why did labour lose the 1951 election

As the Labour Party emerged to replace the Liberal Party in the 1920s, G.D.H. By 1951, there were already heavy pressures on health spending. Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. 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. Labour 315 party opposed to the split labour, His limited standing within the House of 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. Labour lost the election to the party whose ideas it was preaching. Why did the Conservatives win/ Labour lose the 1951 UK general election? hoped for, Marshall Aid 1948 Why then, did Labour go on to lose so many seats in 1950 before losing the General Election in 1951? The 1918 constitution that eventually emerged was a curious mix, unmatched on the continent: theoretically socialist in its commitment to public ownership via the 'old' Clause IV, but in reality gradualist, 'labourist' and in huge debt to the more conservative trade union movement. there had been limited industrial reform and The 1946 National Health Service Act provided free access to a range of hospital and general practitioner services across the country. Most of us who are interested in gaming history today are well aware of the set of technical and aesthetic approaches these terms imply: namely, games built from snippets of captured digitized footage of . 20thcentury British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. Divisions over appeasement, foreign policy and rearmament deeply weakened Labour. support for the party. The Bevanites, being more left-wing, wanted to focus Britains resources on further nationalisation of industry. plural voting- 1948 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. 1950-1951 labelled as an UNHAPPY PARLIAMENT Labour majority reduces to just 7 seats 1950 By changing the timing of the election to be in 1951 rather than spring of 52' due to the Kings tour of Australia it hit the party at a time of economic downfall- seen to be short lived as by 1952 the 419 million defecit was yet again in the surplus Ministers 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 Labour Party was born at the turn of the 20th . Georges Dufaud (1777-1852) was one of those ironmasters who benefited from the changes introduced by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire (Figure 1.1). In 1945 the Conservatives had suffered from being divided and disorganised, while Labour had been strong and united. prescription charges by Hugh 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. The first years, between 1945 and 1946, saw fervour for rapid reform in many areas of government. Less than half the price of our monthly plan. 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. Then, in the summer of 1947, problems arose with the US war loan to be paid to the British government, in the form of the convertibility clause. Labour To the most left-wing Labour MPs and enthusiasts, this was a betrayal of socialist solidarity; on the other hand, to many more involved with the party this represented subservience to US demands. Indeed, after signing the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain was heralded as a hero: 'saving' the country from another bloody war. Also during the 1930s Britain suffered the great depression, which weakened the Conservatives reputation considerably due to their domination of the National Government. Never before had the party achieved an overall majority in the House of Commons, and yet now Labour had a huge parliamentary majority of 146 seats. and were in decline - government supporting 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. In contrast to the break-up of the MacDonald Labour government in 1931, there was no 'bankers' ramp' or dramatic and overwhelming financial crisis. 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. Although Labours promises had brought about hopes and expectations that were simply unachievable, whilst in government Labour had brought about serious change and a number of reforms. Please read our, {"ad_unit_id":"App_Resource_Sidebar_Upper","resource":{"id":2798048,"author_id":348222,"title":"Why did Labour lose the 1951 election? In the summer of 1950, the Korean War broke out. The election result was a disaster for Labour. In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour . which Gaiskell set out Appeasement wasn't, at the time, a hugely contentious issue however after the war many people believed this was a large reason for the war and the Conservatives were blamed. Conservative In the 1951 election, which party focused mainly on past successes? Why did the Labours lose even their historic strongholds? disadvantage the Labour party however he did not postposne them 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. 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. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. 2% interest On average in these 'red wall' constituencies, Labour lost about 2% to the Tories and about 7% to the Brexit Party. The first-past-the-post system ensures that the elected government has a workable majority. We have detected that Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Atlee became the deputy Prime Minister during the war. Their wartime experience in government was critical in catalysing trust and support for the party and its MPs who had proven themselves. With an inadequate sense of self-renewal, the Attlee era party had little further to put before voters after 1947. An Overlooked Reason Why Labour Lost In 1983 Ask almost anyone about the June 1983 general election and you will get standard replies as to why the Conservatives won a landslide and Labour did so badly: The Falklands war Michael Foot's leadership of Labour The Bennite left The Gang of Four splitting away Divisions over appeasement, foreign policy and rearmament deeply weakened Labour. 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. Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. 