labours victory 1945

Question 1

election results 1945 for labour & conservative

Answer 1

conservative = 213 seats
labour = 393 seats

Question 2

why did conservatives lose the 1945 election

Answer 2

1. churchill’s popularity as wartime leader did no carry over into peacetime
   - conservatives associated with depression of 1930s & appeasement
2. widespread feeling in britian that effective post-war social/economic reconstruction was vital & well-deserved
   - believed conservatives were unable to provide this
3. poor election campaign

Question 3

labours advantages in 1945 election

Answer 3

1. even the conservatives accepted need for post-war reconstruction but general view was labour more were able to succeed
2. labour party fitted progressive zeitgeist in 1945 = encouraged reform/reconstruction
3. leading labour figures (attlee, cripps, bevin, morrison, dalton) had gained invaluable experience as ministers in wartime coalition & gained respect of electorate
4. imbalance in electoral system in 1945 worked heavily in labours favour
5. the idea of state intervention & socialism had proved successful
   - eg. state control of economy during war