1951-1964 Flashcards
Reasons why the conservatives won the 1951 GE: Conservative Strengths
1947 Industrial Charter: Committed to Labour rights and Welfare State.
Lord Woolton: Reorganisation bringing in younger Tory MPs - New confidence.
Churchill: Popular figure
Nationalisation issue: gave them a platform frow which they could attack the Government.
Reasons why the conservatives won the 1951 GE: Labour Weaknesses
Bevanite Rebellion 1951: Attlee imposed charges on dental care, eye care and prescriptions. Bevan led a number of ministers to resign from Cabinet,
Entry into Korean War 1950: angered the Left within Labour who thought they should stay out of Foreign affairs
Reasons why the conservatives won the 1951 GE: Electoral System
In the 1945 election, Labour needed 30,000 votes per seat and Conservatives needed 46,000 votes per seat. In 1951, Labour needed 17,000 more votes per seat, while Conservatives needed 4,000 fewer votes per seat.
In 1948 Rep of people act Labour had to get more votes to win the same number of seats due to changes in electoral boundaries.
The decline in Liberal party support worsened the labor issue. Many of their voters switched to the Conservative party, helping them secure Labour’s closely contested seats.
Reasons for Conservative decline in the period from 1959 to 1964
Scandals
Profumo Affair 1963: John Profumo, SoSfW for War, had an extramarital affair with a 19 yo, lied about it in the HoC. Rumours circulated that the 19 yo may have had attachments to a Soviet attaché
The Duke of Argyll applied for divorce on the grounds of adultery, and claimed that Margaret had slept with 88 men
Reasons for Conservative decline in the period from 1959 to 1964
Economy
Unemployment rose despite the Tory pledge for full employment. Macmillan’s Chancellors managed the economy with interest rates, taxes, and import controls to avoid inflation and deflation. They adjusted these measures depending on changes in spending and demand for goods.
This led many commentators to suggest Britain did not have an overall economic policy but instead followed a ‘stop-go’ approach as the government simply responded to economic developments rather than developing a strategy that created consistent growth.
Reasons for Conservative decline in the period from 1959 to 1964
Leadership
The Suez Crisis of 1956 put pressure on PM Eden, who wanted to make a mark in foreign affairs. Although Britain wasn’t defeated militarily, his decision to withdraw was a clear sign that Britain wasn’t a major power, damaged Britain’s reputation and resigned as Prime Minister. Eden’s withdrawal weakened Britain’s intern status and led to his resignation as Prime Minister.
By 1962 unemployment was rising, and days lost to strikes were increasing. It didn’t have the desired impact, and ‘Super Mac’ became ‘Mac the Knife’ as opinion polls saw Tory’s popularity fall,
How successful were Conservative policies in the period 1951-1964
Despite the clear rise in living standards, the contribution of the Tory Gov toward this is debatable. Critics argued this was built on heavy gov borrowing and consumer credit, which was economically dangerous.
It may even be argued The government’s economic policies hindered growth and posed a challenge for both Labour and Tory governments in the 60s and 70s
Critics also argued that the governments manipulated tax adjustments before elections, but this may of hindered the implementation of long-term growth policies.
**The most important reason for Conservative political domination in the period 1951 to 1964 was the weakness of the Labour Party’ **: Weakness of Labour party
The Labour Party’s internal split weakened them, leading to Tory dominance. Two factions emerged: the left-wing Bevanites, advocating for nationalisation and welfare reform, and the Gaitskell Moderates, prioritising social over economic equality.
Nuke Policy, left wanted to disarm, right wanted to maintain nuke deterrents. This limited their electoral success since it made them seem weak and didn’t have a coherent plan for governing the country.
**The most important reason for Conservative political domination in the period 1951 to 1964 was the weakness of the Labour Party’ **: Tory Policies
Modernised the party. they reorganised the party under Lord Woolton and younger Tory MP’s such as Butler began to bring new ideas and confidence to the party, especially after the 1950 election.
Accepted labour reforms. The 1947 Industrial Charter was a pamphlet and a policy statement, drafted by the Tory party, in which it pledged to accept a mixed economy, committed to labour rights. Commitment to the Welfare State.
The most important reason for Conservative political domination in the period 1951 to 1964 was the weakness of the Labour Party’ : Economy
The economy’s weakness led to Tory dominance, as Labour was linked to austerity. Austerity persisted with rationing and high taxes at 45%, limiting the Party’s appeal and driving demand for change.
