why did labour lose the 1951 election
With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. Finally, splits over the Korean War both over the political justifications for British deployment, and over the cuts in public spending domestically brought about splits in the party which made it poorly placed to fight the 1951 election. 419 million in 1951, Increase in defence expenditure by 4.7 billion, Issues rose in Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. This is considered an important factor in Labour's victory by many historians , Support for Labour in 1945 represented above all a reaction against pre-war Conservatism, argues Adelman. 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. and been in government Labour Fundamentalists including Bevan wanted further reforms, specifically more nationalisation meanwhile Morrison called for party unity. The popularity of the 1942 Beveridge Report, which laid much of the groundwork for the establishment of the NHS and the Welfare State, was an endorsement of Labour politics. This time Churchill was victorious. However, the electorate did not empathise with this view, many now believing that the Conservatives were a more trustworthy option. The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. The Attlee Labour government of 1945-51 ended more with a whimper than with a bang. The Iron and coal industries were not profitable 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. Why did Harold Wilson win the 1964 Election. Labour lost the election to the party whose ideas it was preaching. 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. The government's 1945 lead over the Conservative Party shrank dramatically, and Labour was returned to power but with an overall majority reduced from 146 to just 5. Morrison, was moved to minister of employment, Proposed introduction of They had beaten the Conservatives by a clear 8% however in 51 they only had a 0.8% lead on the votes, as to why they didn't win after getting more votes one has to examine the first past the post system. Once more, it was the objection of the middle class voters to austere conditions which brought about the Parliamentary swing. 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. In Place of Strife, prices and incomes policy etc. In 1951 Winston Churchill's Conservative party, won the general election, and this would be the start of 13 years of Conservative rule pning three prime ministers. 1950 Surplus 297 million fell to Their living standards had not radically altered since 1945, and the significance of many of these voters is that they voted in marginal constituencies. Economic problems e.g. Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously. excessive class orientated CONSERVATISM, The industrial charter of 1947 & This Is members, Alongside this was the memory from 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. 1. Bankruptcy in 1808 did not prevent him from enjoying later success, with the backing of senior officials and . The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. 20thcentury British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. A defeated conservative MP at the time, Macmillan, claimed that It was not Churchill who lost the 1945 election, it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain. 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 large Parliamentary shift, in the face of an unremarkable swing in the popular vote, can be attributed partly to Labours loss of the middle class vote. Instead, this 1947 balance of payments crisis compounded by the fuel shortage and the convertibility clause forced Labour to rein in spending. Conservatives 1 to 10, Election of 1950 We provide reliable homework help online and custom college essay service. 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. Conservative (48.0%) Jeremy Corbyn. The split ran deep within the Labour party and consequently it was deeply weakened, so when it came to the 1951 election, Labour found it much harder to fight against the now united Conservatives who had been re-organisation under a new leader. The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. Labour's achievements, or rather what they did not achieve, can be linked as to why they lost: they had arguably successfully set up a welfare state but had also induced an economic crisis. While Labour managed to retain much working class support largely because of the role class identification was playing in determining partisan support at this time the middle class had quickly become disaffected. History-UK-BK1-Labour-1951 election. 1951 General Election Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 General Election? 4.86: $1 to 2.80:$1, Rationing increasingly unpopular with middle classes, Eg. league at peak had 100,000 This split caused to distinct groups to form within Labour; the Bevanites and the Gaitsgillites. How Did The Petrov Affair Affect Australia. Labour weaknesses. This caused widespread discontent as even during the war, bread had not been rationed. Paul Addison argues that 1940 was the year when the foundations of political power shifted decisively leftwards for a decade By the autumn of 1942 a major upheaval in public opinion had taken place. People had lost trust in the conservatives and blamed them for Britains military short-comings, and this was important for Labours rise in support. Also in both cases the campaigns were of negligible importance. for over 10 years Home building promised to be expanded, from the Labour 200,000 homes per year to 300,000 year, Nostalgia from wartime Conservative In the 1951 election, which party focused mainly on past successes? Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. 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. In spite of some successes during 1948, including good export figures, participation in the Berlin Airlift and regardless of middle class perceptions generous relaxations in rationing, the publics faith in the Attlee government to manage the rebuilding of Britain had dropped off considerably. 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. spectacles and dentures. In the 1992 election 11.5 million people voted Labour. 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. 