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. Developments during the war made a considerable contribution towards the shift to the left, with more support for collectivism and rationing. In the 1992 election 11.5 million people voted Labour. threat of Russia (Start Mr Churchill's Declaration of Policy to the Electorate. The Conservatives' campaign focused on Churchill and international relationships rather than any major new reforms that the electorate so desperately wanted. The 1942 Beveridge Report was the most important report that contributed to Labour's success in 1945. We provide reliable homework help online and custom college essay service. 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. 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. By 1947, more than one fifth of British industry had been drawn into public ownership. <p>The NHS had been established by the post-war Labour government in 1948. 'Labour Lost the 1979 Uk General Election Due to the Strength of the Conservative Opposition'. 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. In October 2004 Blair announced that he would seek a third term as prime minister but would not stand for a fourth term. After researching the topic thoroughly, I Would argue the main reason Labour lost in 51 was . However, in 1951 they could only manage 109 candidates, gaining just over 700,000 votes (2.6% of entire vote). The party's manifesto was named. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. For all of my fellow A2 AQA historians out there, I hope this helps! Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. 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. Resource summary. The Iron and coal industries were not profitable 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. 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. The result of the election caused much surprise. my could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. The Labour government called a snap election for Thursday 25 October 1951 in the hope of increasing its parliamentary majority. 1950 Surplus 297 million fell to One of the major issues Labour had to face was how to rebuild Britain following the end of the Second World War, it also had to face the decolonisation of the British Empire and the loss of key figures within the party due to age and illness by 1951. As a response to the housing problem, Dalton committed to building one million new homes, 80% of which were council houses to be rented cheaply to those who most needed them. Labour's election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. These acts included the reforms set out in the Beveridge plan, various other reforms and nationalisation. 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, Most significantly, Labour established the NHS in 1948, they also brought about various other reforms pertaining to welfare. This was espoused in George Dangerfield's amorphous study The Strange Death of Liberal England (1934) and by Henry Pelling's more factually based The Origins of the . The question as to why Labour won the 1945 election has been the source of much in depth study since the period. 1951 General Election Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 General Election? Beveridge aimed to create a minimum standard of living and full employment and believed the five evils blocking these aims and reconstruction were: Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. Britain's involvement in the Korean War had not been a popular decision. The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. conservatives into a modern party, 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. 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. 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 The Conservatives voted against the creation of a centralised health service in 1946, preferring rather the idea of state provision of healthcare administered at local level. Labour would not again form a government until 1964, the question is; what caused people to revert back to supporting the conservatives once again? Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. In the years prior to 1959, many had expected Labour to win the next election. Although progress was initially slow on this front, one million houses were eventually built and the housing problem was eased for a while. Then, in the summer of 1947, problems arose with the US war loan to be paid to the British government, in the form of the convertibility clause. Nevertheless, the war was clearly more important in raising Atlee's reputation among Britons because Attlee was effectively completely in charge of the homefront for the duration of the war. Answer (1 of 11): There are books and other commentaries, opinions (web searches will reveal them) that explore this in detail, but here is a personal take. Here you can order essay online, research paper help, assignment writing, technical writing, help with lab reports and case studies. why did Labour lose the 1951 election? 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. Conservatives 1 to 10, Election of 1950 5 Labour and Conservative Governments, 1964-79 Why did the Conservatives lose the election of 1964? The war had undoubtedly played a major role in the elections, being seen as a people's war it broke down social boundaries and caused a shift to the left. But Labour didn't lose in 1983 because it was too left wing; rather, Thatcher won because of the Falklands War. Sarah from CollectifbdpHi there, would you like to get such a paper? however not the 6 The 1959 General Election gave the Conservatives their third successive victory, the first time that a party had won three successive general elections since Napoleonic times. The newly recruited young members dramatically contrasted with the aging Labour cabinet and presented the Conservatives as a rising party fit to govern. This divided party had stood no chance against the organised, well-funded Conservatives. positive light, Presented themselves as a united The Blitz also, more obviously, caused a huge rise in support for Labour's housing development plans. This was the fourth of five elections in the twentieth century where a party lost the popular vote, but won the most seats. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. The electorate clearly did not see it this way though, believing that the Labour party had lied to them, this feeling of betrayal saw many voters return to the reliable Conservatives in the 1951 election. Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. 