth in GNP, by 65% (excluding housing) compared to 37% for GNP, "a record that is substantially better than that achieved by previous Conservative governments."
In terms of social security, the welfare state is significantly expanded through a substantial increase in national insurance allowances (which increased in real terms by 20% from 1964 to 1970) and the creation of new social welfare benefits. Various measures were introduced under Wilson that improved the living standards of many people with low incomes.
Short-term unemployment benefits are increasing, while the National Assistance Agency is combined with the National Pension and Insurance Ministry to become the new Social Security Department, replacing national assistance with additional benefits, increasing the scale of benefits, and granting rights under the law. to benefit those who do not work. Although people remain above the new unofficial poverty line, yet, thousands of people live just above it.
The government has also managed to persuade people to withdraw their eligible but unclaimed assistance. The number of British parents who received home help increased by more than 15% from 1964 to 1969, while nearly three times more food on wheels was served in 1968 as in 1964. The Ministry of Health and the Department of Social Security merged in 1968 to the Ministry of Health and Social Security, whose purpose is to coordinate cash benefits with benefits in the form of goods because "services needed to address social insecurity are not just cash benefits, but also health and well-being." In 1970 a bill was passed which introduced new benefits for handicapped children and their families called Attendance Benefits, although this was not enforced until the following year by the Health Administration. The Social Work (Scottish) Act of 1968 puts the task on Scottish local authorities "to make direct payments available to adults and certain disabled children who wish to receive them." In addition, the National Insurance Act of 1969 contains provisions to extend the protection of death insurance "in order to be paid, for close family insurance, in connection with the death of a disabled person who can never work and contribute to insurance."
The new Additional Benefit Scheme includes a fixed weekly basic rate that those who have income below this level will now have the right to claim, while additional payments are provided on a discretionary basis for additional needs. In 1966, the period in which the average unemployment benefit was paid to twelve months, while the income limit for pensioners was extended. The addition of long-term 9 shillings (which is then increased to 10 shillings) a week is provided for all pensioners and long-term sickness benefits, while the real value of most benefits increases (such as family allowance, substantially raised in 1967 and 1968 ) with benefits rising at a rate that is roughly equal to salaries during the first Wilson administration, while family allowances increased significantly. In 1969, family allowances were 72% more real in value for low-income families with three children than in 1964. The single pension was raised by 12s 6d in March 1965, in the 10s in 1967 and by the further 10s in 1969. From April 1964 to April 1970, the family allowance for four children increased as the percentage of manual workers aged 21 years and over from 8% to 11.3%. In addition, the First Wilson Government maintains an old-age pension rising approximately as fast as average earnings during the time at the office.
From 1966 to 1968, various reforms were undertaken by the government to improve social security benefits, and which increased the real standards of insurance and the provision of assistance to low-income communities. The purchasing power of family allowances increased, which as a percentage of gross income from the average manual worker with five children increased from 9.5% to 17% between 1966 and 1968, while improvements were made in additional payments to children through social insurance, with adults receive a simpler increase in flat rate payments. In addition, the level of real income guaranteed by aid was also increased, with tariff increases in the autumn of 1966, 1967, and 1968. Taking into account the average for manual workers, and comparing the last quarter of 1968 with the first quarter of 1966, the basic minimum benefits rose in real terms during the period by 4% for families with 2 children, 18% for families with 3 children, and 47% for families with 5 children, while total benefits rose by 50% for families with 2 children, 45% for families with 3 children, and 36% for families with 5 children. According to one study, the doubling of family allowances (in the form of money) by the end of 1968 "enough to erase from the initial poverty of more than half the family (working and not working) was found to be poor by the end of 1966 by poverty standards then applied."
Under the Social Security Act of 1966, unemployed individuals are no longer being denied assistance during the first month of their unemployment, while men who have had their Unemployment Unemployed are banned for six weeks (arguing that they are guilty of losing their jobs) is no longer subject to strict rules applied by the National Assistance that limit their payments under "benefit levels". Instead, policies adopted to pay these individuals their full right less than 15 shillings. The law also introduces a long-term addition of 9 shillings to all retirees receiving additional benefits and to others (with the exception of those required to apply for work) who receive additional benefits for two years. In 1967, the income limit for retired pensioners was raised, while other changes were made in the administration of income rules. From the autumn of 1966 onwards, the share of a widowed mother's pension was not counted as income when the income level was determined. In 1966-1967, the Department of Social Security allowed elderly people to receive additional pensions from the same book as retirement pensions, which led to marked increases in application rates for additional pensions. In 1968 universal family benefits were raised for the first time in a decade. This measure is considered redistributive to some extent,
"From richer to poorer and from most male taxpayers to mothers who receive family benefits, a tentative step toward what Roy Jenkins calls 'civilized selectivity'".