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. Chamberlain's actions before the war had indeed lost the Conservatives much respect and had made them look weak to many people who saw Labour as the only reliable alternative. By 1951, however, their roles had reversed. administration would lead to In 1951, Labour was pilling on votes in seats they had already won, while the Conservatives won narrow victories. His frugality extended to his welfare policies, which involved the further tightening of benefit payments. This showed they were flexible and committed to improvement; they were a party of continuity and efficiency. On Friday morning the. This rule was ended in 1964 by Harold Wilson's reunited Labour party. Winston Churchill was a very popular speaker. Firstly, the Parliamentary party was split in its loyalties to the party leadership, and cohesion within the legislature was less assured. Just over a year later, with the Labour government in deep crisis about a number of ill-conceived policies, yet another election was called. Gaitskell, would gut defence expenditure by 400 Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. Mind Map on Why did Labour lose the 1951 election?, created by alinam on 05/24/2015. We have detected that Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Under the first past the post electoral system, many Labour votes were "wasted" as part of large majorities for MPs in safe seats. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. accepting the ideas of NHS and that National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. Britain to become a world exporting power, The result of the election caused much surprise. These problems, however, would have been inherent to any government of Britain at the time, but the fact was, Labour were held accountable. Resource summary. They had beaten the Conservatives by a clear 8% however in 51 they only had a 0.8% lead on the votes, as to why they didn't win after getting more votes one has to examine the first past the post system. Britain's involvement in the Korean War had not been a popular decision. in the hope of taking advantage of Churchill's huge popularity. 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. Thirdly, it brought about a further drop in voter confidence as external signs of infighting brought into question the competence and clarity of direction Labour could offer. 1.5 billion from Canada 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. This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. ideology and how Secondly, the split right at the very top of the party meant that organisational preparations for upcoming elections were hampered, and the electoral machine was disarmed. Positions like these allowed the Labour MPs to prove that they were, in fact, very skilled and also gave them invaluable experience. The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. Indeed, Robert Pearce claims it seems very unlikely indeed that the campaign was crucial, Paul Addison, however, argues that the campaign was important because . National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. Under Michael Foot, it suffered a landslide defeat, taking just 27.6% of the vote and giving Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives. Labour had problems with trade unions- more strikes in the country. 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. America sought the support of her allies in fighting the North Korean communists, and Britain committed troops to assist her. However Pearce concludes that. 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. Conservatives promised to reduce taxes but keep the NHS. 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 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. The result of the election caused much surprise. The 1942 Beveridge Report was the most important report that contributed to Labour's success in 1945. In his budget, the Chancellor, Hugh Gaitskell, sought to balance his budget by imposing charges on false teeth and spectacles. Labour's campaign, although not crucial to their success, was better organised, funded and planned than the Conservatives' and, as such, made Labour look strong - in contrast with the Conservatives. 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. Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. Following the 1966 General Election, the Labour Party's Home Policy Committee observed that the party had, "for the first time, obtained a majority of the female vote" and remarked, "it would be very satisfactory if we could retain it." 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. However, in 1951 they could only manage 109 candidates, gaining just over 700,000 votes (2.6% of entire vote). Labour argued that they had earned their independence by fighting in WW2, and that it was not economically viable to sustain them. Mr Churchill's Declaration of Policy to the Electorate. Hardly surprisingly. Labour to the Conservatives - was enough to tip Labour out of office in the general election held in October 1951. 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. The Road Manifesto 1950 accepted Arguments within the labour party. But it was not. 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. While this didn't net the Brexit Party any seats, it was enough for the Tories to overtake in many of them. The first years, between 1945 and 1946, saw fervour for rapid reform in many areas of government. This led to complacency with Labour relying too heavily on support from voters who felt betrayed. gas-1949. Public transport -1948 million if some charged could be made on Food subsidies were sustained in order to negate inflation in living costs; levels of progressive taxation were preserved; regional development was the favoured way to control mass unemployment in the areas of urban industrial decline; nationalisation was seen as the solution in reviving core industries such as mining, which had been faltering in private hands. The 1945-1946 period of Labour government sought to address some key difficulties facing the nation following World War II. To gain an understanding of the election one must study the context surrounding the election. Labour paper the Tribune, Paul Adleman points out This brought about a little unrest within working class support but it was the effect on middle class attitudes and the cracks opening among the Parliamentary partys support which began to harm electoral credibility. 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. You need to log in to complete this action! The 1951 election ended the post-war Labour governments, put Labour into opposition for 13 years and marked the start of a decade of bitter internecine warfare in the party. 