Mainly because the Brexit Party split off some of their voters. second - 1986. positive light, Presented themselves as a united But Labour didn't lose in 1983 because it was too left wing; rather, Thatcher won because of the Falklands War. The Labour Party was created in 1900: a new party for a new century. propaganda, The view that another Labour By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. Prior to the war of April-June 1982, the Conservative Party was slumped at a consistent 27 per cent throughout late 1981, with a slight recovery in early 1982. WW2) needed loans to sustain economy, Keynes 1945 secures Both clearly agree that the pre-war period was significant, however they differ on why it was significant. She believed that Social changes should come Under the first past the post electoral system, many Labour votes were "wasted" as part of large majorities for MPs in safe seats. National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. In addition, after the Korean War broke out in 1950, Britain decided to rearm. Resource summary. In October 2004 Blair announced that he would seek a third term as prime minister but would not stand for a fourth term. Winston Churchill was a very popular speaker. sects ( religion/ groups), Issue in Iran with Oil efiniry nationalised, wasn't handles, Election results 1951 regards to labours Sarah from CollectifbdpHi there, would you like to get such a paper? Churchill narrowly lost the 1950 contest (Labour's majority was reduced to six), but again he managed to sidestep retirement. opportunity for the other Conservative The population was also swelling, not to mention the return of service men and women from abroad, and the total number of properties in Britain had fallen by over 700,000 due to bomb damage. Labours answer focused on working class interests. The election was held on Thursday 23 February 1950, and was the first held following the abolition of plural voting and university constituencies. As Labour struggled to legislate effectively, and following another badly-handled balance of payments crisis in the summer of 1951, Attlee dissolved Parliament in September and Labour subsequently lost - albeit narrowly - the October election. The year 1947 brought an abrupt end to the honeymoon, as the government was forced to shift focus from massive reform to crisis management in response to fuel and trade shortages. So a better question is why did labour lose so many seats in '50. This rule was ended in 1964 by Harold Wilson's reunited Labour party. Wiki User 2009-09-25 15:23:48 Study now See answer (1) Copy the main points are: -record on nationalisation and welfare -economic problems which. Best Answer Copy Labour lost to various reasons, the main ones being: The Winter of Discontent, the miscalculations that James Callaghan made and the appeal of Thatcher to voters. Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. As he struggled to justify his November emergency budget tightening spending and committing to an exchange rate policy subservient to US demands, Dalton resigned as Chancellor. Economically the Labour government of 45-51 struggled, with the electorate all too aware of he post-war shortages, the continuing rationing, increased taxes, and the general dislike of austerity the feeling of being under the thumb of the Americans. The first-past-the-post system ensures that the elected government has a workable majority. Named Let Us Face the Future, it emphasised that Labour were the only party that could be trusted to deliver a strong Britain and Beveridge's plans. It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. This split caused to distinct groups to form within Labour; the Bevanites and the Gaitsgillites. was really in their early There was. In 1951 Labour attained 48.8% of the vote, and the Conservatives only got 48% of the vote. Although it was hoped that Daltons resignation might offset some of the decline in public confidence in Labours economic policy, the government were never again endorsed by mass popularity as in the previous two years. How valid is this view in relation to the 1951 general election? It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. Why did Labour lose the 1951 General Election? The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. The Conservatives, on the other hand, met the report with lukewarm support, disliking Nationalisation and the Welfare State. Conservatives 290, 1950-51 Labour were in office Labour 295 (48.8%) Morrison, was moved to minister of employment, Proposed introduction of This massive reform of the 1945-1946 period was dealt a blow in February 1947, when the government faced a fuel crisis. Labour's election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. How many seats did the Conservatives win in 1951, What policies were Labour associated with, What was one area the Labour party were divided on, How did Lord Woolton help the Tories reform, How many houses did the Tories promise to build each year, What did they promise to show rationing had ended, What was the name of the 1948 law which changed constituency boundaries, What party saw their vote fall from 2.6 million to 730,556, Christina Dejong, Christopher E. Smith, George F Cole, Government in America: Elections and Updates Edition, George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, Robert L. Lineberry. This people's war was very beneficial to Labour in warming people to socialist ideologies, and their belief on the war being, not just a fight against the fascist Germany, but a struggle for a prosperous post-war Britain. 