The 1966 National Insurance Act, which introduced additional benefits related to income for illness and short-term unemployment, had widespread distribution consequences by "ensuring that insurance benefits rose to the same level as wages in the late 1960s." The union supports the progress made in social protection by the Wilson government, which has a major impact on living standards from the lowest quintile of the population. A statement by TUC states that trade union agreements on government revenue policies are justified given that "the government deliberately refrains from attacking social services." In addition, The General Rating Act of 1966 introduces rate rebates "for those with the lowest income."
The introduction of unemployment benefits and income-related diseases significantly reduces inequalities between those who work and those who are unemployed. In 1964, the net income earned by the breadwinner on average, when on unemployment or ill benefits, only 45% of what he received at work, while in 1968 that number increased to 75%. Supplements related to income for unemployment benefits are available to those who have earned at least Ã, Â £ 450 in the previous financial year. The supplement was paid after a twelve-day waiting period, and that number was one-third the amount at which the average weekly earnings (up to Ã, Â £ 30) exceeded Ã, Â £ 9. The income-related supplement was based on a statement that a person's commitment to mortgage, , and hire purchase agreements related to their normal income and can not be adjusted quickly when experiencing a loss of normal income. As a result of this supplement, the total benefits of a married man with two children rose by 52%, and that of a man with 117.% Duration is limited to 26 weeks, while total benefits are limited to 85% of average weekly earnings in the year finance before. From 1965 to 1970, including Income-Related Benefits, unemployment benefits or illness as a percentage of net income on average income increased from 27% to 53.3% for one person, 41.2% to 65.2% for the already married, and from 49.3% to 72.7% for married couples with two children. According to one study, the introduction of unemployment-related unemployment benefits raises unemployment income "from a typical married man with two children from 40 percent to 60 percent of average work income."
Private social services were integrated, expenditures increased and their responsibilities expanded following the enactment of the Children and Youth Act of 1969 and the Local Social Authority Social Service Act 1970. The Children and Youth Act 1969 updated the juvenile justice system and extended the duties of local authorities to provide community homes for juvenile offenders. The law provides that "resettlement," "approved schools," and local authorities and voluntary children's homes become part of the comprehensive system of community homes for all treated children. This is so long as children who have problems with the police must be more certain and quicker than before receiving special educational assistance, social work assistance or other forms of assistance (financial or otherwise) that the community can provide. Under the Public Health and Social Services Act of 1968, largely as a result of their insistence, local authorities were given the authority to "improve the welfare" of parents to make them more flexible in the provision of services. Health and welfare services for the elderly were improved, with about 15,000 new homes provided for parents between 1965 and 1968. From 1964 to 1966, the number of home help increased from 28,237 to 30,244. Efforts were also made to improve supplies for adults and mentally handicapped children. From 1965 to late 1966, the number of places available in adult training centers rose from 15,000 to 19,000, while for mentally handicapped children there were over 20,000 places in junior training centers in 1966, compared to less than 5,000 in 1960. In addition, local authority spending on mental illness doubled from Ã, Â £ 10 million in 1963/64 to Ã, Â £ 20 million in 1967/68.
Urban update
Steps were introduced to improve socio-economic conditions in less urban areas. Section 11 of the 1966 Regional Government Act allows local authorities to claim grants to recruit additional staff to meet the special needs of Commonwealth immigrants. According to Brian Lapping, this is the first step ever taken to direct aid to areas with special needs, "a reversal of previous positions in which ministers have passed the burden of social assistance measures in housing, education and healthcare to local authorities without passing them any money. "
The first Wilson government made a grant to seize the urban community's special national government policy in 1969 with the passage of the Local Government Grants Act (Social Needs), which empowers the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to assist local governments in providing additional assistance to the " special social needs. " The Urban Aid program was then launched to provide community and family advice centers, centers for the elderly, money for schools and other services, thereby reducing the city's shortcomings. In introducing the Urban Aid Program, Home Affairs Minister James Callaghan stated that the purpose of the law was to
"give care to our citizens living in the most crowded and crowded part of town and city.This is meant to hold back... and reverse the spiral that plagues so much of this region There are ruins of lethal needs and poverty."
