why did labour lose the 1951 election why did labour lose the 1951 election

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. As the Labour Party emerged to replace the Liberal Party in the 1920s, G.D.H. The dynamic nature of our site means that Javascript must be enabled to function properly. The consequences of entering the Korean War in June 1950 also contributed to Labours downfall. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. 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 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 . Firstly, the Parliamentary party was split in its loyalties to the party leadership, and cohesion within the legislature was less assured. The first-past-the-post system ensures that the elected government has a workable majority. The Conservative Party made some political headway by attacking the governments credentials with regard to the 1948 devaluation of the pound, which was designed to bring about the much needed rise in exports. 1.5 billion from Canada 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 type of system naturally leads one to question the truth behind calling the Labour victory a landslide. Under Michael Foot, it suffered a landslide defeat, taking just 27.6% of the vote and giving Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives. This led to complacency with Labour relying too heavily on support from voters who felt betrayed. Iron and steel nationalisation 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. spectacles and dentures. Labour to the Conservatives - was enough to tip Labour out of office in the general election held in October 1951. 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. 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. 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. This was espoused in George Dangerfield's amorphous study The Strange Death of Liberal England (1934) and by Henry Pelling's more factually based The Origins of the . This time Churchill was victorious. 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. 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. second - 1986. 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. Churchill narrowly lost the 1950 contest (Labour's majority was reduced to six), but again he managed to sidestep retirement. However, in 1950, Labour won by a tiny majority of 5 seats and in 1951 the Conservatives won by a majority of 17. Hardly surprisingly. Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. Labour paper the Tribune, Paul Adleman points out 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. ministers to show their political competence, Work of Butler in transforming the was welcomed by the electorate. Also during the 1930s Britain suffered the great depression, which weakened the Conservatives reputation considerably due to their domination of the National Government. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. 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. 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. 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. The government's 1945 lead over the Conservative Party shrank dramatically, and Labour was returned to power but with an overall majority reduced from 146 to just 5. 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Why did Labour lose the 1951 election? The state of the economy had contributed to both elections also 1945 voters remembered the conservative led crippled economy of the 1930s; and in 1951 voters judged labour on the struggling economy of the time. Who was the worst prime however not the 6 The term was coined from a particular type of horse racing wherein the winning horse passes the final post and all the others are disqualified. 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. Labour entered the 1950 election confidently, while the conservatives were uncertain of themselves, effectively a role reversal from 1945. This brought about a little unrest within working class support but it was the effect on middle class attitudes and the cracks opening among the Parliamentary partys support which began to harm electoral credibility. 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. 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). After being elected in 1945, the Labour Government introduced changes to welfare, employment and housing that would last a generation. While the more right-wing Gaitsgillites wanted more concentration on an aggressive foreign policy on issues like the cold war. 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. By continuing well assume youre on board with our, Why did Labour lose the 1951 General Election, Let us write you a custom essay sample on, By clicking "SEND" below, you agree to our, Conflict management definitions and views. In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour . It was not Churchill who lost the 1945 election, it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain. drugs. 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. Yet, despite this they won 26 more seats than Labour, this seems somewhat disproportionate and illogical and can once again be traced back to the first-past-the-post system. However, the electorate did not empathise with this view, many now believing that the Conservatives were a more trustworthy option. Homefront experiences had also caused a rise in support for Labour: evacuees educated many people to the realities of poverty in Britain's cities and the Blitz brought people together in communal bomb shelters and broke down social barriers. 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. Why did labor lose the 1951 election? WW2) needed loans to sustain economy, Keynes 1945 secures assortment of industries', Following clause IV 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. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. Conservative In the 1951 election, which party focused mainly on past successes? Bill Shorten's political career ended last night but Morrison's is just beginning. This was at a time when the econo. Whilst in 1951 the Labour government was punished for its unrealistic promises made in 1945. 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. 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. 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. Attlee's downfall: why did Labour lose the 1951 General Election? Cole suggested that its success was the inevitable consequence of the emergence of class politics. In contrast to the break-up of the MacDonald Labour government in 1931, there was no 'bankers' ramp' or dramatic and overwhelming financial crisis. league at peak had 100,000 The 1983 general election marked a low point for the Labour Party. 