Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. Appeasement wasn't, at the time, a hugely contentious issue however after the war many people believed this was a large reason for the war and the Conservatives were blamed. Then, as the Cripps years failed to bring an end to food scarcities and food queues, Labours perceived impact upon the national way of life was minimal to voters in the most crucial swinging constituencies. The General Election, 1959 - Gresham College Furthermore, the Conservatives were able to exploit Labours failures to improve living standards. While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously. Gaitskell 1950, Bevan failed to accept compromised proposed by ministers to show their political competence, Work of Butler in transforming the The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. Since 2015, the problem of electoral 'bias' means Westminster's voting system has advantaged the Conservatives. He set in motion key reforms to wipe out the image of the Conservative party being upper class elitists who do not understand the people that had been so prevalent in the last election. Also in both cases the campaigns were of negligible importance. not gaining the role of foreign sec- given to H. Increase in liberal votes in 1964 meant that conservative vote decreased, therefore labour required less votes to win. In the 1950 election, the Liberals put up 475 candidates and secured 2.6 million votes (9.1% of the entire vote). Once more, it was the objection of the middle class voters to austere conditions which brought about the Parliamentary swing. Labour 295 (48.8%) assortment of industries', Following clause IV This people's war was very beneficial to Labour in warming people to socialist ideologies, and their belief on the war being not just a fight against the fascist Germany, but a struggle for a prosperous post-war Britain was welcomed by the electorate. Five reasons why Labour lost the election The split ran deep within the Labour party and consequently it was deeply weakened, so when it came to the 1951 election, Labour found it much harder to fight against the now united Conservatives who had been re-organisation under a new leader. future plans, Budget of 1951 heavily criticised by These party reforms and the reorganisation proved worthwhile, as can be seen in the 8% boost in votes. The 1945-1946 period of Labour government sought to address some key difficulties facing the nation following World War II. Why did the Conservatives win elections from 1951-64 1945-1951 The 1951 General Election Food subsidies were sustained in order to negate inflation in living costs; levels of progressive taxation were preserved; regional development was the favoured way to control mass unemployment in the areas of urban industrial decline; nationalisation was seen as the solution in reviving core industries such as mining, which had been faltering in private hands. A defeated conservative MP at the time, Macmillan, claimed that . The Conservatives voted against the creation of a centralised health service in 1946, preferring rather the idea of state provision of healthcare administered at local level. The party had achieved many of the reforms put forward in their 1945 manifesto, most noteably the implementation of the welfare state, and now lacked new policy ideas. UNHAPPY PARLIAMENT, Labour majority The Conservatives voted against the creation of a centralised health service in 1946, preferring rather the idea of state provision of healthcare administered at local level. Activision's Spycraft: The Great Game is the product of a very specific era of computer gaming, when "multimedia" and "interactive movies" were among the buzzwords of the zeitgeist. Beveridge aimed to create a minimum standard of living and full employment and believed the five evils blocking these aims and reconstruction were: Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. This massive reform of the 1945-1946 period was dealt a blow in February 1947, when the government faced a fuel crisis. the Tories as 'lower than vermin' alienated The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 election - slidetodoc.com was really in their early Economically the Labour government of 45-51 struggled, with the electorate all too aware of he post-war shortages, the continuing rationing, increased taxes, and the general dislike of austerity the feeling of being under the thumb of the Americans. Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result. Paul Addison, however, argues that the campaign was important because Attlee's reputation rose during the 1945 electoral campaign. The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. The war had undoubtedly played a major role in the elections, being seen as a people's war it broke down social boundaries and caused a shift to the left. Why didn't Labour win the election 1948 Representation of the People Act What was the name of the 1948 law which changed constituency boundaries Liberal Party What party saw their vote fall from 2.6 million to 730,556 Sets with similar terms POLS 315 Exam 3 67 terms Leiigit_Kae American Gov Unit 4 Exam 91 terms Alexis_Martyn45 In February 1957, Labour won the seat of North Lewisham in what was their first by-election gain from the Tories in almost twenty years. social reform and nationalisation. In fact, Dennis Shanahan wrote in The Australian: Morrison didn't just beat Labor in this election. Sterling crisis 1966, devaluation 1967, tax rises, public spending cuts and rejection of the EEC application 1963. The History of the Labour Party | History Today These reforms had a deep effect on Britain, however the electorate evidently felt not enough was done to fulfil the promises of a near utopian post-war Britain. This was at a time when the economy could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. Firstly, the party enacted most of its initial 1945 manifesto pledges in establishing the NHS, founding the Welfare State, and building one million new homes. Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. The population was also swelling, not to mention the return of service men and women from abroad, and the total number of properties in Britain had fallen by over 700,000 due to bomb damage. Labour entered the 1950 election confidently, while the conservatives were uncertain of themselves, effectively a role reversal from 1945. Public transport -1948 Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. Senior Labour MP Margaret Hodge described Baroness Boothroyd as "inspirational" and "a trailblazer for women". While Labour managed to retain much working class support largely because of the role class identification was playing in determining partisan support at this time the middle class had quickly become disaffected. As Prime Minister, he enlarged and improved social services and the public sector in post-war Britain, creating the National Health Service and nationalising major industries and public utilities. However Pearce concludes that. In addition, after the Korean War broke out in 1950, Britain decided to rearm. The impact of the Petrov Affair will be seen to significantly alter the political landscape of Australia and providing the liberal government under Menzies an opportunity to reconfirm their anti-communist sentiment. Why did Harold Wilson win the 1964 Election - PHDessay.com By 1951, there were already heavy pressures on health spending. Economically the Labour government of 45-51 struggled, with the electorate all too aware of he post-war shortages, the continuing rationing, increased taxes, and the general dislike of austerity the feeling of being under the thumb of the Americans. In the 1992 election 11.5 million people voted Labour. Labour weaknesses. How Did The Petrov Affair Affect Australia. Why did Labour lose the 1970 general election? by Lucy Nielsen - Prezi rather than 0% electricity-1948 To achieve these aims he argued that there needed to be better cooperation between the state and the individual. The shock the election caused was comparable to the results of the 1906 and 1979 elections, and would have a profound impact on how the country was rebuilt in the post-war period. Both of these policies were unpopular amongst the mass electorate, and rationing caused consternation most notably the middle class, to whom the need for wartime prudence was no longer apparent. 1950 are not the Conservatives of 1935, No one shoots Santa Clause - After researching the topic thoroughly, I Would argue the main reason Labour lost in 51 was . Unpopular policies like high taxes. my could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. He beat the Zeitgeist, the vibe and the emotional appeals while leaving Clive Palmer and the Greens failing to live up to expectations. in the hope of taking advantage of Churchill's huge popularity. The consequences of entering the Korean War in June 1950 also contributed to Labours downfall. Wiki User 2009-09-25 15:23:48 Study now See answer (1) Copy the main points are: -record on nationalisation and welfare -economic problems which. Labour's achievements, or rather what they did not achieve, can be linked as to why they lost: they had arguably successfully set up a welfare state but had also induced an economic crisis. propaganda, The view that another Labour With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. What was the Conservatives election slogan in 1951? We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. 1.5 billion from Canada In Place of Strife, prices and incomes policy etc. Labour would not again form a government until 1964, the question is; what caused people to revert back to supporting the conservatives once again? 419 million in 1951, Increase in defence expenditure by 4.7 billion, Issues rose in Why did the Conservatives win/ Labour lose the 1951 UK general election? The Conservatives were back in power once more, but they did little to. Attlee's downfall: why did Labour lose the 1951 General Election? This is especially so when one considers the crises they faced in that year, making the 1945 blue-skies, New Jerusalem thinking incredibly difficult to sustain. The National Health Service Crisis, 1951 - Gresham College 1950-1951 labelled as an UNHAPPY PARLIAMENT Labour majority reduces to just 7 seats 1950 By changing the timing of the election to be in 1951 rather than spring of 52' due to the Kings tour of Australia it hit the party at a time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the 419 million defecit was yet again in the surplus Ministers In spite of some successes during 1948, including good export figures, participation in the Berlin Airlift and regardless of middle class perceptions generous relaxations in rationing, the publics faith in the Attlee government to manage the rebuilding of Britain had dropped off considerably. leadership remembered in a Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial, Paul Addison, however, argues that the campaign was important because . Here you can order essay online, research paper help, assignment