Under the Urban Aid Program, funds are provided for centers for unattached young people, family advice centers, community centers, centers for the elderly, and in one case for an experimental scheme to rehabilitate drinking alcohol. The central government pays 75% of the cost of this scheme, nominated by local authorities in the field of 'acute social needs'. As a result of this law, many ideas are practiced such as language classes for immigrants, daystandres for the elderly or disabled, childcare, adventure playgrounds, and vacations for disabled or disabled children. The scheme proved successful in making additional social provision while encouraging community development. In January 1969, 23 local authorities were awarded a total of £ 3 million primarily for nursery education but also for children's homes and child care. The second phase, in July 1969, agreed to finance around 500 projects at 89 authorities totaling Ã, Â £ 4.5 million, and while emphasis again emphasized education with teachers; Central, nursery schools and language classes for immigrants, assistance is also provided through local authorities to volunteer communities to run adventure playgrounds, play centers, and play groups.
The Twelve Community Development Projects (CDPs) were established in areas with high levels of deprivation to encourage self-help and participation by local people to improve their communications and access to local governments, together with improving the provision of local services. In subsequent years, these action-research projects increasingly challenged existing ideas about the causes of the loss of urban centers, arguing that the roots of poverty in such areas could be traced to changes in the political economy of the inner regions cities, such as the withdrawal of private capital (characterized by a decline in the manufacturing industry).
The Community Development Project involves collaboration between a specially formed local social work team, supported by part-time workers (such as police and youth employment workers). The tasks assigned to these groups (supervised by their own action research team) are to ascertain how much real demand here is for support from social services in their chosen field, based on the theory that workers in social services usually fail to communicate what that they offer or to make themselves available, resulting in many people who are short of failing to get the services they desperately need.
As noted by Brian Lapping, the Community Development Project is also designed to test the view that in the poor, local people can articulate local grievances, get conditions in their areas improved, and provide some sort of political leadership, in the way that existing structural politics have failed to do, "in large part because areas with high poverty rates are rarely large enough to be of great electoral importance." In assessing the Wilson government's first attempt to appoint the poorest members of the British community through the establishment of the Community Development Project and the designation of the District Education Priority, Brian Lapping noted that
"The determination expressed in various policies to give this disadvantaged group the help it needs is one of the most humane and important initiatives of the 1964-70 government."
Worker
Various steps were introduced during the time of the First Wilson Government in office to improve general working conditions. Improvements were made in conditions for nursing staff after the publication of a report by NBPI in 1968 on nurse salaries. This led to the introduction of a much greater salary for nurses in geriatric and psychiatric hospitals, along with (for the first time) premium rates for weekend and night jobs. Some progress was also made to increase the payment of NHS manual workers through an incentive scheme. Despite these improvements, however, the NHS maintained its reputation as a low-wage employer at the end of Wilson's first government time in office.
The 1965 Compensation and Employee Benefits Act (Amendment) extends the coverage of benefits provided under the Industrial Injury Fund to an additional 10,000 people, while also rationalizing all the complex benefits. Under the Early Closing Days Act of 1965, shopkeepers are entitled to "day of early closing" once a week. The Power Press Regulation of 1965 requires "trained people to perform tests and inspections after each tool is changed and for the first four hours of each shift," while the Construction Act (Workplace) of 1966 "establishes legal arrangements for the safety of the building site." the National Insurance Act of 1966 introduced a cheaper provision for the assessment of some types of serious disability caused by industrial injuries. In the same year, a Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme were introduced. The 1969 Employers Obligation Act (1929) is mandatory, requiring employers to insure their liability to their employees due to personal injury, illness or death suffered in their workplace. The Asbestos Regulation of 1969 seeks to protect people in the workplace from exposure to asbestos, while the 1969 Disability Equality Act (Disability Equipment) was introduced in the same year that entrepreneurs were responsible for injuries inflicted on employees by damaged equipment. In addition, the Agricultural Act of 1967 gave the Agricultural Wage Council the power to establish minimum wage rates for agricultural workers.
