Why did the Labour win in 1964? Flashcards
The Leaders.
Alec Douglas-Home, the distant Edwardian aristocrat, seemed greatly out of touch with the electorate and with the modern world itself.
Douglas-Home, having spent most of his political career in the House of Lords, was evidently inexperienced with the cut-throat debates of the House of Commons and having to appeal to the public.
Conversely, Harold Wilson, the pipe-smoking, state-schooled Yorkshireman was very much in connection with the electorate, and his claims of “13 wasted years”, wanting to utilise technology’s “white heat” became clear when the EEC continued to surpass the UK in economic growth.
He had became Labour’s leader after Hugh Gaitskell’s unexpected death, beating George Brown. This led to him becoming a characteristic and quite inspirational leader.
Wilson was also able to use the Profumo affair to undermine the integrity of the Conservative government.
However, Reginald Maudling’s “run for growth” pre-election budget brought both parties neck-to-neck.
13 Wasted Years
Labour criticised the Conservatives’ stop-go policies as illustrative of their inability to produce high and sustained economic growth.
They criticised the Conservatives for failing to truly modernise British industry which still rested on outworn ideas and practices, combined with short and long term issues caused by the successive chancellors.
Statistics:
Economies of other nations were growing faster: 3x in France, 4x in Germany, 10x in Japan.
Britain’s share of world trade in manufactured goods falls from 25.5% to 13.9%.
Education neglected, no new universities until 1961 with little encouragement being put upon scientific, technical or managerial education. Colleges of Advanced Technology also fail to attract students and are not given university status.
This on account of:
Western European post-war boom and recovery, so statistics of growth were greatly inflated.
Conservatives represented upper class attitudes.
Wealth creation and economic efficiency given a low priority.
Little was done to modernise industry and reduce trade union power.
Economics - Political Mistakes
Harold Macmillan’s failure of the Night of the Long Knives was capitalised on by Labour, demanding his tired and worn-out party required change.
The Profumo Scandal had been the main reason for Macmillan’s resignation and deeply undermined the party’s integrity. It was also used by satirical publishers, such as Private Eye, to truly degrade the party.
The whole party seemed out of touch with many in the cabinet being of the aristocracy. Their economic policies were also seen as being the desires of the upper class and were irrespective of the masses.
Rising racial tensions, caused by mass post-war immigration into Britain were also able to used by Wilson to undermine the party. (More immigrants entered Britain in the first 18 months of the 1960s than in the previous 5 years & 1949 Royal Commission found that 140,000 immigrants would have to enter Britain every year in order to fill the demand those in the NHS and London Transport, as well as for rebuilding Britain after the war.
The 1962 Commonwealth Immigrant Act also limited the abilities of those of Commonwealth countries to enter Britain - whilst had previously been unrestricted, now required vouchers from the Department of Labour which were prioritised for skilled workers with guaranteed jobs in the UK.
