Eden's Premiership (1955-1957)

Question 1

The 1955 General Election
(Conservative’s Win)

Answer 1

• Eden’s Conservative Party achieved 49.7% share of all the votes cast in 1955 against Labour’s 46.4% -> first time since 1900 that an incumbent government had increased its majority in the House of Commons
• Benefitted from the ‘feel-good factor’ given the age of prosperity and thanks to the Post-War Consensus
• Butler boosted Conservative election prospects with a ‘give-away’ budget that provided the middle-class with £134 million in tax cuts
• British people were better housed and fed than they had been 4 years prior
• Rationing had ended in 1954
• Unemployment stood at only 1%
• More disposable income to purchase consumer goods, e.g. spending on cars, washing machines and TV sets

Question 2

The 1955 General Election
(Labour’s Loss)

Answer 2

• Seriously damaged credibility due to Bevanite Rebellion
• Less than 2 months before the election, 61 Bevanites defied the Labour Party leadership and abstained in favour of a House of Commons vote on the key question of nuclear weapons
• Made Labour look weak on defence at the time of the Cold War
• Atlee retired and was replaced by Hugh Gaitskell until he died in 1963

Question 3

Eden’s Domestic Policy
Weaknesses

Answer 3

• Almost all of Eden’s previous experience had been in foreign policy
• Within 6 months, Conservatives were disquiet with Eden’s leadership as his lack of experience and interest with domestic affairs became apparent
• He was anxious about making decisions and particularly conscious about his lack of knowledge on economic issues
• Aimed to prevent industrial conflict, like Churchill, which led to criticism as he was conciliatory towards trade unions
• Weakness was exemplified by his attempt to remove Macmillan from the foreign office to the Treasury
• Macmillan did not want to move and managed to delay the process

Question 4

Suez Crisis Causes

Answer 4

• 1952: Egypt had a new nationalist government after the monarchy was overthrown
• Coup was led by Colonel Nasser and in 1956 Nasser became President of Egypt
• He decided that the Egyptians should own the Suez Canal, so he nationalised it
• British shares in the Canal were overtaken by the Egyptian government
• Eden was determined to resist Nasser
• British devised a secret plan with the French and the Israelis to invade Egypt and secure the Canal
• October 1956: British, French and Israelis invaded Egypt and took over the Suez Canal

Question 5

Suez Crisis Consequences

Answer 5

• American government was furious that action had been taken without the agreement of the US
• Eden was accused of lying to the House of Commons, damaging his reputation
• Rebellion was led by nearly 40 Conservative MPs
• Labour also attacked Eden’s mad venture
• President Eisenhower condemned the invasion and in early November secured a vote from the UN urging to end the operation
• Britain was plunged into an economic crisis due to US pressure their forces due to America’s opposition
• Soviet threats of nuclear weapons towards the West since US weren’t involved
• Event marked a serious decline in Britain’s international power and independent authority
• Eden never recovered and resigned in 1957