Labour comes to power and Responding to Beveridge

Question 1

Why did Labour win the election in 1945?

Answer 1

1. Labour won the election because Churchill made a fatal mistake in his first election broadcast where he said that a socialist state would never work without a Gestapo to run it. The Gestapo were the Nazi secret police. By comparing Labour to the Nazis, Churchill’s campaign fell and never really recovered.
2. Also, many people felt that a Conservative government wouldn’t act on Beveridge’s recommendations.

Question 2

What were the recommendations of the Beveridge report?

Answer 2

That the state should support its citizens ‘from the cradle to the grave’ against ‘five giants’:

1. Want - the lack of basic needs such as food.
2. Ignorance - the lack of proper education for all.
3. Disease - the lack of proper medical care for all.
4. Squalor - poor living conditions.
5. Idleness - unemployment.

Question 3

When was the Beveridge report published?

Answer 3

December 1st 1942.

Question 4

What were the government reactions to the Beveridge report?

Answer 4

Many MPs (most of them Conservative) disagreed with it, however they realised that it had huge public support.

Question 5

What was the public’s reaction to the Beveridge report?

Answer 5

The people approved and wanted the government to fight these giants.

Question 6

What did the government do in response to the ‘want’ giant?

Answer 6

1. The Family Allowances Act of 1945 was passed.
2. The National Insurance Act of 1946 was passed.
3. The National Assistance Act of 1948 was passed.

Question 7

What did the Family Allowances Act of 1945 do?

Answer 7

It paid mothers 5 shillings a week for every child after the first one.

Question 8

What did the government do in response to the ‘ignorance’ giant?

Answer 8

The Education Act of 1944 was passed.

Question 8

What did the National Assistance Act of 1948 do?

Answer 8

Poor Law and earlier benefits were abolished. National Assistance boards were set up to provide government help to the homeless, disabled and mentally ill.

Question 8

What did the government do in response to the ‘ignorance’ giant?

Answer 8

The Education Act of 1944 was passed.

Question 9

What did the Education Act of 1944 do?

Answer 9

It restructured the school system and provided free education to the age of 14. In 1947, it was amended and free education was given up to the age of 15.