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In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. His subsequent retirement from the party therefore revealed that Labour was divided in its views and ultimately undermined its unity, providing a poor image to potential voters. Their time in opposition led to the rebuilding and remodelling their policies to allign with post-war consensus (mixed economy, welfare state etc). 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. Paul Addison, however, argues that the campaign was important because Attlee's reputation rose during the 1945 electoral campaign. 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. The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. 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. Who was the worst prime Morisson, the Deputy Prime Minister, believed that. The results of the 1945 general election exceeded the hopes of the most fervent Labour supporter. As Labour struggled to legislate effectively, and following another badly-handled balance of payments crisis in the summer of 1951, Attlee dissolved Parliament in September and Labour subsequently lost albeit narrowly the October election. Atlee used this as an opportunity to emphasise that although Churchill was a great wartime leader he was not such a good domestic politician. Conservative pre-war blunders played a key role in Labour's victory due to the electorate remembering these mistakes. Understandably, the architect and far left member of the party, Bevan, was enraged at this suggestion. The opposite happened in 1974 when the system meant the Conservatives lost out to Labour. Why did Labour win the 1945 election and lose in the 1951 election? billion he had hoped for, Repayable at The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. This time Churchill was victorious. As he struggled to justify his November emergency budget tightening spending and committing to an exchange rate policy subservient to US demands, Dalton resigned as Chancellor. Dunkirk triggered many people to blame the conservatives and their previous leaders for appeasement. The 'Falklands factor' could not be clearer from opinion polls. Also during the 1930s Britain suffered the great depression, which weakened the Conservatives reputation considerably due to their domination of the National Government. CONSERVATISM, The industrial charter of 1947 & This Is This large Parliamentary shift, in the face of an unremarkable swing in the popular vote, can be attributed partly to Labours loss of the middle class vote. 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. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep internal crisis and running out of steam, yet another election was called. 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. disadvantaged by 1st Past post 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. Labour's manifesto was based around the Beveridge report and the Nationalisation of industries, ideas that had been tested during the war and were found to work. The report was met by huge public enthusiasm and Labour's wholehearted backing. 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. After researching the topic thoroughly, I Would argue the main reason Labour lost in 51 was . Little did Provow know at the time, but "Castle Bravo" and the five other tests he witnessed would have a direct effect on his health and the health of his friends he was serving on the . This was an admittedly small majority, but reflected a changing public mood. Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial. Labour's election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. The question as to why Labour won the 1945 election has been the source of much in depth study since the period. 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. of cold war era), Violence broke out in India and Paliastine during decolonisation, Sectarian violence - Violence 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. Instead, this 1947 balance of payments crisis compounded by the fuel shortage and the convertibility clause forced Labour to rein in spending. However, the electorate did not empathise with this view, many now believing that the Conservatives were a more trustworthy option. and been in government Following the 1966 General Election, the Labour Party's Home Policy Committee observed that the party had, "for the first time, obtained a majority of the female vote" and remarked, "it would be very satisfactory if we could retain it." 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. Labour's popularity was also dented by their foreign policy, in granting sovereignty to some of Britain's most successful colonies Labour were seen as dissembling an empire that had taken hundreds of years to attain. To the most left-wing Labour MPs and enthusiasts, this was a betrayal of socialist solidarity; on the other hand, to many more involved with the party this represented subservience to US demands. By 1951, however, their roles had reversed. Labour had made so many promises before the 1945 election that peoples hopes were set too high, many felt that Labour failed to deliver. Two cabinet ministers resigned in protest &ndash . After gaining such a large majority in 1945, most Labour politicians felt relatively assured that they had at least 10 years in office secured. Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. To the most left-wing Labour MPs and enthusiasts, this was a betrayal of socialist solidarity; on the other hand, to many more involved with the party this represented subservience to US demands. 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. The 1945-1946 period of Labour government sought to address some key difficulties facing the nation following World War II. The campaign is all too often seen as the most important factor in Labour's landslide victory in 1945, however it is of less importance than the war or their policies, for example. How many seats did the Conservatives win in 1951, What policies were Labour associated with, What was one area the Labour party were divided on, How did Lord Woolton help the Tories reform, How many houses did the Tories promise to build each year, What did they promise to show rationing had ended, What was the name of the 1948 law which changed constituency boundaries, What party saw their vote fall from 2.6 million to 730,556, Christina Dejong, Christopher E. Smith, George F Cole, Government in America: Elections and Updates Edition, George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, Robert L. Lineberry. 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. Hi there, would you like to get such a paper? It was not Churchill who lost the 1945 election, it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain. The year 1947 brought an abrupt end to the honeymoon, as the government was forced to shift focus from massive reform to crisis management in response to fuel and trade shortages. conservatives into a modern party, '51 was an attempt that backfired to increase the labour majority - but in reality they only lost 22 seats in that election. large amounts in payouts, Labours 1950 manifest included Although interesting they had little to do with shifting the electorate's opinions, indeed in 1945 both parties' campaigns were largely improvised. keeping the NHS, Attractive party to businessmen In the years prior to 1959, many had expected Labour to win the next election. The Blitz also, more obviously, caused a huge rise in support for Labour's housing development plans. