Problems Facing Labour Government 1945-51

Question 1

What media was limited/suspended?

Answer 1

• Radio Broadcasts were limited, television services were suspended, some magazines were ordered to a stop being published and newspapers were cut in size.

Question 2

What stations ran out of fuel and what happened as a result?

Answer 2

Power stations ran out of coal, resulting in many power-cuts to both businesses and homes and Shin-well, the Minister of Fuel and Power was blamed for this.

Question 3

What were there fears of and why?

Answer 3

• Towards the end of February 1947, there were also fears of a food shortage as supplies were cut off and vegetables were frozen to the ground.

Question 4

What was cut drastically?

Answer 4

• Domestic spending on social services was cut drastically and in 1948 the government introduced a wage freeze.

Question 5

What happened in mid-march?

Answer 5

• In mid-march, more warmer air was brought which melted the snow on the ground.
• As a result of this, the snowmelt ran into rivers and caused wide-spread flooding, which affected more than 100,000 properties led to three army and foreign aid services forced to provide humanitarian aid.

Question 6

Who agreed to the wage freeze, and who was becoming more influential?

Answer 6

• The TUC agreed to this wage freeze but in doing so they recognised there was strong opposition from the left - in particular from the Communist party which membership grew rapidly and was becoming more influential.

Question 7

What was a factor in the devaluation of the pound?

Answer 7

• The winter was a factor in the devaluation of the pound from $4.08 to $2.08 in September 1949.

Question 8

What did sheep farmers lose?

Answer 8

• Sheep farmers lost one quarter of their livestock due to the winter.

Question 9

How did the winter have effects on British industries?

Answer 9

• The winter had severe effects on British industries, castling the loss of 10% of the year’s industrial production and 10-20% of real and potato crops.

Question 10

What does Corelli Barnett argue?

Answer 10

• They criticised the Labour Government for failing to intervene to modernise the economy.

Question 11

What does Robert Pearce argue?

Answer 11

• That Attlee acknowledged that economics was not his field and did not take initiative in economics or financial affairs.

Question 12

What does Sidney Pollard argue?

Answer 12

• Critical of Labour’s nationalisation programme and argues that nationalised industries were ‘anomalies in a private enterprise economy’.