Why Labour Won ‘45

Question 1

Churchill was… and many Tories were…

Answer 1

Viewed as only wartime leader. Many Tories were complacent thinking electorate would thank him for war by voting him.

Question 2

Labour Let Us Face The Future..

Answer 2

It was more inspiring and radical than ‘Mr Churchill’s Declaration to the voters”. It promised social security, nhs, full employment, nationalisation key industries and appealed to admiration of Beveridge Report and desire for welfare state.

Question 3

Conservative associations past..

Answer 3

associated with the 30’s and unemployment and living standards + tainted with failure of appeasement. Macmillan said the “ghost of Neville Chamberlain” lost the election not Churchill.

Question 4

__% of electorate 1st time voters and they seemed to have voted…

Answer 4

20%

Labour

Question 5

Which way did armed forces tend to vote..

Answer 5

Pro Labour

Question 6

Why was electoral machine of Tory bad in ‘45?

Answer 6

Complacent, and due to how quick election was after war, many away in armed forces which meant Labour, due to TU in reserved trades, could put more agents in constituencies than Tory.

Question 7

War Impact…

Answer 7

steady leftward trend, helped by expansion of TU, and people saw huge USSR against Hitler = socialism in good light.

made state intervention and planning seem good idea and these key labour policies.

coalition gave leading labour figures national stage eg: morrison, bevin, atlee. meant was at forefront of voters mind throughout war

Question 8

labour recovered from.. and were untainted by…

Answer 8

recovered from ‘31 disaster and untainted with the discredited policy of appeasement, problems of 30’s = unemployment and social deprivation. Voters blamed Tory for these and Labour propaganda played on this.