Prior to the war of April-June 1982, the Conservative Party was slumped at a consistent 27 per cent throughout late 1981, with a slight recovery in early 1982. 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. It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. As a response to the housing problem, Dalton committed to building one million new homes, 80% of which were council houses to be rented cheaply to those who most needed them. While ill health may have played its part in weakening the Labour party, the lack of enthusiasm put into manifesto commintments was by far more significant. This massive reform of the 1945-1946 period was dealt a blow in February 1947, when the government faced a fuel crisis. 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. 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. Conservatives promised to reduce taxes but keep the NHS. Attlee's reputation rose during the 1945 electoral campaign. Gaitskell had imposed upon the health service prescription charges for glasses and false teeth, which to Bevan and other NHS idealists represented the betrayal of NHS founding principals. How this translates to an election is that only the votes for the winning candidate in each constituency are counted towards seats in parliament. million if some charged could be made on Britain's involvement in the Korean War had not been a popular decision. The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held twenty months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats. which led to more sophisticated America sought the support of her allies in fighting the North Korean communists, and Britain committed troops to assist her. drugs. Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. Why did the Conservatives win elections from 1951-64 1945-1951 The 1951 General Election Never before had the party achieved an overall majority in the House of Commons, and yet now Labour had a huge parliamentary majority of 146 seats. One of the major issues Labour had to face was how to rebuild Britain following the end of the Second World War, it also had to face the decolonisation of the British Empire and the loss of key figures within the party due to age and illness by 1951. 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. Dunkirk triggered many people to blame the conservatives and their previous leaders for appeasement. The result of the election caused much surprise. response of Tory MP to While this gave them a temporary boost in the polls, it did nothing but hinder them in the long term. 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. Majority of party On Friday morning the. 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. Representation Of The Peoples 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. 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. Why did labor lose the 1951 election? In opposition to the Conservative Party, it has been the major democratic socialist party in Britain since the early 20th century. Outlined in the report were: all working age people would pay a National Insurance tax, and Benefits would be paid to the sick, unemployed, retired or widowed. 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. Dunkirk triggered many people to blame the conservatives and their previous leaders for appeasement. positive light, Presented themselves as a united Hi there, would you like to get such a paper? The weeks leading up to the Feb. 28 election were pretty messy but what's so jarring is how different the 2019 campaign played out an open race after two-term Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel . The opposite happened in 1974 when the system meant the Conservatives lost out to Labour. This split caused to distinct groups to form within Labour; th. 1946/47 winter which had dire food/ fuel Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. that there was a missed opportuinty for Bill Shorten's political career ended last night but Morrison's is just beginning. 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. there had been limited industrial reform and Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. Greenwood, a Labour Politician, commissioned Beveridge to produce a report outlining a socio-economic strategy of post-war reconstruction. In 1951, Labour was pilling on votes in seats they had already won, while the Conservatives won narrow victories. Whilst in 1951 the Labour government was punished for its unrealistic promises made in 1945. Thus, it may have Cost of Living KOREAN WAR Austerity LINK TO COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE - cost of heating, clothing, education and food (and other necessities) was increasing; dissatisfaction amongst the people - defense spending increased whilst public spending decreased; led to NHS prescription charges WW2) needed loans to sustain economy, Keynes 1945 secures After gaining such a large majority in 1945, most Labour politicians felt relatively assured that they had at least 10 years in office secured. Labour Fundamentalists including Bevan wanted further reforms, specifically more nationalisation meanwhile Morrison called for party unity. 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. For me, the Attlee government(s) of 1945 - 51, achieved a huge amount, much of which we can still see and experience today, and which we sh. Within the Cabinet, Gaitskells decision to expand the defence budget at the expense of domestic spending enraged health minister Nye Bevan in particular, who resigned as a response to the Korean deployment. After researching the topic thoroughly, I Would argue the main reason Labour lost in 51 was . Labour 295 (48.8%) members, Alongside this was the memory from 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. party opposed to the split labour, His limited standing within the House of Looking at the Labour government in these four sections of reform, of crisis, of consolidation and of division helps us to see where the party lost its huge majority. The party's manifesto was named Mr Churchill's Declaration of Policy to the Electorate, in the hope of taking advantage of Churchill's huge popularity. Answer (1 of 11): There are books and other commentaries, opinions (web searches will reveal them) that explore this in detail, but here is a personal take. 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. to change in later 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. The thought of being involved in another war, let alone one happening thousands of miles away with no real impact on Britain, was not very palatable to the British public, who were still dealing with the . The very honesty and simplicity of the campaign helped enormously. The consequences of entering the Korean War in June 1950 also contributed to Labours downfall. Also in both cases the campaigns were of negligible importance. Labour had 13, 948, 605 votes Conservatives had 13, 717, 538 votes Liberals had 730, 556 votes Why did the Conservatives win if Labour had more votes? The first-past-the-post system played a key role in both winning Labour the vote in 1945 and losing it in 1951. Mind Map on Why did Labour lose the 1951 election?, created by alinam on 05/24/2015. For the first time, the government provided a catch-all benefits system which hypothecated a proportion of tax revenue thence to be paid against sickness, elderliness and unemployment to name but three key entitlements. Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. In 1945 Labour had won 11.99m (47.8%) of the vote, and went on to attain 13.95m (48.8%) of the vote in 51. 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. In 1951 labour actually polled more votes than the conservatives and in 1945 Labour only polled 8% more than the Conservatives yet gained a landslide of seats. 20thcentury British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. Gaitskell had imposed upon the health service prescription charges for glasses and false teeth, which to Bevan and other NHS idealists represented the betrayal of NHS founding principals. 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." why did labour lose the 1951 election. 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. 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. Both clearly agree that the pre-war period was significant, however they differ on why it was significant. 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They suggested the election should take place the following year, in 1952, hoping the government would be able to make enough progress towards economic improvement to win the election. Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. You need to log in to complete this action! Divisions over appeasement, foreign policy and rearmament deeply weakened Labour. To gain an understanding of the election one must study the context surrounding the election. 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. which Gaiskell set out 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. 9% swing against Labour. Labour 315 Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep internal crisis and running out of steam, yet another election was called. Why Was There a Consensus British Prime Ministers 1951-1964 'Oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them'. 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. Finally, splits over the Korean War both over the political justifications for British deployment, and over the cuts in public spending domestically brought about splits in the party which made it poorly placed to fight the 1951 election. Paul Addison argues that. The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. For the first time, the government provided a catch-all benefits system which hypothecated a proportion of tax revenue thence to be paid against sickness, elderliness and unemployment to name but three key entitlements. The report was met by huge public enthusiasm and Labour's wholehearted backing. 1.5 billion from Canada To achieve these aims he argued that there needed to be better cooperation between the state and the individual. Senior Labour MP Margaret Hodge described Baroness Boothroyd as "inspirational" and "a trailblazer for women". 1940 was the year when the foundations of political power shifted decisively leftwards for a decade By the autumn of 1942 a major upheaval in public opinion had taken place. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep crisis about a number of ill-conceived policies, yet another election was called. why did labour lose the 1951 election. Public transport -1948 Their election campaign was heavily based off the idea that, if voted into power, there would be a period of consolidation after the previous years of innovation. People had lost trust in the conservatives and blamed them for Britains military short-comings, and this was important for Labours rise in support. Granted, in 45 Labour obviously won a landslide of the seats, but a majority of 8% is far from a landslide of the votes. With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. It is at this point that the switch from socialist idealism to pragmatic consolidation might be identified as a cause of voter disaffection. His frugality extended to his welfare policies, which involved the further tightening of benefit payments. Mainly because the Brexit Party split off some of their voters. Although Labours promises had brought about hopes and expectations that were simply unachievable, whilst in government Labour had brought about serious change and a number of reforms. support for the party. The 1964 election was not a landslide victory like that of 1945. Why did Labour win the 1945 election and lose in the 1951 election? 1947), Corelli Barnett's Audit of War criticised how 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. The Labour Party was created in 1900: a new party for a new century. I feel as though Ive spent days aimlessly searching the internet for a clear answer to this question. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. For many voters and MPs, the buck stops with the Labour leader. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. But Labour didn't lose in 1983 because it was too left wing; rather, Thatcher won because of the Falklands War. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. 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. between people of different 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. But one of the reasons why Churchill lost the general election in 1945 was because he had succeeded in. Atlee became the deputy Prime Minister during the war. protecting against the 2% interest Labour paper the Tribune, Paul Adleman points out 4.86: $1 to 2.80:$1, Rationing increasingly unpopular with middle classes, Eg. Less than half the price of our monthly plan. 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. 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 Labour had problems with trade unions- more strikes in the country. The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. disadvantage the Labour party however he did not postposne them 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. Yet to limit the debate to these factors neglects the . Lord Woolton was also key in the reformation of the party; holding membership dirves, propaganda campaigns and obtaining donations from bug businesses who were threatened by Labours nationalisation. Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. How Labour Governments Fall: From Ramsey MacDonald to Gordon Brown, Aspects of British Political History 1914- 1995, The Lessons of 19451951 Tories in Opposition. The 1959 General Election gave the Conservatives their third successive victory, the first time that a party had won three successive general elections since Napoleonic times. However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. The 1945-1946 period of Labour government sought to address some key difficulties facing the nation following World War II.
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