writing, technical writing, help with lab reports and case studies. priorities, Coal mining-1947 The rise and fall of New Labour - BBC News Morisson, the Deputy Prime Minister, believed that. Then, the second ministry saw a fractious Parliamentary party being further divided over the Korean War and the advancement of the National Health Service, leading up to a comfortable Tory win in the October 1951 election. In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour . to change in later Labour Fundamentalists including Bevan wanted further reforms, specifically more nationalisation meanwhile Morrison called for party unity. So, while Labour won the popular vote, gaining large majorities in their constituencies, the Conservatives won the majority of seats, gaining narrow victories, but in more constituencies. Chicago's bitter election is now a nasty runoff It is at this point that the switch from socialist idealism to pragmatic consolidation might be identified as a cause of voter disaffection. The popularity of the 1942 Beveridge Report, which laid much of the groundwork for the establishment of the NHS and the Welfare State, was an endorsement of Labour politics. While the more right-wing Gaitsgillites wanted more concentration on an aggressive foreign policy on issues like the cold war. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. Nevertheless, the war was clearly more important in raising Atlee's reputation among Britons because Attlee was effectively completely in charge of the homefront for the duration of the war. Then, in the summer of 1947, problems arose with the US war loan to be paid to the British government, in the form of the convertibility clause. Reply 1 7 years ago A TSR George OP Labour's campaign, although not crucial to their success, was better organised, funded and planned than the Conservatives' and, as such, made Labour look strong - in contrast with the Conservatives. There are several causes which can be established, first by looking at the events of the Attlee years and then isolating those points at which factors were working toward the party's defeat.The 1945-1946 period of Labour government sought to address some key difficulties facing the nation following World War II. Attlee was aware that these changes to the voting system may Under the head "Peace", the Labour manifesto said: "The Tory (Conservative) still thinks in terms of Victorian imperialism and colonial exploitation. Granted, in 45 Labour obviously won a landslide of the seats, but a majority of 8% is far from a landslide of the votes. downfall 1950, Balance of Payments record: Also the Conservatives were much better funded in 1951, by business men afraid of further nationalisation the only major labour reform that the Conservatives dared to take a firm stance against. Mainly because the Brexit Party split off some of their voters. Evidently, the Conservatives were punished in 1945, when they were lucky to not have been in 1935 and, arguably, if elections had taken place in 1940, Labour may have won. The results of the 1945 general election exceeded the hopes of the most fervent Labour supporter. Conservative pre-war blunders played a key role in Labour's victory due to the electorate remembering these mistakes. 4.86: $1 to 2.80:$1, Rationing increasingly unpopular with middle classes, Eg. This type of system naturally leads one to question the truth behind calling the Labour victory a landslide. Conservative (48.0%) Chris Harman: Why Labour fails (June 1979) - marxists.org In 1951 Winston Churchill's Conservative party, won the general election, and this would be the start of 13 years of Conservative rule pning three prime ministers. Labour's promises of social reforms won them many votes, however it was these promises which led to their failure in 1951, when many people believed that the promises hadn't been delivered. Most significantly, Labour established the NHS in 1948, they also brought about various other reforms pertaining to welfare. The Labour Party, Women, and the Problem of Gender, 1951-1966 Although it was hoped that Daltons resignation might offset some of the decline in public confidence in Labours economic policy, the government were never again endorsed by mass popularity as in the previous two years. However, Attlee wanted to resolve the political uncertainty in Britain befre the Kings scheduled six-month tour of the Commonwealth, and so the election was scheduled for 1951, putting them in a disadvantaged position. Two cabinet ministers resigned in protest &ndash . This is considered an important factor in Labour's victory by many historians , Support for Labour in 1945 represented above all a reaction against pre-war Conservatism, argues Adelman. You need to log in to complete this action! Named Let Us Face the Future, it emphasised that Labour were the only party that could be trusted to deliver a strong Britain and Beveridge's plans. that there was a missed opportuinty for Food subsidies were sustained in order to negate inflation in living costs; levels of progressive taxation were preserved; regional development was the favoured way to control mass unemployment in the areas of urban industrial decline; nationalisation was seen as the solution in reviving core industries such as mining, which had been faltering in private hands. This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. Nowhere was there any challenge to the basic Tory idea that workers should pay the price for the economic crisis, and if they refused, their basic rights should be attacked.