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Chapter Eight:
Chapter Eight:
In December 1981 the British political scene was rocked by a monumental event. Healey had decided to sack off most of the left leaning cabinet ministers within his own party in favour of more moderate voices. By November, many papers were expecting the Justice Secretary, Michael Foot to be sacked. Divisions finally burst on the 18th of December 1981, as a group of Far Left Labour politicians decided to split from the party and establish their own. The result was "Democratic Socialist Party", or "DSP". It was established as a mainstream radical leftist party by prominent Labour MPs, including Michael Foot, Eric Heffer, Norman Atkinson and Bob Cryer. The split was a massive shock to the Prime Minister, who later claimed he had never imagined the division was that serious. This split crashed the Labour party’s popularity, and in one poll the party was rated at 39%.
View attachment 573069
Despite experts predicting that the DSP wouldn’t get anywhere, due to it‘s radical policies, Foot and the newly formed DSP polled as high as 15%.
On the Tory front Carrington had asked his son Rupert to keep his Peerage warm whilst he led the Conservative Party and won the 1981 Beaconsfield By-Election against unknown Labour barrister Tony Blair. The Conservatives under Carrington had also undergone a modernisation of their public image. Carrington became the dashing, modern figurehead for a party claiming to be ready to "take Britain into the future". Carrington was obviously neither Dashing nor Modern, but people believed it after watching Conservative Party‘s heavily pushed adverts on television.
View attachment 572602
Carrington would take town hall styled questions throughout his opposition years
In March Parliament passed the Shops Act 1982, which lifted restrictions on Sunday trading in Britain. The bill passed by a narrow margin of just four votes, being heavily opposed by Tory and some traditional Liberal MPs.
In December 1981 the British political scene was rocked by a monumental event. Healey had decided to sack off most of the left leaning cabinet ministers within his own party in favour of more moderate voices. By November, many papers were expecting the Justice Secretary, Michael Foot to be sacked. Divisions finally burst on the 18th of December 1981, as a group of Far Left Labour politicians decided to split from the party and establish their own. The result was "Democratic Socialist Party", or "DSP". It was established as a mainstream radical leftist party by prominent Labour MPs, including Michael Foot, Eric Heffer, Norman Atkinson and Bob Cryer. The split was a massive shock to the Prime Minister, who later claimed he had never imagined the division was that serious. This split crashed the Labour party’s popularity, and in one poll the party was rated at 39%.
View attachment 573069
Despite experts predicting that the DSP wouldn’t get anywhere, due to it‘s radical policies, Foot and the newly formed DSP polled as high as 15%.
On the Tory front Carrington had asked his son Rupert to keep his Peerage warm whilst he led the Conservative Party and won the 1981 Beaconsfield By-Election against unknown Labour barrister Tony Blair. The Conservatives under Carrington had also undergone a modernisation of their public image. Carrington became the dashing, modern figurehead for a party claiming to be ready to "take Britain into the future". Carrington was obviously neither Dashing nor Modern, but people believed it after watching Conservative Party‘s heavily pushed adverts on television.
View attachment 572602
Carrington would take town hall styled questions throughout his opposition years
In March Parliament passed the Shops Act 1982, which lifted restrictions on Sunday trading in Britain. The bill passed by a narrow margin of just four votes, being heavily opposed by Tory and some traditional Liberal MPs.
- Britannia238
- Word Count: 310