Why Did Churchill Lose Office 1945

Question 1

How did the electorate view the conservatives ?

Answer 1

With sceptaeism that they would deliver proper reforms

Conservative indifference to high unemployment was a major critism

Question 2

Why were Labour seen to be the party to deliver reform ?

Answer 2

• wartime reports offered better prospect for working class and the popular Beveridge report was written by a Liberal but electorate accociated it with Labour
• Conservative blamed for the hungry decade of the 30s and appeasement while Labour offered a progressive manifesto for change
• Churchill was seen as a figure by himself and didn’t represent the conservatives. Didn’t help by making ridiculous accociations of Labour and the Gestapo
• War produced social mobility many wanted greater opportunities for ordinary people and many saw Labour as against the class ridden Britian

Question 3

How important were wartime decisions for Labour ?

Answer 3

Very as many saw the labour ministers as being the ones focused on domestic policy and more likely to pass reform

Question 4

What was the election result ?

Answer 4

Labour 47% of votes and 61% of seats with 393 seats it was a landslide

Conservatives 36.2% of votes and 30% of seats

Question 5

Why Churchill war time reputation making him appear redundant ?

Answer 5

His superhuman task and succeeding the war made him almost redundant

To him military conduct was his overriding passion and everything else including party policies was secondary

Question 6

Was the Labour campaign effective ?

Answer 6

• Ran an effective propaganda war on the home front
• Vilified members of the pre war Conservative Party as being Hitler appeasers and responsible for Britain’s failure to re arm
  Painted the 1930s as a period of unemployment
• Campaigned on the adoption of the Beveridge report which contrast well compared to the conservatives accused of delaying justice
• emphasized nationalization of industry, fully employment and social security and housing which was seen to be the most important according to polls
• February 1945 Labour ahead by 18% in opinion polls

Question 7

How did Churchill speak speak of Beveridge ?

Answer 7

A ‘windbag and a dreamer’

Question 8

What was the conservative campaign center around ?
How was this undermined ?

Answer 8

Churchill on whom their case rested

WSC made a speech 4 June warning that a socialist state would require a Gestapo and this preposterous allegation did anything but win over voters