3.7 billion loans US & It was not Churchill who lost the 1945 election, it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain. The Conservatives' campaign focused on Churchill and international relationships rather than any major new reforms that the electorate so desperately wanted. Homefront experiences had also caused a rise in support for Labour: evacuees educated many people to the realities of poverty in Britain's cities and the Blitz brought people together in communal bomb shelters and broke down social barriers. Looking at the Labour government in these four sections of reform, of crisis, of consolidation and of division helps us to see where the party lost its huge majority. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep crisis about a number of ill-conceived policies, yet another election was called. While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously. Also the Conservatives were much better funded in 1951, by business men afraid of further nationalisation the only major labour reform that the Conservatives dared to take a firm stance against. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result. Maybe not the most important factor, but definitely worth noting, is the fact that the UK employs a first-past-the-post electoral system. The shock the election caused was comparable to the results of the 1906 and 1979 elections, and would have a profound impact on how the country was rebuilt in the post-war period. 1. Hi there, would you like to get such a paper? Having been given such a considerable mandate to rebuild the country in 1945, the Attlee post-war government lost popular support considerably over the next six years. In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. As Charmley so aptly put it, the government was exhausted in mind, body and manifesto commitments. Many of Labours intergral cabinet ministers had been in office since 1940 and now, a decade later, were cumbling under the strain of the the continuous post-war crises that plagued Britain. The changes appear to have been hugely beneficial to the majority of the population. 25 October 1951 The ageing Conservative leader Winston Churchill won the 1951 election with a comfortable majority. WW2 obviously played a large role in the results of both the 1945 and 1951 elections, in 1945 its effects were clear on the homefront as it had acted as a catalyst to socialist ideas and in 1951 it was the economic turmoil that the war had triggered which led to many people to vote for the reliable conservatives. time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the Named Let Us Face the Future, it emphasised that Labour were the only party that could be trusted to deliver a strong Britain and Beveridge's plans. Politicians are often rejected by voters because they have failed in office. Although it was hoped that Daltons resignation might offset some of the decline in public confidence in Labours economic policy, the government were never again endorsed by mass popularity as in the previous two years. to change in later achievements - 200,000 homes built a The Labour Party was born at the turn of the 20th . of cold war era), Violence broke out in India and Paliastine during decolonisation, Sectarian violence - Violence While this didn't net the Brexit Party any seats, it was enough for the Tories to overtake in many of them. In the years prior to 1959, many had expected Labour to win the next election. The Conservatives were back in power once more, but they did little to. How Labour Governments Fall: From Ramsey MacDonald to Gordon Brown, Aspects of British Political History 1914- 1995, The Lessons of 19451951 Tories in Opposition. These problems, however, would have been inherent to any government of Britain at the time, but the fact was, Labour were held accountable. In 1950 Churchill also narrowly lost the next general election. This is especially so when one considers the crises they faced in that year, making the 1945 blue-skies, New Jerusalem thinking incredibly difficult to sustain. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. The 1946 National Insurance Act was also a key domestic reform of the Attlee government. Both of these policies were unpopular amongst the mass electorate, and rationing caused consternation most notably the middle class, to whom the need for wartime prudence was no longer apparent. Dunkirk triggered many people to blame the conservatives and their previous leaders for appeasement. On a high turnout Labour's tally of votes had actually increased in absolute terms (to 13.9 million, compared to 13.2 million in the 1950 cent) than the Conservatives, though the Conservatives came out ahead in seats, For the first time, the government provided a catch-all benefits system which hypothecated a proportion of tax revenue thence to be paid against sickness, elderliness and unemployment to name but three key entitlements. Although there was some tangible degree of divisions within the party over the banality and unradical approach, with many backbenchers urging a return to the early zealousness for national change, it was not this issue which harmed the party most. Assess the Validity of This View. This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. members, Alongside this was the memory from Pre-war Conservatives were labelled Guilty Men by Labour, this was very influential in winning over public opinion for Labour who presented themselves as the only party able to prevent another war. With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. His frugality extended to his welfare policies, which involved the further tightening of benefit payments. Paul Addison argues that. After researching the topic thoroughly, I Would argue the main reason Labour lost in 51 was . Furthermore, the Conservatives were able to exploit Labours failures to improve living standards. His subsequent retirement from the party therefore revealed that Labour was divided in its views and ultimately undermined its unity, providing a poor image to potential voters. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. Clement Attlee was leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955, and served as Britain's Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951. my could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. Also during the 1930s Britain suffered the great depression, which weakened the Conservatives reputation considerably due to their domination of the National Government. Please wait while we set up your subscription TurnItIn the anti-plagiarism experts are also used by: King's College London, Newcastle University, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, WJEC, AQA, OCR and Edexcel, Business, Companies and Organisation, Activity, Height and Weight of Pupils and other Mayfield High School investigations, Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes, Moniza Alvi: Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, Changing Materials - The Earth and its Atmosphere, Fine Art, Design Studies, Art History, Crafts, European Languages, Literature and related subjects, Linguistics, Classics and related subjects, Structures, Objectives & External Influences, Global Interdependence & Economic Transition, Acquiring, Developing & Performance Skill, Sociological Differentiation & Stratification, The question as to why Labour won the 1945 election has been the source of much in depth study since the period. assortment of industries', Following clause IV The party's manifesto was named Mr Churchill's Declaration of Policy to the Electorate, in the hope of taking advantage of Churchill's huge popularity. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. Furthermore, an apparently humiliating trade policy including subservience to US demands was particularly discrediting in the eyes of post-colonialists who identified this as betrayal rather than pragmatism. Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial, Paul Addison, however, argues that the campaign was important because . Overall, it was the first-past-the-post system that won Labour their 'landslide' victory in 1945 and in 1951 allowed the Conservatives to win despite polling less votes. Labour's manifesto was based around the Beveridge report and the Nationalisation of industries, ideas that had been tested during the war and were found to work. Although it did help to achieve this end, Churchills party was able to lament publicly the humiliation the government had brought upon the British currency, and at the same time place blame on the government for the continuing food scarcities and long queues. They suggested the election should take place the following year, in 1952, hoping the government would be able to make enough progress towards economic improvement to win the election. A TSR George 17 I got all the reasons.but looking at the figures conservative had 13.7mil votes and labour got 13.9mil. Firstly, the party enacted most of its initial 1945 manifesto pledges in establishing the NHS, founding the Welfare State, and building one million new homes. CONSERVATISM, The industrial charter of 1947 & This Is Britains involvement in the Korean War also enabled the Conservatives to play on Churchills war hero status. 1951 General Election Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 General Election? Once more, it was the objection of the middle class voters to austere conditions which brought about the Parliamentary swing. Both clearly agree that the pre-war period was significant, however they differ on why it was significant. The 1946 National Insurance Act was also a key domestic reform of the Attlee government. As the Labour Party emerged to replace the Liberal Party in the 1920s, G.D.H. America sought the support of her allies in fighting the North Korean communists, and Britain committed troops to assist her. 'Labour Lost the 1979 Uk General Election Due to the Strength of the Conservative Opposition'. and been in government Churchill however made a gross error in saying that Labour would need a Gestapo like organisation to enforce socialism upon Britain. Then, the second ministry saw a fractious Parliamentary party being further divided over the Korean War and the advancement of the National Health Service, leading up to a comfortable Tory win in the October 1951 election. As Labour struggled to legislate effectively, and following another badly-handled balance of payments crisis in the summer of 1951, Attlee dissolved Parliament in September and Labour subsequently lost albeit narrowly the October election. They also caused higher taxes, and the unstable economy caused many voters to demonise labour in 1951. Explanation: Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. As Labour struggled to legislate effectively, and following another badly-handled balance of payments crisis in the summer of 1951, Attlee dissolved Parliament in September and Labour subsequently lost albeit narrowly the October election. Before the war, Labour were all too often seen as inexperienced and even unpatriotic due to their left wing ideologies. Outlined in the report were: all working age people would pay a National Insurance tax, and Benefits would be paid to the sick, unemployed, retired or widowed. The result of the election caused much surprise. He set in motion key reforms to wipe out the image of the Conservative