Labour 1945 Flashcards
(5 cards)
1
Q
Results of the 1945 election
A
Labour won by a large majority
labour= 393 seats
Conservatives=197 seats
Many shocked Churchill had lost
2
Q
Election campaigning
A
- labour seen as more effective, tapped into the progressive zeitgeist of the time that sentiment demanded
- had taken up the cause of greater social and welfare reforms
- had voted for the rapid implementation of the beveridge report
- labours slogan for the campaign was “let us face the future”
- effective campaign, stressed positives of their determination to improve peoples lives
- “never again” was an effective anti-conservative slogan and labour gained 11.9 million votes
- conservatives was “declaration to the voters” and “let him finish the job”
- labour had a clear and hopeful post war programme, whereas conservatives lacked compelling domestic vision
3
Q
Role of key labour figures within the wartime government
A
- labour dominated home affairs- much greater and clearer influence in the wartime coalition than their numbers indicated
- members of labour in the cabinet became great public figures, well known for the domestic governance
- familiarity to voters
- Bevin- known for calling up young boys for work in the mines- Bevin boys- as minister of labour
- Herbert Morrison- known for air raid shelters in peoples homes and had become minister of supply in 19940
- Attlee experience as deputy PM since 1943 gave him a good image
- highly effective ministers who were respected and popular for their work in wartime government
4
Q
Conservatives mistakes during the election
A
- still associated with the problems of the 1930’s- vast levels of unemployment and the means test, even appeasement
- churchills campaign was too negative
- Churchill warned against labours plans, saying that the level of state interference proposed would require a “gestapo” to enforce it
- this was insulting to equate Labour with the Nazi secret police and therefore contributed to a feeling that Churchill was too much of a wartime leader and could not deliver the peace time reforms the situation demanded
- Churchill stressed the dangers of “socialism” instead of tapping into the progressive zeitgeist of the time
- this meant that he was on the defensive ideologically and this only reminded others of pre war extremism and opposition to the general strike
5
Q
Impact of the war and reconstruction
A
- beveridge report had encouraged hopes for greater state intervention which aligned more closely with labours principles
- labour most likely to deliver a welfare system
- butlers education act- mainly delivered by the ones in domestic governance (labour) had convinced many that they would be the party to eliminate poverty through social schemes
- beveridge report popular- sold 369,000 copies