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep crisis about a number of ill-conceived policies, yet another election was called. However Pearce concludes that The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. Resource summary. for over 10 years Home building promised to be expanded, from the Labour 200,000 homes per year to 300,000 year, Nostalgia from wartime To gain an understanding of the election one must study the context surrounding the election. Americas way of Conservative pre-war blunders played a key role in Labour's victory due to the electorate remembering these mistakes. This was at a time when the economy could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. why did labour lose the 1951 election. Churchill however made a gross error in saying that Labour would need a Gestapo like organisation to enforce socialism upon Britain. Once more, it was the objection of the middle class voters to austere conditions which brought about the Parliamentary swing. The first-past-the-post system emphasised each election's result. Thirdly, it brought about a further drop in voter confidence as external signs of infighting brought into question the competence and clarity of direction Labour could offer. Assess the Validity of This View. In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. achievements - 200,000 homes built a propaganda, The view that another Labour Under the first past the post electoral system, many Labour votes were "wasted" as part of large majorities for MPs in safe seats. The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. 1.5 billion from Canada Why did labor lose the 1951 election? By 1951, there were already heavy pressures on health spending. Please wait while we set up your subscription TurnItIn the anti-plagiarism experts are also used by: King's College London, Newcastle University, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, WJEC, AQA, OCR and Edexcel, Business, Companies and Organisation, Activity, Height and Weight of Pupils and other Mayfield High School investigations, Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes, Moniza Alvi: Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, Changing Materials - The Earth and its Atmosphere, Fine Art, Design Studies, Art History, Crafts, European Languages, Literature and related subjects, Linguistics, Classics and related subjects, Structures, Objectives & External Influences, Global Interdependence & Economic Transition, Acquiring, Developing & Performance Skill, Sociological Differentiation & Stratification, Less than half the price of our monthly plan. Mind Map on Why did Labour lose the 1951 election?, created by alinam on 05/24/2015. Divisions over appeasement, foreign policy and rearmament deeply weakened Labour. Greenwood, a Labour Politician, commissioned Beveridge to produce a report outlining a socio-economic strategy of post-war reconstruction. Conservatives 1 to 10, Election of 1950 This committed the UK government to keeping the value of sterling at a stable rate against the US dollar, and this meant that the governments hands were tied as they sought to address Britains balance of payments deficit by means of international trade. You need to log in to complete this action! On a high turnout Labour's tally of votes had actually increased in absolute terms (to 13.9 million, compared to 13.2 million in the 1950 cent) than the Conservatives, though the Conservatives came out ahead in seats, 3.7 billion loans US & The consequences of entering the Korean War in June 1950 also contributed to Labours downfall. Liberals 6, Note how Labour actually achieved a His frugality extended to his welfare policies, which involved the further tightening of benefit payments. 5 Labour and Conservative Governments, 1964-79 Why did the Conservatives lose the election of 1964? Arguments within the labour party. Certainly a major factor in the 1951 election was the redrawing of constituency boundaries, which dwarfs in significance the factors which should have mattered indeed electoral systems were crucial to both elections. Labour has suffered one of its worst general election results in living memory with dozens of seats that the party had held on to for decades falling to the Conservatives. While this didn't net the Brexit Party any seats, it was enough for the Tories to overtake in many of them. The outcome was widely credited to the deft materialism of Harold Macmillan, and the slogan `You've never had it so good', which the Conservatives, in fact, did not use. 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. The war had played a crucial role in Labours 1945 victory, by bringing them into the public eye - they were left effectively to their own devices to rule the homefront as Churchill struggled on with the war effort. Before the war, Labour were all too often seen as inexperienced and even unpatriotic due to their left wing ideologies. 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. Labour paper the Tribune, Paul Adleman points out Here you can order essay online, research paper help, assignment writing, technical writing, help with lab reports and case studies. Most obviously, because the campaigns importance is overshadowed by the larger, more influential issues. Bill Shorten's political career ended last night but Morrison's is just beginning. He lost again, but was given one more opportunity in 1951 . and were in decline - government supporting In his budget, the Chancellor, Hugh Gaitskell, sought to balance his budget by imposing charges on false teeth and spectacles. It is at this point that the switch from socialist idealism to pragmatic consolidation might be identified as a cause of voter disaffection. 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. In this respect, although Labout lost the 1951 election, it can be claimed that they only marginally lost popular support meaning, in my opinion, the most significant factor contributing to their loss was the mistiming of the election. Most of us who are interested in gaming history today are well aware of the set of technical and aesthetic approaches these terms imply: namely, games built from snippets of captured digitized footage of . After the shock of the 1945 election, Labour appointed Lord Woolton as their party chairman: he was central to the revitalisation of the Conservatives and reorganised the conservative party effectively. 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. should remain, Bevan an Labour Gaitskell and Morrison (Deputy Prime Minister) both doubted whether Labour would be able to defeat the Conservatives in 1951, owing to their loss of seats in the 1950 election. Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result. 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. The Conservative victory in 1951 is typically attributed either to the failures of Attlee's government - devaluation, the Bevanite revolt - or to the achievements of Churchill's opposition, including Lord Woolton's reforms and the acceptance of the "post-war consensus". however not the 6 Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. Labour After 2003 Labour experienced a severe decline in its public standing, not least because of public unease with Blair's role in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Working class voters, on the other hand, remained loyal to the Labour Party and the 1951 election saw Labour poll the highest aggregate popular vote ever achieved in Britain. drugs. Why did Harold Wilson win the 1964 Election. Pre-war Conservatives were labelled Guilty Men by Labour, this was very influential in winning over public opinion for Labour who presented themselves as the only party able to prevent another war. Gaitskell and Morrison (Deputy Prime Minister) both doubted whether Labour would be able to defeat the Conservatives in 1951, owing to their loss of seats in the 1950 election.