Chapter 1 (1) Flashcards
Labour weaknesses in 1951 election
-Imposition of charges like prescriptions, medicine, and dental care
-Tiring of members due to post war economic and financial issues
-Korean War (1950-1953) which caused further financial strain
-spending cuts continued with rationing which was unpopular
-Directionless manifesto
-2 diplomats defected to the Soviets in 1951
-Atlee was in and out of hospital which shows a lack of stability in parliament
Electoral system in 1951
On average Labour needed 5000 more seats per constituency to win a seat
Boundary changes took away lots of Labour’s safe seats which increased marginal constituencies
Labour won more votes overall but still lost
Liberal party began to decline as they only ran 109 candidates
Conservative strengths
Promised over 300,000 houses to be built which was higher than Labour’s 200,000. Key as 1/4 of the population were on the population
Decrease rationing by giving people ‘more red meat’
Followed the welfare state
Industrial Charter (1947) under Rab Butler. Over 2.5 million copies were sold
Lord Woolton allowed newer MP’s to stand which gave a more dynamic approach to parliament
Churchill’s popularity brought votes
Decline of the Liberals
Only contested 109 seats
In a poor economic state
Only won 6 seats
Helped Conservatives win as now they were the only party to vote for if you were anti Labour
Election stats
Conservatives won with 321 seats to Labour’s 295
Labour won the highest percentage of votes with 48.8%, Conservatives won 48%
Atlee was leader of Labour and Churchill with the Conservatives
Churchill was regarded as ‘tired, old force, and would struggles with the intense economic difficulties that British faced
Post war consensus
Economic growth through Keynesian economics
trade unions
mixed economy through a large role for state ownership of utilities and intervention and planning in economy
welfare state
social equality
Britain in the 1950s
Very class conscious
Trade Unionism was still in its infancy in the 1950s
Became less religious in the 1950s
Socially conservative
Overwhelming white
MacMillan
Won 1959 with a majority of 100
Known as Super Mac
1957-1963
Built over 300,000 houses a year in his premiership
Rebuilt relationship with the US post Suez
Lots of liberalising reforms like education
Unified the party
Had the population and media in the palm of his hands
Night of the long knives
Unemployment reached 1 million in 1963
Reliant on Keynesianism
Very fortunate with his economics
Lots of scandals like Profumo
Home
1963-1964
Lost by 4
Appealed to both traditional Conservatives and radicals
Understood politics and was very straight talking
An aristocrat so didn’t connect with the population
Wasn’t elected in so seen as anti-Democratic
Part of the network of old Etonians
Divisions as he had no party or public support
Didn’t come across well on TV- looked like a ‘skull’