Efforts are being made to increase support for occupational health and improve working conditions in merchant shipping, while the Wilson government also ensures that low-income people improve their position relative to average income over time at the office. One of the principles of government price policy and income is low-paid workers will be given special consideration, and between 1965 and 1969, the lowest paid worker's income increased slightly faster than the average (inflationary increase in 1969-1970 caused by devaluation, however, leading to a decline in the position of low-paid workers). The Price and Revenue Board managed to direct some "above normal" salary increases to low paying groups such as local government employees and agricultural workers. However, a substantial increase in payments made to manual workers in local government in September 1969 (such as road sweepers and garbage collectors) then triggered wage demands in the industry, meaning that improvements in the relative positions of manual local government workers were not maintained.
The National Insurance Act (Industrial Injury) (1965) establishes the principle of "payment of industrial injury benefits for a defined industrial disease or for personal injury after an accident (eg, acute ejection injury to the ear)," and also grants the employee the right. "to demand redress from employers where sustained industrial injuries." The Excessive Redeployment Payer Scheme in 1968 was introduced to ensure that miners who had to leave the industry at or above the age of 55 "would earn an additional income for a period so that they could adjust in their new state." In 1966, expansions and repairs were made in allowances paid from the Industrial Injury Fund to the injured before July 5, 1948 and who were entitled to weekly payee compensation payments. In 1968, various measures were taken to reduce the severity of "wage-stop operations", a regressive mechanism that limited the amount of aid paid to unemployed people. For miners, the Coal Industry Act of 1965 introduced assistance for severance pay for excess miners or for retraining of vocational staff, while the Coal Industry Act of 1967 subsidized for resignation and early retirement. Under the 1967 National Insurance Act (Amendment), men diagnosed as having more than 50% defects through pneumoconiosis "were allowed to have bronchitis and emphysema treated as part of the disease," although only 3,000 men "fell to in this category. "In May 1969, adenocarcinoma of the nasal sinus" in woodworkers in the furniture industry "became a prescribed work disease.
liberal Reform
A number of measures were introduced under the First Wilson Administration to make Britain a more open and humane society. The 1965 Race Act prohibits direct discrimination on the basis of race, color, and ethnic or national origin in some public places. The law also forms the Council on Race Relations. A network of locally-funded central officials is provided to smooth racial relations through informal conciliation, education and pressure, while the Commonwealth Commonwealth Committee for Commonwealth is formed (under the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury) to encourage and help finance staff "for local voluntary agencies, good neighbors. "The 1968 Race Relations Act was passed, which discriminates in allowing or advertising illegal housing, along with discrimination in recruitment and promotion. The law also provides the Race Relations Council reinforced with the power to "make peace" in cases of discrimination, which means to persuade discriminators to stop such acts and, if they refuse to cease, legal action may be taken against them as sanctions end. The law also replaces the National Committee for Commonwealth immigrants with the Public Relations Commission, a legal entity. This body is given an annual grant (starting from £ 300,000) for social work, propaganda, and education as a means of realizing a good race relationship. The 1967 Criminal Justice Act introduced a suspended jail sentence and allowed ten to two majority votes for a jury decision. The Ombudsman (Parliamentary Commissioner) was appointed in 1967 to consider complaints against government departments and apply remedies, while censorship of drama by Lord Chamberlain was abolished (1969). In addition, the law on Sunday's Obedience is relaxed, and the strengthening of legal aid is done.
The 1965 Criminal Procedure Act allows documentary evidence "to be accepted on criminal lane in certain cases," while the Warrant Support Act (Ireland) heals anomalies "to which Court decisions have been proven to exist in that field," while the Nationality Act England heals anomalies "about the position of a married woman." The Justice of the Peace Law places a lawyer on an equal footing "as a lawyer in relation to the qualifications of Supreme Court Justices, and the Criminal Procedure Code applies the recommendations of the Criminal Legislation Revisions Committee" regarding the presence of witnesses. "
The Nuclear Installations Act of 1965 places "strict" legal liability on operators of nuclear facilities to ensure that radiation exposure resulting from operations does not cause injury or damage. Under the law, the prosecution does not have to prove a mistake to receive compensation under the Act, just a cause. From 1966, a circular of several Whitehall ministries was sent to local authorities across the country urging them to provide a permanent caravan venue for gypsies. This was followed by the Caravan Sites Act of 1968, introduced by Liberal MP Eric Lubbock in 1968, requiring local authorities to implement the recommendations of the 1966 circle. Under the Act, Gypsies are entitled to settle in many areas and enjoy the right of regular visits to caravan them elsewhere. The 1967 Civil Facility Act aims to enhance and maintain buildings that have architectural or historical interest, along with tree planting and conservation. The Land Commission established in 1967 with the power to acquire land and collect the Food Levies (originally 40% of the value of development). The Justice Act Administration of 1970 introduced (among other measures) the new Family Division of the Court of Appeal. In addition, the 1968 Drug Act "makes licensing and drug security an active responsibility of the state."