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. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. The economy's recovery was further hindered by the short-sighted need to remain a world power. As the Labour Party emerged to replace the Liberal Party in the 1920s, G.D.H. 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. Labour's promises of social reforms won them many votes, however it was these promises which led to their failure in 1951, when many people believed that the promises hadn't been delivered. People had lost trust in the conservatives and blamed them for Britains military short-comings, and this was important for Labours rise in support. While Labour managed to retain much working class support largely because of the role class identification was playing in determining partisan support at this time the middle class had quickly become disaffected. 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Concerns about the permissive society e.g. The Conservative Party made some political headway by attacking the governments credentials with regard to the 1948 devaluation of the pound, which was designed to bring about the much needed rise in exports. She believed that Social changes should come Lord Woolton was also key in the reformation of the party; holding membership dirves, propaganda campaigns and obtaining donations from bug businesses who were threatened by Labours nationalisation. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. Furthermore, the Conservatives were able to exploit Labours failures to improve living standards. Hi there, would you like to get such a paper? Bill Shorten's political career ended last night but Morrison's is just beginning. Most obviously, because the campaigns importance is overshadowed by the larger, more influential issues. Secondly, the split right at the very top of the party meant that organisational preparations for upcoming elections were hampered, and the electoral machine was disarmed. Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. 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. This committed the UK government to keeping the value of sterling at a stable rate against the US dollar, and this meant that the governments hands were tied as they sought to address Britains balance of payments deficit by means of international trade. While it cannot be disputed that Labour kept their campaign simple, it would be ill-advised to declare that it helped enormously. 'Labour Lost the 1979 Uk General Election Due to the Strength of the Conservative Opposition'. 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. Senior Labour MP Margaret Hodge described Baroness Boothroyd as "inspirational" and "a trailblazer for women". time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the Labour's election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. After gaining such a large majority in 1945, most Labour politicians felt relatively assured that they had at least 10 years in office secured. There are several causes which can be established, first by looking at the events of the Attlee years and then isolating those points at which factors were working toward the partys defeat. Why did the Conservatives win/ Labour lose the 1951 UK general election? - NEW however without power or Firstly, the Parliamentary party was split in its loyalties to the party leadership, and cohesion within the legislature was less assured. was really in their early By continuing well assume youre on board with our, Why did Labour lose the 1951 General Election, Let us write you a custom essay sample on, By clicking "SEND" below, you agree to our, Conflict management definitions and views. Manne identifies that the use of the word 'Affair' is a clear indication of how . Most significantly, Labour established the NHS in 1948, they also brought about various other reforms pertaining to welfare. propaganda, The view that another Labour The Labour Party was created in 1900: a new party for a new century. The campaign is all too often seen as the most important factor in Labour's landslide victory in 1945, however it is of less importance than the war or their policies, for example. A defeated conservative MP at the time, Macmillan, claimed that . Following their post-war election defeat, the Conservatives were able to make significant improvements to the party between 1945 and 1951. disadvantage the Labour party however he did not postposne them 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. shortages, Korean War World economic should remain, Bevan an Labour The party's manifesto was named. WW2) needed loans to sustain economy, Keynes 1945 secures In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. Politicians are often rejected by voters because they have failed in office. After being elected in 1945, the Labour Government introduced changes to welfare, employment and housing that would last a generation. The changes appear to have been hugely beneficial to the majority of the population. 1951 Give an example of a prominent cabinet minister that Labour had lost by 1951 due to old age Ernest Bevin Which party looked fresh and orchestrated in 1951, had fresh MPs, and ran an efficient campaign? This type of system naturally leads one to question the truth behind calling the Labour victory a landslide. 1950 are not the Conservatives of 1935, No one shoots Santa Clause - Most obviously, because the campaigns importance is overshadowed by the larger, more influential issues. UNHAPPY PARLIAMENT, Labour majority between people of different The caretaker government, led by Churchill, was heavily defeated. The question as to why Labour won the 1945 election has been the source of much in depth study since the period. The impact of the Petrov Affair will be seen to significantly alter the political landscape of Australia and providing the liberal government under Menzies an opportunity to reconfirm their anti-communist sentiment. 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. administration (up to In addition, after the Korean War broke out in 1950, Britain decided to rearm. The opposite happened in 1974 when the system meant the Conservatives lost out to Labour. 419 million defecit was yet again in the surplus, Disagreements over 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. Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. The first years, between 1945 and 1946, saw fervour for rapid reform in many areas of government.