Labour Divisions

Question 1

Right-Wing
Gaitskellites Beliefs

Answer 1

• Wanted to abolish Clause IV
• Weaken trade union voice within Labour
• Make Britain enter the EEC
• Maintain Britain’s strong links with NATO and the ‘special relatioship’ with the US
• Advocated multilateral disarmament when it came to nuclear weapons

Question 2

Left-Wing
Bevanites Beliefs

Answer 2

• Wanted to safeguard Clause IV of the Labour constitution
• A strong trade union voice within Labour
• Did not want to enter the EEC
• Wanted to withdraw from NATO and distance Britain from the ‘special relationship’ with the US
• Advocated unilateral disarmament when it came to nuclear weapons

Question 3

The 1959 & 1960
Labour Conferences

Answer 3

1959:
- Gaitskell proposed removing Clause IV from the Labour Party constitution which committed to nationalise all major industries
- Gaitskell thought that Clause IV didn’t attract many voters, however he was overruled by party members
- Gaitskell blamed left-wing for its policy on unilateralism whilst the left-wing attacked Gaitskell for attempting to abandon Clause IV

1960:
- Left-wing Bevanites forced their policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament on the Labour Party
- Gaitskell responded in his conference speech by appealing to the delegates not to give into these views
- He declared that to ignore the views of the electorate was political suicide, ‘we will fight, and fight, and fight again, to save the party that we love’

Question 4

Labour Party Weaknesses
(1955)

Answer 4

• Eden’s time in power can be classed as an attribute to Labour’s damaged credibility (Suez Crisis)
• Less than 2 months prior to the election, 61 Bevanites defied Labour’s leadership and abstained to vote on the key question of nuclear weapons
• This made Labour look weak on defence at the time

Question 5

Labour Party Weaknesses
(1959)

Answer 5

• Many believed Labour could win
• Election ‘came’ at a bad time
• Macmillan (Conservatives) took the credit for an economic recovery to remind the public that life was ‘better with the Conservatives’
• Labour tried to win more voters by promising a substantial increase in state pensions without raising taxation
• However, the scheme was hurriedly put together and there many questions about where the money would come from, embarrassing Labour candidates
• Labour was also divided over Europe

Question 6

Replacement of Hugh Gaitskell
by Harold Wilson

Answer 6

• Bevan died in 1960
• Gaitskell died in 1963
• Harold Wilson became Labour’s new leader, later unifying the divided party
• Wilson was a pragmatic and an opportunist
• He appeared on the Bevanite (left-wing) of Labour as he resigned from Atlee’s cabinet due to prescription charges
• However, he served in Gaitskell’s shadow cabinet
• Once Wilson became PM in 1964, he would anger Labour Left by his commitment to Britain’s nuclear deterrent and his attempt to reform trade unions