Labour in power - 1945-51 Flashcards
What were the weaknesses of the Conservatives?
Conservatives promised to help the poor, however they were not trusted because Conservatives previously voted against such reforms
Churchill said Labour’s socialist policy wouldn’t work without a ‘Gestapo’ - made him like uninformed
Churchill was complacent, he thought he was popular enough to win the election, “help him finish the job” made him look like he was stuck in the war
Why did Labour win?
Atlee was trusted as he was Churchill’s deputy
‘war socialism’ where the Government had a greater say in everyday life became more accepted after the war
the evacuation opened the eyes of many middle rural class families as 50% of evacuees from Newcastle had lice and 12% did not have shoes
Beveridge report (in other flashcard)
Labour promised to build 5 million homes to compensate the 1 million homes lost - more than Conservatives
What was the Beveridge Report?
want - National Insurance Act (1946) - worker and employers pay NI, in return for unemployment, maternity, sickness and old age benefits
ignorance - Free Education Act (1947) (upto 15yo)
disease - NHS Act (1946)
squalor - New Town Act (1946) - 17 new town and 5 town enlargements, 750,000 homes built by September 1948
idleness - from 1945 the Government built schemes providing work
Why did the Conservatives not accept the Beveridge Report and when/why was it written?
Wrote by Bevin (minister of Labour) in 1942, huge public support (70,000 first week)
said the Government should support citizens from the “cradle to the grave”
Conservatives disagreed because it would create a welfare state and the Government shouldn’t have that much control over peoples lives