A number of private member bills related to consumer affairs, filed by MPs of the Cooperative, became the law under the first Wilson government, and many consumer laws taken for granted by contemporary British buyers can be attributed to the law passed. period. In 1968 the 1968 Trade Descriptions Act ("buyers' charter") was passed by parliament, and agricultural and garden farm bills also became law in the same year. Other co-operative charges imposed during this period include the new Clean Air Act, a bill that removed off-off license restrictions, and bills to promote agricultural cooperatives passed in 1967, establishing "A Scheme administered by the new Central Council for Cooperation Agriculture and Horticulture with a budget to regulate and promote cooperation with agriculture and horticulture ". The 1970 Chronically Sick & amp; The Disabled Persons Act, considered a breakthrough step, is the first type of legislation in the world that recognizes and entitles people with disabilities, and sets out specific provisions to improve access and support for persons with disabilities. The government effectively supports the ratification of this law by giving them the necessary parliamentary time.
External affairs
United States and Vietnam
Wilson believes in a strong "Special Relations" with the United States and wants to highlight his relationship with the White House to strengthen his own prestige as a statesman. President Lyndon Johnson disliked Wilson, and ignored the "special" relationship. He agreed to provide financial aid but he strongly opposed the British plan to devalue the pound and withdraw military units in eastern Suez. Vietnam is a sore point. American military and financial aid to the besieged government in South Vietnam is on the rise, and American ground and air forces do most of the fighting against the Communist forces. Johnson repeatedly asked the British landline to validate international support for American intervention, but Wilson stalled. He gave as a reason the British military commitment to the Malayan Emergency. Instead he provides British assistance with intelligence, and training in forest warfare, as well as verbal support. He also took the initiative in trying various mediation schemes, usually involving Russian intervention, none of which gained traction. Wilson's policy angered the left wing of the Labor Party. The conservative opposition generally supports the American position in Vietnam. Foreign policy issues rarely stand out in the general election. Wilson and Johnson also differ sharply on the weakness of the UK economy and its declining status as a world power. Historian Jonathan Colman concluded it was made for the most unsatisfactory "special" relationship in the 20th century.
Europe
Among the more challenging political dilemmas Wilson faced during his two years of rule and his two spells in opposition (before 1964, and between 1970 and 1974) was the issue of British membership of the European Community, the current EU pioneer. The entry attempt was issued in July 1961 by the Macmillan government, and negotiated by Edward Heath as Lord Privy Seal, but was vetoed in 1963 by French President Charles de Gaulle. The Labor Party has been divided over issues when in opposition, with former party leader Hugh Gaitskell coming out in 1962 as opposition to the UK joining the Community.
After initially hesitating on this issue, the Wilson Government in May 1967 submitted a second request for England to join the European Community. As the first, though, it was vetoed by de Gaulle in November of that year.
After De Gaulle left the office, Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath negotiated England's acceptance to the European Commission in 1972. The Labor Party in the opposition continues to be deeply divided over this issue, and is risking major divisions. Major opponents of membership include Richard Crossman, who for two years (1970-72) editor of the New Statesman, at the time the middle-left weekly journal, which published many polemics in anti-EC case support. What stands out among the supporters of Labor is Roy Jenkins.
Asia
Since 1945, the British presence in the Far East has gradually declined. The former British colony, whose defense has provided many reasons for the British military presence in the region, became independent. London became increasingly aware of the costs for the treasury and the economy maintaining great power abroad (in parallel, some schemes for developing strategic armament were abandoned on the basis of costs, eg, Blue Streak missiles in 1960. Instead of building their own delivery systems, purchases of American technology, especially Polaris-based submarine missiles purchased in 1963.
Part of the price paid by Wilson for US financial assistance was his agreement in 1967 to maintain a military presence in East Suez. But that is too expensive, when domestic priorities are more urgent. In July 1967 Defense Secretary Denis Healey announced that Britain would abandon its land base in East Suez in 1977. Some of the air forces would be retained that could if needed to be deployed in the region. In January 1968, Wilson announced that the withdrawal schedule would be accelerated, and British troops withdrew from Singapore, Malaysia, and the Persian Gulf at the end of 1971.
