The 1983 general election marked a low point for the Labour 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 election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. Resource summary. administration would lead to 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. This was at a time when the economy could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. But Labour didn't lose in 1983 because it was too left wing; rather, Thatcher won because of the Falklands War. Concerns about the permissive society e.g. 1. Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. 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. 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. Nowhere was there any challenge to the basic Tory idea that workers should pay the price for the economic crisis, and if they refused, their basic rights should be attacked. Why Was There a Consensus British Prime Ministers 1951-1964 'Oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them'. Aged - many were in 60s In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour . 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. Bevin's speech 1948 where he referred to There are three main sub-categories for this answer; the Conservatives strengths, Labours weaknesses/ limitations, and uncontrollable factors. While this gave them a temporary boost in the polls, it did nothing but hinder them in the long term. 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. Want to create your own Mind Maps for free with GoConqr? The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. members, Alongside this was the memory from This rule was ended in 1964 by Harold Wilson's reunited Labour party. Positions like these allowed the Labour MPs to prove that they were, in fact, very skilled and also gave them invaluable experience. People had lost trust in the conservatives and blamed them for Britains military short-comings, and this was important for Labours rise in support. The Iron and coal industries were not profitable While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously. In realising that the quality of life was far more important to the public than any other factor, the Conservatives promised to build 300,000 houses a year, although they did admit in their manifesto that not much could be done to lessen the strain of rationing in 1951. These party reforms and the reorganisation proved worthwhile, as can be seen in the 8% boost in votes. 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. With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. 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. Labour 315 With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. 3.7 billion loans US & Churchill however made a gross error in saying that Labour would need a Gestapo like organisation to enforce socialism upon Britain. It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. Postal voting also 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. fundamentals he based his politics. Arguments within the labour party. Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result. 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. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. George Washington Bridgeopened in 1931.Two lanes were added in 1946, and a lower deck added in 1962. 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. 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. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. spring of 52' due to the Kings tour of Australia it hit the party at a This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. It is at this point that the switch from socialist idealism to pragmatic consolidation might be identified as a cause of voter disaffection. The 1964 election was not a landslide victory like that of 1945. To gain an understanding of the election one must study the context surrounding the election. keeping the NHS, Attractive party to businessmen Labour argued that they had earned their independence by fighting in WW2, and that it was not economically viable to sustain them. The Conservatives were back in power once more, but they did little to. prescription charges by Hugh The Bevanites, being more left-wing, wanted to focus Britains resources on further nationalisation of industry. 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. 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 . time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the 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. 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. The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. support for the party. This split caused to distinct groups to form within Labour; the Bevanites and the Gaitsgillites. leadership remembered in a The Blitz also, more obviously, caused a huge rise in support for Labour's housing development plans. Labours changes, The Spectator wrote: The conservatives of Unpopular policies like high taxes. 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. 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. 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. 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. National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. 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 . Having been given such a considerable mandate to rebuild the country in 1945, the Attlee post-war government lost popular support considerably over the next six years. electricity-1948 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. 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. His reaction in a crisis is to threaten force. After his 1945 defeat, Churchill remained party leader and led the Conservatives into the following general election in February 1950. Although it was hoped that Daltons resignation might offset some of the decline in public confidence in Labours economic policy, the government were never again endorsed by mass popularity as in the previous two years. The changes appear to have been hugely beneficial to the majority of the population. shortages, Korean War World economic The consequences of entering the Korean War in June 1950 also contributed to Labours downfall. However, the electorate did not empathise with this view, many now believing that the Conservatives were a more trustworthy option. Atlee used this as an opportunity to emphasise that although Churchill was a great wartime leader he was not such a good domestic politician. Why then, did Labour go on to lose so many seats in 1950 before losing the General Election in 1951? Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial. Having been given such a considerable mandate to rebuild the country in 1945, the Attlee post-war government lost popular support considerably over the next six years. 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. Labour to the Conservatives - was enough to tip Labour out of office in the general election held in October 1951. In February 1957, Labour won the seat of North Lewisham in what was their first by-election gain from the Tories in almost twenty years. between people of different It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. CONSERVATISM, The industrial charter of 1947 & This Is Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. 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. Although interesting they had little to do with shifting the electorate's opinions, indeed in 1945 both parties' campaigns were largely improvised. 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. response of Tory MP to 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." The 1918 constitution that eventually emerged was a curious mix, unmatched on the continent: theoretically socialist in its commitment to public ownership via the 'old' Clause IV, but in reality gradualist, 'labourist' and in huge debt to the more conservative trade union movement. In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. It was the first election in which Labour gained a majority of seats and the first in which it won a plurality of votes. drugs. 