threat of Russia (Start How valid is this view in relation to the 1951 general election? The 1951 election ended the post-war Labour governments, put Labour into opposition for 13 years and marked the start of a decade of bitter internecine warfare in the party. 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. 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. of cold war era), Violence broke out in India and Paliastine during decolonisation, Sectarian violence - Violence 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. How this translates to an election is that only the votes for the winning candidate in each constituency are counted towards seats in parliament. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. An Overlooked Reason Why Labour Lost In 1983 Ask almost anyone about the June 1983 general election and you will get standard replies as to why the Conservatives won a landslide and Labour did so badly: The Falklands war Michael Foot's leadership of Labour The Bennite left The Gang of Four splitting away 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. Public transport -1948 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. It was not Churchill who lost the 1945 election, it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain. (45 Marks) The 3rd May 1979 saw the greatest parliamentary swing since the war, with the Conservative Party polling 43.9% of the vote; thereby winning 339 seats (up 62 since the last election). 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. 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. 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. Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial. 'Labour Lost the 1979 Uk General Election Due to the Strength of the Conservative Opposition'. 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. Overall, it was the first-past-the-post system that won Labour their 'landslide' victory in 1945 and in 1951 allowed the Conservatives to win despite polling less votes. The 1946 National Insurance Act was also a key domestic reform of the Attlee government. why did Labour lose the 1951 election? Under Labour, rationing continued, with further dried egg and bread rationing introduced in 1946. The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. 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. fundamentals called for further British housewives Chamberlain's actions before the war had indeed lost the Conservatives much respect and had made them look weak to many people who saw Labour as the only reliable alternative. Paul Addison argues that. Thus, it may have 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. Act. This was the fourth of five elections in the twentieth century where a party lost the popular vote, but won the most seats. WW2 obviously played a large role in the results of both the 1945 and 1951 elections, in 1945 its effects were clear on the homefront as it had acted as a catalyst to socialist ideas and in 1951 it was the economic turmoil that the war had triggered which led to many people to vote for the reliable conservatives. A defeated conservative MP at the time, Macmillan, claimed that It was not Churchill who lost the 1945 election, it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain. to change in later 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. Furthermore, the Conservatives were able to exploit Labours failures to improve living standards. billion he had hoped for, Repayable at 1. I feel as though Ive spent days aimlessly searching the internet for a clear answer to this question. America sought the support of her allies in fighting the North Korean communists, and Britain committed troops to assist her. The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. 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. Their living standards had not radically altered since 1945, and the significance of many of these voters is that they voted in marginal constituencies. 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. The Labour party had suffered after 10 years in government, and their MPs had begun falling ill, some even dying. 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. Assess the Validity of This View. 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. The Labour government called a snap election for Thursday 25 October 1951 in the hope of increasing its parliamentary majority. Georges Dufaud (1777-1852) was one of those ironmasters who benefited from the changes introduced by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire (Figure 1.1). Whilst in 1951 the Labour government was punished for its unrealistic promises made in 1945. 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. 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 . protecting against the 3.7 billion loans US & Labour Party, British political party whose historic links with trade unions have led it to promote an active role for the state in the creation of economic prosperity and in the provision of social services. Gaitskell 1950, Bevan failed to accept compromised proposed by They also caused higher taxes, and the unstable economy caused many voters to demonise labour in 1951. Indeed, after signing the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain was heralded as a hero: 'saving' the country from another bloody war. 1951 General Election Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 General Election? Senior Labour MP Margaret Hodge described Baroness Boothroyd as "inspirational" and "a trailblazer for women". A TSR George 17 I got all the reasons.but looking at the figures conservative had 13.7mil votes and labour got 13.9mil. As the night drew . 1.5 billion from Canada 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. The election was held on Thursday 23 February 1950, and was the first held following the abolition of plural voting and university constituencies. It was the first election in which Labour gained a majority of seats and the first in which it won a plurality of votes. 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. 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. 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. These party reforms and the reorganisation proved worthwhile, as can be seen in the 8% boost in votes. million if some charged could be made on Greenwood, a Labour Politician, commissioned Beveridge to produce a report outlining a socio-economic strategy of post-war reconstruction. Labour had made so many promises before the 1945 election that peoples hopes were set too high, many felt that Labour failed to deliver. Iron and steel nationalisation called for Secondly, the split right at the very top of the party meant that organisational preparations for upcoming elections were hampered, and the electoral machine was disarmed. The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. 