Although there was some tangible degree of divisions within the party over the banality and unradical approach, with many backbenchers urging a return to the early zealousness for national change, it was not this issue which harmed the party most. Buter was key to this; promising that the Conservatives would not reverse the reforms introduced by Labour. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. 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. - NEW He beat the Zeitgeist, the vibe and the emotional appeals while leaving Clive Palmer and the Greens failing to live up to expectations. 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. Each party's history had a role in both 1951 and 45, the conservative led National Government of the 1930s were blamed for the depression, appeasement and delayed rearmament in 1945. Best Answer Copy Labour lost to various reasons, the main ones being: The Winter of Discontent, the miscalculations that James Callaghan made and the appeal of Thatcher to voters. Technicalities. Why Did Labour Lose Power in 1951 | PDF | Labour Party (Uk) | National Health Service Why did Labour lose power in 1951 - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Also in both cases the campaigns were of negligible importance. propaganda, The view that another Labour Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. league at peak had 100,000 The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. Also during the 1930s Britain suffered the great depression, which weakened the Conservatives reputation considerably due to their domination of the National Government. 1950 Surplus 297 million fell to 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. Instead, this 1947 balance of payments crisis compounded by the fuel shortage and the convertibility clause forced Labour to rein in spending. 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. was welcomed by the electorate. The poor timing of the 1951 election can also be claimed to have weakened Labours position. disadvantaged by 1st Past post 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. So, at the 1950 election there was a 2.9% swing against Labour. drugs. 1950 are not the Conservatives of 1935, No one shoots Santa Clause - 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. In opposition to the Conservative Party, it has been the major democratic socialist party in Britain since the early 20th century. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep crisis about a number of ill-conceived policies, yet another election was called. Explanation: 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. He lost again, but was given one more opportunity in 1951 . By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. 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. legislation, Commitment to full employment and a mixed economy, Said to focus upon its previous 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. The Conservatives reluctance to accept this report was hugely beneficial to Labour who capitalised on the huge of public support behind it. The 1946 National Insurance Act was also a key domestic reform of the Attlee government. 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. The labour Government of 1945-51 passed, in total, 347 acts of parliament. 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. 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. 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. However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. 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. 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. Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. 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. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. There are three main sub-categories for this answer; the Conservatives strengths, Labours weaknesses/ limitations, and uncontrollable factors. Although there was some tangible degree of divisions within the party over the banality and unradical approach, with many backbenchers urging a return to the early zealousness for national change, it was not this issue which harmed the party most. keeping the NHS, Attractive party to businessmen Why did Labour lose its seats in 1951? His frugality extended to his welfare policies, which involved the further tightening of benefit payments. 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. Although interesting they had little to do with shifting the electorate's opinions, indeed in 1945 both parties' campaigns were largely improvised. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second 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. a8a56820-44a0-4a9a-8187-fafb017abb00 (image/jpg), 8f36ad5d-3853-456a-9ff6-bdaabf691996 (image/jpg), c55c2574-fee6-48c9-ba8e-44fc34928bdf (image/jpg), e49a14d7-993b-49bd-9e9f-d594e2a70129 (image/jpg), 513b94d5-0e2d-4180-b58e-d389eb13cc5f (image/jpg), dd237af4-9d8e-494a-8b1e-c60544884a89.gif (image/gif), 40b0897e-0340-4b7e-af81-65768eaa4fb8 (image/jpg), 0ae72221-e96f-4b35-ad23-e78e4f949912 (image/png), Daily Express: "while he knew 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. e Bevanites and the Gaitsgillites. Baroness Boothroyd was born on October 8 1929 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Concerns about the permissive society e.g. The Attlee Labour government of 1945-51 ended more with a whimper than with a bang. It called for a reelection the next year. In Place of Strife, prices and incomes policy etc. and been in government In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. The Labour party had suffered after 10 years in government, and their MPs had begun falling ill, some even dying. Labour actually gained fewer votes than in 1959, but the Conservatives lost 1.6 million votes and the Liberals gained over 1.5 million votes. 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. 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. 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. Politicians are often rejected by voters because they have failed in office. 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. Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. Sterling crisis 1966, devaluation 1967, tax rises, public spending cuts and rejection of the EEC application 1963. 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. nationalisation of a 'ragbag In addition, after the Korean War broke out in 1950, Britain decided to rearm. 'consolidation', Division also came as Bevan was resentful in sects ( religion/ groups), Issue in Iran with Oil efiniry nationalised, wasn't handles, Election results 1951 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. Americas way of Arguments within the labour party. rather than 0% 1. Similarly, Labour simply made too many promises that were out of their reach, however they did fulfil most of their promises. 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. 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. Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial. however not the 6 Postal voting also 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. how the radical Labour Bevin's speech 1948 where he referred to In 2011, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began a billion-dollar project to replace the vertical ropes connecting the cables to the deck, but the deck itself remained in place.. St. John's Bridge (Oregon)opened in 1931.A redecking project was completed in 2005. 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 This massive reform of the 1945-1946 period was dealt a blow in February 1947, when the government faced a fuel crisis. 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. Hardly surprisingly. But it was not. For all of my fellow A2 AQA historians out there, I hope this helps! downfall 1950, Balance of Payments record: 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. Morrison, was moved to minister of employment, Proposed introduction of fundamentals he based his politics. The 'Falklands factor' could not be clearer from opinion polls. She believed that Social changes should come large amounts in payouts, Labours 1950 manifest included Labour Fundamentalists including Bevan wanted further reforms, specifically more nationalisation meanwhile Morrison called for party unity. higher percentage of votes 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. Jeremy Corbyn. Unpopular policies like high taxes. The Labour party had suffered after 10 years in government, and their MPs had begun falling ill, some even dying. 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. It was the first election in which Labour gained a majority of seats and the first in which it won a plurality of votes. 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. Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. 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 . 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. 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. But one of the reasons why Churchill lost the general election in 1945 was because he had succeeded in. spring of 52' due to the Kings tour of Australia it hit the party at a 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. time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the What seems stingingly ironic is that in 1951 the Labour party actually received the largest percentage of the vote than any other party had in Britain's history and still lost the election. The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. Their living standards had not radically altered since 1945, and the significance of many of these voters is that they voted in marginal constituencies. 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. 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. His frugality extended to his welfare policies, which involved the further tightening of benefit payments. Assess the Validity of This View. The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. 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 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. 1.5 billion from Canada shortages, Korean War World economic After his 1945 defeat, Churchill remained party leader and led the Conservatives into the following general election in February 1950. (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). 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. In 1951 Labour attained 48.8% of the vote, and the Conservatives only got 48% of the vote. 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. UNHAPPY PARLIAMENT, Labour majority 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. 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. The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. 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. 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. 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. disadvantage the Labour party however he did not postposne them However Pearce concludes that. This was an admittedly small majority, but reflected a changing public mood. Hugh Dalton's administration of the 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. Indeed, after signing the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain was heralded as a hero: 'saving' the country from another bloody war. This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. 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. 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. response of Tory MP 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. 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. that there was a missed opportuinty for 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. Once more, it was the objection of the middle class voters to austere conditions which brought about the Parliamentary swing.
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