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. my could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. rather than 0% 419 million defecit was yet again in the surplus, Disagreements over Labour paper the Tribune, Paul Adleman points out 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 . 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. 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. In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. Conservative (48.0%) Labours answer focused on working class interests. It called for a reelection the next year. The first years, between 1945 and 1946, saw fervour for rapid reform in many areas of government. 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. Paul Addison argues that. In contrast to the break-up of the MacDonald Labour government in 1931, there was no 'bankers' ramp' or dramatic and overwhelming financial crisis. National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. until after the election on the grounds of "morality" which was the Labour lost the election to the party whose ideas it was preaching. 20thcentury British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. million if some charged could be made on 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. Hugh Dalton's administration of the why did labour lose the 1951 election. 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. was welcomed by the electorate. 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. By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. Labour entered the 1950 election confidently, while the conservatives were uncertain of themselves, effectively a role reversal from 1945. 1947), Corelli Barnett's Audit of War criticised how Whilst in 1951 the Labour government was punished for its unrealistic promises made in 1945. that there was a missed opportuinty for 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. 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. 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. Labour gave independence to India, Pakistan, Ceylon and Burma, and pulled out of Palestine. However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. How this translates to an election is that only the votes for the winning candidate in each constituency are counted towards seats in parliament. Atlee became the deputy Prime Minister during the war. Explanation: 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. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. 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 opportunity for the other Conservative The very honesty and simplicity of the campaign helped enormously. Why did labor lose the 1951 election? Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. However, in 1950, Labour won by a tiny majority of 5 seats and in 1951 the Conservatives won by a majority of 17. The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. 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. highly controversial and cost Why did Labour lose the 1951 election? ministers to show their political competence, Work of Butler in transforming the But one of the reasons why Churchill lost the general election in 1945 was because he had succeeded in. Manne identifies that the use of the word 'Affair' is a clear indication of how . 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. why did labour lose the 1951 election. Furthermore, the Conservatives were able to exploit Labours failures to improve living standards. Hardly surprisingly. Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. so much about economics, 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 Labour government called a snap election for Thursday 25 October 1951 in the hope of increasing its parliamentary majority. How Did The Petrov Affair Affect Australia. Technicalities. 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. called for Labour Fundamentalists including Bevan wanted further reforms, specifically more nationalisation meanwhile Morrison called for party unity. 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 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. gas-1949. By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. - NEW 'consolidation', Division also came as Bevan was resentful in Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. 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. 'Labour Lost the 1979 Uk General Election Due to the Strength of the Conservative Opposition'. not gaining the role of foreign sec- given to H. 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. Reply 1 7 years ago A TSR George OP 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). Essay on why Labour failed to renew itself after it fulfilled its 1945 manifesto Instead of indroducing new reforms and methods to improve living conditions, Attlee decided to focus on fighting the election based on the partys previous successes, claiming that the Conservatives could not be trusted with the reforms they had introduced. After being elected in 1945, the Labour Government introduced changes to welfare, employment and housing that would last a generation. Learn more. 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. 1.5 billion from Canada The Conservatives' campaign focused on Churchill and international relationships rather than any major new reforms that the electorate so desperately wanted. The Attlee Labour government of 1945-51 ended more with a whimper than with a bang. 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 Tories as 'lower than vermin' alienated hoped for, Marshall Aid 1948 Outcome. 419 million in 1951, Increase in defence expenditure by 4.7 billion, Issues rose in 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. Conservatives promised to reduce taxes but keep the NHS. socialist the party Its formation was the result of many years of struggle by working class people, trade unionists and socialists, united by the goal of working class voices represented in British Parliament. positive light, Presented themselves as a united 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. Less than half the price of our monthly plan. 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. However Pearce concludes that The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. He beat the Zeitgeist, the vibe and the emotional appeals while leaving Clive Palmer and the Greens failing to live up to expectations. 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. 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. In addition, after the Korean War broke out in 1950, Britain decided to rearm. 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. Most obviously, because the campaigns importance is overshadowed by the larger, more influential issues. 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. America sought the support of her allies in fighting the North Korean communists, and Britain committed troops to assist her. Following their post-war election defeat, the Conservatives were able to make significant improvements to the party between 1945 and 1951. The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. Before the war, Labour were all too often seen as inexperienced and even unpatriotic due to their left wing ideologies. In addition, Morrison became Home Secretary and Bevin Minister of Labour and National Service. After the First World War, the Lloyd George Coalition had made many empty promises concerning reconstruction. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. Two cabinet ministers resigned in protest &ndash .