1.5 billion from Canada Labours changes, The Spectator wrote: The conservatives of Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. Also in both cases the campaigns were of negligible importance. Politicians are often rejected by voters because they have failed in office. While this didn't net the Brexit Party any seats, it was enough for the Tories to overtake in many of them. assortment of industries', Following clause IV Who was the worst prime In 1950 Churchill also narrowly lost the next general election. 419 million defecit was yet again in the surplus, Disagreements over 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. league at peak had 100,000 Their living standards had not radically altered since 1945, and the significance of many of these voters is that they voted in marginal constituencies. billion he had hoped for, Repayable at Understandably, the architect and far left member of the party, Bevan, was enraged at this suggestion. 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 These party reforms and the reorganisation proved worthwhile, as can be seen in the 8% boost in votes. Instead, this 1947 balance of payments crisis compounded by the fuel shortage and the convertibility clause forced Labour to rein in spending. Following their post-war election defeat, the Conservatives were able to make significant improvements to the party between 1945 and 1951. Learn more. Under the head "Peace", the Labour manifesto said: "The Tory (Conservative) still thinks in terms of Victorian imperialism and colonial exploitation. Liberals 6, Note how Labour actually achieved a So, at the 1950 election there was a 2.9% swing against Labour. In 1951 labour actually polled more votes than the conservatives and in 1945 Labour only polled 8% more than the Conservatives yet gained a landslide of seats. why did labour lose the 1951 election. Here i looks at the reasons behind Labour's worst defeat in an election campaign since 1935. 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. 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." Under Labour, rationing continued, with further dried egg and bread rationing introduced in 1946. Conservatives promised to reduce taxes but keep the NHS. Americas way of Technicalities. shortages, Korean War World economic So, at the 1950 election there was a 2. Before the war, Labour were all too often seen as inexperienced and even unpatriotic due to their left wing ideologies. 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. By 1951, however, their roles had reversed. Explanation: 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. Granted, in 45 Labour obviously won a landslide of the seats, but a majority of 8% is far from a landslide of the votes. However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. Furthermore, the Conservatives were able to exploit Labours failures to improve living standards. 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. Representation Of The Peoples until after the election on the grounds of "morality" which was the 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 result of the election caused much surprise. Arguments within the labour party. However by 1945 Labour was a strong, organised and well respected party, whilst the Conservatives were weakened by the war and internal splits. social reform and nationalisation. 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. 1 He belonged to the first intake of students at the Ecole polytechnique in 1794 and went on to become an iron engineer. The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. administration would lead to 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. 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. Cole suggested that its success was the inevitable consequence of the emergence of class politics. 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. 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. A defeated conservative MP at the time, Macmillan, claimed that . electricity-1948 Labour Fundamentalists including Bevan wanted further reforms, specifically more nationalisation meanwhile Morrison called for party unity. 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. The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held twenty months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats. 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. In 1951 Labour attained 48.8% of the vote, and the Conservatives only got 48% of the vote. From the research Ive done, Ive attempted to form what I consider to be that clear answer. Labour to the Conservatives - was enough to tip Labour out of office in the general election held in October 1951. 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. 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. higher percentage of votes Churchill however made a gross error in saying that Labour would need a Gestapo like organisation to enforce socialism upon Britain. 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. Labours answer focused on working class interests. um is there something wrong in these notes? George Washington Bridgeopened in 1931.Two lanes were added in 1946, and a lower deck added in 1962. Why did Labour lose its seats in 1951? Economic problems e.g. Gaitskell had imposed upon the health service prescription charges for glasses and false teeth, which to Bevan and other NHS idealists represented the betrayal of NHS founding principals. The Conservatives voted against the creation of a centralised health service in 1946, preferring rather the idea of state provision of healthcare administered at local level. 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. Morisson, the Deputy Prime Minister, believed that The very honesty and simplicity of the campaign helped enormously. People had lost trust in the conservatives and blamed them for Britains military short-comings, and this was important for Labours rise in support. Ultimately, the Conservatives profited from the decreased presence of Liberal candidates as they were able to win their votes through appealing to middle class needs, more so than Labour, who was affliated with the continuation of rationing, high taxes, wage freezes and unfulfilled promises for housing.

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