Internal Labour Divisions: 1951-1964

Question 1

How severe was Labour’s loss in the 1951 election?

Answer 1

Narrow. The 14 million votes was actually higher than labours prior election WINS

Question 2

I) Who was labour leader in 1951?

II) When did he resign?

Answer 2

I) Clement Atlee

II) 1955

Question 3

What were the key problems for Labour in the Atlee administration (2)

Answer 3

I) Atlee’s poor health

II) Divisions in labour between Hugh Gaitskell and Aneurin “Nye” Bevan

Question 4

Give 4 points to present an overview of Nye Bevan

Answer 4

1) On the left of the Labour party
2) He was the architect of the NHS
3) He resigned over prescription charges 1951
4) He received a lot of support from trade unionists and Labour MP’s

Question 5

Give 4 points to present an overview of Hugh Gaitskell

Answer 5

1) On the right of the Labour party
2) Served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1950-51
3) Was responsible for the introduction of the prescription charges in 1951
4) Became Labour leader in 1955, defeating Bevan after Atlee resigned

Question 6

Give 3 points of conflict in the 1955 Labour party

Answer 6

1) Nuclear weapons
2) The trade unions
3) Divide between what direction the Labour party should take

Question 7

How did Bevan change his mind on Nuclear Disarmament in 1957?

Answer 7

Though he had previously supported Nuclear Disarmament, in ‘57 Bevan changed his mind, claiming “It would send a British Foreign Secretary naked into the conference-chamber”

Question 8

What was CND?

Answer 8

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Question 9

I) What was the Labour Left’s opinion on CND

II) What is the theorised effect of this?

Answer 9

I) Many in the left joined the Campaign

II) It may have turned voters away from Labour

Question 10

What position did the Unions take prior to the 1950s

Answer 10

They were mostly moderates

Question 11

I) Who became leader of the Transport and General Workers Union in 1956?
II) Why was this so important?

Answer 11

I) Frank Cousins

II) The TGWU was one of the most powerful unions, and Cousins was hugely left-wing

Question 12

I) What did Cousins do in the October 1960 Labour Party Conference?
II) What was the reason behind this?
III) Why was this important

Answer 12

I) Strongly opposed Gaitskell’s leadership of the party
II) Cousins opposed Gaitskell over his position on Nuclear arms
III) Cousins turned the Unions against the Labour leadership

Question 13

I) Why were Labour so confident about their chances in the 1959 general election
II) What was the result

Answer 13

I) Gaitskell was a confident campaigner and his moderate policies would theoretically appeal to voters
II) They were defeated by a large margin

Question 14

What was the fallout of the 1959 election defeat? (3)

Answer 14

1) Labour party divisions increased
2) The 1959 Blackpool conference saw Gaitskell propose to remove Clause IV from the party constitution. This was strongly opposed, especially from the unions, and Gaitskell backed down without a vote

Question 15

What was Clause IV

Answer 15

A clause in the Labour constitution which commits the party to nationalism

Question 16

Who became Labour Leader after Gaitskell’s death in 1963

Answer 16

Harold Wilson