Wilson has a strong pro-Israeli view. He is a special friend of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Other colleagues, though not as strong as Israel, are West German Chancellor Willy Brandt; all three are members of the International Socialist.
Africa
The "retreat of the Kingdom" of England had made progress with 1964 and continued during the Wilson administration. The Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federations came to present serious problems.
The Federation was founded in 1953, and is an amalgamation of the British Colonies of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland and self-governing colonies of Southern Rhodesia. The Federation was dissolved in 1963 and the states of Zambia and Malawi were granted independence. Southern Rhodesia, which had become the economic powerhouse of the Federation, was not granted independence, mainly because rà © gace came to power. The country is bordered by South Africa in the south and its government is affected by apartheid rà © gence, then headed by Hendrik Verwoerd. Wilson refused to grant independence to a white minority government led by Rhodes Prime Minister Ian Smith who was unwilling to extend the eligible voting rights to native Africans. His government's view was that the natives were innocent, and doing so would leave them open to undue influence and intimidation. The franchise is open to those who have reached certain (fairly low) educational standards, and to property owners, and to "important" people, ie, heads and strangers - in other words, you must qualify for voting - which is mostly done by indigenous people.
Smith's challenging response was the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, timed to coincide with the Armistice Day at 11:00 am on November 11, 1965, an attempt to garner support in Britain by reminding people of the colony's contribution to the war effort (Smith himself had become a Spitfire pilot ). Smith was personally vilified in the British media. Wilson's direct source was to the United Nations, and in 1965, the Security Council imposed sanctions, which would last until formal independence in 1979. This involved British warships blockading the port of Beira to try to cause economic collapse in Rhodesia. Wilson was applauded by most countries for taking a firm stand against the issue (and no diplomatic recognition extended to Smith rà ©  © gime). A number of countries do not join sanctions, undermining their efficiency. Certain sections of public opinion began to question their efficacy, and to demand the forced overthrow of the régê © gime. Wilson refused to intervene in Rhodesia with military power, believing that the British population would not support such actions against their "friends and relatives". The two leaders met for discussion on the British warship, Tiger in 1966 and Fearless in 1968. Smith later attacked Wilson in his memoirs, accusing him of delaying tactics during negotiations and accusing the pauper two; Wilson responded well, questioning Smith's good intentions and suggesting that Smith had moved the goalpost each time a settlement appeared before his eyes. The problem remained unresolved at the time of Wilson's resignation in 1976.
Elsewhere in Africa, problems develop in Nigeria, caused by ethnic hatred and Biafra's efforts to become self-sufficient. Wilson supported the new government established in the former colony and refused to agree to the breakaway movements. He supported General Yakubu Gowon's government during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970.
Fate
Although the Government of the First Wilson has imposed a variety of social reforms and arguably did a lot to reduce the social inequalities during office time, the economic hardships faced caused austerity measures imposed on various occasions, forcing the government to abandon some of its main policy goals. Among the controversial austerity measures introduced included higher dental costs, the elimination of free school milk in all secondary schools in 1968, an increase in National Weekly Insurance Contributions, delayed planned increases in schools leaving the age of 16, and cuts in roads and housing programs , meaning that the target of building a government house of 500,000 per year has never been met. The government also failed to meet the 1964 maneuver commitment to tie up the increase in national insurance benefits for the average income increase, although this reform would be implemented during Wilson's second premiere in 1975.
There was also much controversy over the government's decision to reintroduce the Recipe charge in 1968 (after it was abolished in 1964), although the blow of this action could be rebutted by the fact that many people were released from the indictment. In 1968, arguably in response to the sensational stories of "scroungers" and "welfare cheats," the government made the decision to introduce a controversial new rule that stops the benefits for single men under the age of 45. Under this rule, young, single, unskilled men living in areas with low unemployment rates will get their additional benefits stalled after four weeks. The Wilson government also failed to retain the real value of family allowances during the time at the office, which (although doubled under Wilson) fell 13% in real terms between 1964 and 1969. In addition, the tax allowance was reduced in 1968 to pay part for the increase in family allowances , and although inflation did not increase again until 1971. Family benefits increased for the fourth and subsequent children from 50p to
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