Rolling Back the State

Question 1

How did Thatcher’s policies effect Housing?

Answer 1

• Wanted a property-owning democracy
• 1980 Housing Act - Extended council tenants’ right to buy
• Extremely popular
• Promoted buying houses and selling houses
• Selling council houses meant there weren’t any houses that were available to those that needed housing - the reason for council houses in the first place

Question 2

How did Thatcher’s policies effect the Civil Service?

Answer 2

Thatcher disliked and didn’t trust them

• Introduced Efficiency Unit - make service more efficient
• Added a Management Information System - monitored and reduced civil service costs
• £1 billion was saved
• Number of Servants decreased

Question 3

How did Thatcher’s policies effect the Local Government?

Answer 3

Thatcher aimed to reduce the size of the local and central government
Local Government were responsible for a significant amount of spending
- Cut government funding to local authorities
- Power was decreased overall

Question 4

How did Thatcher’s policies effect the NHS?

Answer 4

Thatcher wanted to slash the NHS just like the Civil Service
- Spending rose dramatically during Thatcher’s years
- Thatcher added ‘internal markets’ with healthcare whereby there was now a more free market aspect to the NHS
- Complete failure
+ Slightly slowed down rise of costs of NHS

Question 5

How did Thatcher strengthen the state in terms of Law and Order?

Answer 5

Extended police orders and allowed extensive use of existing power
- Operation Swamp ‘81 - Police used ‘sus laws’ to stop and search black people in London
Justified this by stating that the majority of muggings were committed by black people
- Police and Criminal Evidence Act ‘84 - Expanded police stop-and-search powers
- Public Order Act ‘86 - Gave police new powers to arrest and charge people involved in demonstrations - could also arrest people using insulting words - ‘disorderly conduct’