party being upper class elitists who do not understand the people that had been so prevalent in the last election. Working class voters, on the other hand, remained loyal to the Labour Party and the 1951 election saw Labour poll the highest aggregate popular vote ever achieved in Britain. Majority of party Labour entered the 1950 election confidently, while the conservatives were uncertain of themselves, effectively a role reversal from 1945. But one of the reasons why Churchill lost the general election in 1945 was because he had succeeded in. However, Attlee wanted to resolve the political uncertainty in Britain befre the Kings scheduled six-month tour of the Commonwealth, and so the election was scheduled for 1951, putting them in a disadvantaged position. Labour actually gained fewer votes than in 1959, but the Conservatives lost 1.6 million votes and the Liberals gained over 1.5 million votes. Cost of Living KOREAN WAR Austerity LINK TO COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE - cost of heating, clothing, education and food (and other necessities) was increasing; dissatisfaction amongst the people - defense spending increased whilst public spending decreased; led to NHS prescription charges Cole suggested that its success was the inevitable consequence of the emergence of class politics. Attlee's reputation rose during the 1945 electoral campaign. The first-past-the-post system emphasised each election's result. Gaitskell and Morrison (Deputy Prime Minister) both doubted whether Labour would be able to defeat the Conservatives in 1951, owing to their loss of seats in the 1950 election. Labour's manifesto was based around the Beveridge report and the Nationalisation of industries, ideas that had been tested during the war and were found to work. The financial strain of rearming subsequently led Gaitskell, who at this point was Chancellor of the Exchequer, threatening the idea of introducing prescription charges to the NHS (although it was not implemented until the Conservtives gained power in 1951 ). The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. Positions like these allowed the Labour MPs to prove that they were, in fact, very skilled and also gave them invaluable experience. After the shock of the 1945 election, Labour appointed Lord Woolton as their party chairman: he was central to the revitalisation of the Conservatives and reorganised the conservative party effectively. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. Granted, in 45 Labour obviously won a landslide of the seats, but a majority of 8% is far from a landslide of the votes. The first years, between 1945 and 1946, saw fervour for rapid reform in many areas of government. however not the 6 however without power or 1947), Corelli Barnett's Audit of War criticised how Instead of indroducing new reforms and methods to improve living conditions, Attlee decided to focus on fighting the election based on the partys previous successes, claiming that the Conservatives could not be trusted with the reforms they had introduced. It was the first election in which Labour gained a majority of seats and the first in which it won a plurality of votes. In realising that the quality of life was far more important to the public than any other factor, the Conservatives promised to build 300,000 houses a year, although they did admit in their manifesto that not much could be done to lessen the strain of rationing in 1951. Why did the Conservatives win/ Labour lose the 1951 UK general election? Just by losing a core of middle class voters, Labour lost a great many marginal contests and most particularly in the well-to-do constituencies of southern and south-eastern England. The term was coined from a particular type of horse racing wherein the winning horse passes the final post and all the others are disqualified. 419 million defecit was yet again in the surplus, Disagreements over Labour's popularity was also dented by their foreign policy, in granting sovereignty to some of Britain's most successful colonies Labour were seen as dissembling an empire that had taken hundreds of years to attain. This split caused to distinct groups to form within Labour; th. The poor timing of the 1951 election can also be claimed to have weakened Labours position. 9% swing against Labour. Attlee was aware that these changes to the voting system may The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. Liberals 6, Note how Labour actually achieved a um is there something wrong in these notes? He lost again, but was given one more opportunity in 1951 . Labour argued that they had earned their independence by fighting in WW2, and that it was not economically viable to sustain them. legislation, Commitment to full employment and a mixed economy, Said to focus upon its previous 1950 are not the Conservatives of 1935, No one shoots Santa Clause - Labour paper the Tribune, Paul Adleman points out By 1951, there were already heavy pressures on health spending. Labour would not again form a government until 1964, the question is; what caused people to revert back to supporting the conservatives once again? People had lost trust in the conservatives and blamed them for Britains military short-comings, and this was important for Labours rise in support. The Conservatives reluctance to accept this report was hugely beneficial to Labour who capitalised on the huge of public support behind it. Want to create your own Mind Maps for free with GoConqr? While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously. 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Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result.