Lesson 7 Flashcards
The legacy of the Attlee govt 1945 - 1951
- Established the post war consensus
- nationalisation
- generous welfare state
- full employment
- strong trade unions
- heavy regulations
- Keynesian economics
New towns act passed - million new homes built
Key role in forming NATO
Right-wing Gaitskellites beliefs
Wanted to abolish Clause IV of the constitution
weaken the trade union voice
Britain enter the EEC
Maintains Britain’s strong NATO links
Multilateral disarmament
Left wing bevanite beliefs
Safeguard clause IV
Strong trade union voice
Not enter the EEC
Withdraw from NATO
Unilateral disarmament
The 1959 and 1960 labour conferences
1959 - Gaitskell promised removing clause IV however he was overruled by party members
Caused further splits within labour, left wing blaming the conference and the right wing blaming unilateralism
1960 - left wing labour forced their policy of unilateral disarmament on the party
Gaitskell appealed to the delegates not to give into these views. He declared to ignore the views of the electorate was political suicide
Labour weaknesses in the 1955 general election
Seriously damaged credibility
Two months before, 61 bevanites defied the Labour leadership and abstained in favour of a House of Commons vote on the key question of nuclear weapons.
Labour weaknesses in the 1959 general election
First election since suez crisis
Economic recovery skilfully manipulated by MacMillan
Labour tried to win voters by promising a substantial increase in pensions without raising taxes
Questions about where the money would come from embarrassed Labour
Harold Wilson’s replacement of Hugh Gaitskell as labour leader
Wilson was a pragmatist and opportunist who appeared to be on the bevanite left
However he served in Gaitskell shadow cabinet while the party was in opposition
Once prime minister he would anger the Labour left - commitment to nuclear deterrent and attempted reform of trade unions