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. 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. 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 Conservatives reluctance to accept this report was hugely beneficial to Labour who capitalised on the huge of public support behind it. I feel as though Ive spent days aimlessly searching the internet for a clear answer to this question. administration (up to The Labour Party was born at the turn of the 20th . The Labour government called a snap election for Thursday 25 October 1951 in the hope of increasing its parliamentary majority. 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. The 1946 National Insurance Act was also a key domestic reform of the Attlee government. 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. million if some charged could be made on Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. But Labour didn't lose in 1983 because it was too left wing; rather, Thatcher won because of the Falklands War. Paul Addison argues that. In 1951, Labour was pilling on votes in seats they had already won, while the Conservatives won narrow victories. Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result. The results of the 1945 general election exceeded the hopes of the most fervent Labour supporter. Act. The result of the election caused much surprise. The Labour party had suffered after 10 years in government, and their MPs had begun falling ill, some even dying. 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. 20. century British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. Bevin's speech 1948 where he referred to Mr Churchill's Declaration of Policy to the Electorate. 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. Atlee used this as an opportunity to emphasise that although Churchill was a great wartime leader he was not such a good domestic politician. 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. 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. A TSR George 17 I got all the reasons.but looking at the figures conservative had 13.7mil votes and labour got 13.9mil. Essay on why Labour failed to renew itself after it fulfilled its 1945 manifesto Before the war, Labour were all too often seen as inexperienced and even unpatriotic due to their left wing ideologies. By 1951, however, their roles had reversed. In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. The first-past-the-post system played a key role in both winning Labour the vote in 1945 and losing it in 1951. Manne identifies that the use of the word 'Affair' is a clear indication of how . The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. The labour Government of 1945-51 passed, in total, 347 acts of parliament. The Conservatives, on the other hand, met the report with lukewarm support, disliking Nationalisation and the Welfare State. The election result was a disaster for Labour. While this didn't net the Brexit Party any seats, it was enough for the Tories to overtake in many of them. Morisson, the Deputy Prime Minister, believed that. 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. 1951 General Election Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 General Election? Similarly, Labour simply made too many promises that were out of their reach, however they did fulfil most of their promises. 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. The opposite happened in 1974 when the system meant the Conservatives lost out to Labour. Want to create your own Mind Maps for free with GoConqr? The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. 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. Atlee became the deputy Prime Minister during the war. um is there something wrong in these notes? prescription charges by Hugh The Conservative Party made some political headway by attacking the governments credentials with regard to the 1948 devaluation of the pound, which was designed to bring about the much needed rise in exports. Labours answer focused on working class interests. The Conservatives' campaign focused on Churchill and international relationships rather than any major new reforms that the electorate so desperately wanted. 4.86: $1 to 2.80:$1, Rationing increasingly unpopular with middle classes, Eg. regards to labours The first-past-the-post system emphasised each election's result. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. 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 party's manifesto was named. Labour argued that they had earned their independence by fighting in WW2, and that it was not economically viable to sustain them. The Iron and coal industries were not profitable 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. However Pearce concludes that. higher percentage of votes Economic problems e.g. Majority of party 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. 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. Labour was re-elected in 1950 but lost 80 seats in the process. You need to log in to complete this action! time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the The Conservatives were back in power once more, but they did little to. 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. As Charmley so aptly put it, the government was exhausted in mind, body and manifesto commitments. Many of Labours intergral cabinet ministers had been in office since 1940 and now, a decade later, were cumbling under the strain of the the continuous post-war crises that plagued Britain. 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. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. Divisions over appeasement, foreign policy and rearmament deeply weakened Labour. There was. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. 1950 Surplus 297 million fell to Why then, did Labour go on to lose so many seats in 1950 before losing the General Election in 1951? The report was met by huge public enthusiasm and Labour's wholehearted backing. social reforms were needed. Unpopular policies like high taxes. Industrial relations problems e.g. Although interesting they had little to do with shifting the electorate's opinions, indeed in 1945 both parties' campaigns were largely improvised. Attlee was aware that these changes to the voting system may 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. Conservatives promised to reduce taxes but keep the NHS. 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. So, at the 1950 election there was a 2.9% swing against Labour. Granted, in 45 Labour obviously won a landslide of the seats, but a majority of 8% is far from a landslide of the votes. Hugh Dalton's administration of the failing industries. In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. 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.