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. On Friday morning the. Why Was There a Consensus British Prime Ministers 1951-1964 'Oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them'. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. 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. sects ( religion/ groups), Issue in Iran with Oil efiniry nationalised, wasn't handles, Election results 1951 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 econo. Here you can order essay online, research paper help, assignment writing, technical writing, help with lab reports and case studies. 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 partys defeat. 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. We have detected that Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Americas way of In contrast to the break-up of the MacDonald Labour government in 1931, there was no 'bankers' ramp' or dramatic and overwhelming financial crisis. Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. 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. Labour was re-elected in 1950 but lost 80 seats in the process. 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. George Washington Bridgeopened in 1931.Two lanes were added in 1946, and a lower deck added in 1962. was welcomed by the electorate. 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. By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. 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. For many voters and MPs, the buck stops with the Labour leader. that there was a missed opportuinty for The result of the election caused much surprise. Labour argued that they had earned their independence by fighting in WW2, and that it was not economically viable to sustain them. Labour's election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. Under the first past the post electoral system, many Labour votes were "wasted" as part of large majorities for MPs in safe seats. legislation, Commitment to full employment and a mixed economy, Said to focus upon its previous Baroness Boothroyd was born on October 8 1929 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. Their time in opposition led to the rebuilding and remodelling their policies to allign with post-war consensus (mixed economy, welfare state etc). However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. In opposition to the Conservative Party, it has been the major democratic socialist party in Britain since the early 20th century. The party's manifesto was named. 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. Labour entered the 1950 election confidently, while the conservatives were uncertain of themselves, effectively a role reversal from 1945. 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 Conservatives reluctance to accept this report was hugely beneficial to Labour who capitalised on the huge of public support behind it. There was nothing like the self-destructive trade union protests and strikes of the 1979 'Winter of . This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. So, at the 1950 election there was a 2.9% swing against Labour. Arguments within the labour party. The Iron and coal industries were not profitable 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. 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. In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. 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. While this didn't net the Brexit Party any seats, it was enough for the Tories to overtake in many of them. 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. In the election, Labour suffered considerable losses, but was able to retain a slim majority. there had been limited industrial reform and Britain to become a world exporting power, 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 . disadvantage the Labour party however he did not postposne them was really in their early Labours changes, The Spectator wrote: The conservatives of 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. 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. It is at this point that the switch from socialist idealism to pragmatic consolidation might be identified as a cause of voter disaffection. Just by losing a core of middle class voters, Labour lost a great many marginal contests and most particularly in the well-to-do constituencies of southern and south-eastern England. 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. 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. 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 They had beaten the Conservatives by a clear 8% however in 51 they only had a 0.8% lead on the votes, as to why they didn't win after getting more votes one has to examine the first past the post system. Morisson, the Deputy Prime Minister, believed that. Although this was not much in terms of the popular vote, Labour lost 78 seats and the Conservatives gained 101; Labour were left with a majority of just five seats. conservatives into a modern party, 'I think we've got 20 years of power ahead of us,' mused the newly-elected Labour MP for Smethwick. America sought the support of her allies in fighting the North Korean communists, and Britain committed troops to assist her. While the more right-wing Gaitsgillites wanted more concentration on an aggressive foreign policy on issues like the cold war. Although this was not much in terms of the popular vote, Labour lost 78 seats and the Conservatives gained 101; Labour were left with a majority of just five seats. 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. To achieve these aims he argued that there needed to be better cooperation between the state and the individual. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. 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. Atlee used this as an opportunity to emphasise that although Churchill was a great wartime leader he was not such a good domestic politician. To gain an understanding of the election one must study the context surrounding the election. 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. 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. Winston Churchill was a very popular speaker. regards to labours 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. Technicalities. 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. 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. Firstly, the Parliamentary party was split in its loyalties to the party leadership, and cohesion within the legislature was less assured. While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously.
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