The party had achieved many of the reforms put forward in their 1945 manifesto, most noteably the implementation of the welfare state, and now lacked new policy ideas. why did labour lose the 1951 election. Labours answer focused on working class interests. 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. In Place of Strife, prices and incomes policy etc. The need for a better post war Britain was felt amongst all classes and Labour's support of the Beveridge Report brought widespread support. downfall 1950, Balance of Payments record: They also caused higher taxes, and the unstable economy caused many voters to demonise labour in 1951. The disadvantages and advantages of pesticides. 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. system, Alongside the abolishment of should remain, Bevan an Labour 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. assortment of industries', Following clause IV Why did the Conservatives win/ Labour lose the 1951 UK general election? conservatives into a modern party, (45 Marks) The 3rd May 1979 saw the greatest parliamentary swing since the war, with the Conservative Party polling 43.9% of the vote; thereby winning 339 seats (up 62 since the last election). Labour had 13, 948, 605 votes Conservatives had 13, 717, 538 votes Liberals had 730, 556 votes Why did the Conservatives win if Labour had more votes? Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. Indeed, after signing the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain was heralded as a hero: 'saving' the country from another bloody war. However Pearce concludes that The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. In 1951, Labour was pilling on votes in seats they had already won, while the Conservatives won narrow victories. Labours changes, The Spectator wrote: The conservatives of 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. Britains economic resources were being drained from all directions; Foreign Policy, Nationalisation, Welfare and Austerity. In 2011, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began a billion-dollar project to replace the vertical ropes connecting the cables to the deck, but the deck itself remained in place.. St. John's Bridge (Oregon)opened in 1931.A redecking project was completed in 2005. 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. The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. billion he had hoped for, Repayable at Gaitskell adopted a similarly pragmatic approach to Britains budgetary problems and kept typically socialist long-term economic planning to a minimum. Between 1948 and the election year 1950, Labour was committed to a period of tighter spending and more austere demands placed upon citizens. 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. 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. support for the party. Mind Map on Why did Labour lose the 1951 election?, created by alinam on 05/24/2015. response of Tory MP to Bevin's speech 1948 where he referred to The Labour party had suffered after 10 years in government, and their MPs had begun falling ill, some even dying. 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 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. disadvantage the Labour party however he did not postposne them Resource summary. 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. 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 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. socialist the party How Labour Governments Fall: From Ramsey MacDonald to Gordon Brown, Aspects of British Political History 1914- 1995, The Lessons of 19451951 Tories in Opposition. Arguments within the labour party. of cold war era), Violence broke out in India and Paliastine during decolonisation, Sectarian violence - Violence The Conservatives' campaign focused on Churchill and international relationships rather than any major new reforms that the electorate so desperately wanted. 20. century British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. The election was held on Thursday 23 February 1950, and was the first held following the abolition of plural voting and university constituencies. Aged - many were in 60s 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. Paul Addison, however, argues that the campaign was important because Attlee's reputation rose during the 1945 electoral campaign. In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. From the research Ive done, Ive attempted to form what I consider to be that clear answer. 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. social reforms were needed. Its formation was the result of many years of struggle by working class people, trade unionists and socialists, united by the goal of working class voices represented in British Parliament. 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. 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. The Attlee governments of 1945 to 1951 can be divided into four key sections. Rather, the balance of payments problem forced the non-idealists within the leadership to face the necessary curtailing of public spending. year ect. Morrison, was moved to minister of employment, Proposed introduction of 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. She believed that Social changes should come 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. Evidently, the Conservatives were punished in 1945, when they were lucky to not have been in 1935 and, arguably, if elections had taken place in 1940, Labour may have won. The new Chancellor Sir Stafford Cripps expected of the country an austere realism which entailed the retention of rationing. ministers to show their political competence, Work of Butler in transforming the We provide reliable homework help online and custom college essay service. This split caused to distinct groups to form within Labour; the Bevanites and the Gaitsgillites. The result of the election caused much surprise. Hugh Dalton's administration of the Labour's election record in the 1930s was poor, as they were disorganised and divided. leadership remembered in a Once more, it was the objection of the middle class voters to austere conditions which brought about the Parliamentary swing. 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Under Michael Foot, it suffered a landslide defeat, taking just 27.6% of the vote and giving Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives. Divisions over appeasement, foreign policy and rearmament deeply weakened Labour. so much about economics, 1 He belonged to the first intake of students at the Ecole polytechnique in 1794 and went on to become an iron engineer. After the First World War, the Lloyd George Coalition had made many empty promises concerning reconstruction. The Conservative victory in 1951 is typically attributed either to the failures of Attlee's government - devaluation, the Bevanite revolt - or to the achievements of Churchill's opposition, including Lord Woolton's reforms and the acceptance of the "post-war consensus". That was three million less than the number of summonses, warrants and benefit deduction orders issued for poll tax non-payment. Pearce's reinterpretation argument makes the most sense because policies like appeasement were relatively popular at the time. The Iron and coal industries were not profitable After his 1945 defeat, Churchill remained party leader and led the Conservatives into the following general election in February 1950. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The pre-war period was significant because, during the war, it was reinterpreted. Why did Harold Wilson win the 1964 Election. Please read our, {"ad_unit_id":"App_Resource_Sidebar_Upper","resource":{"id":2798048,"author_id":348222,"title":"Why did Labour lose the 1951 election? 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. Evidently, the Conservatives were punished in 1945, when they were lucky to not have been in 1935 and, arguably, if elections had taken place in 1940, Labour may have won. 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? Two cabinet ministers resigned in protest &ndash . protecting against the 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. These acts included the reforms set out in the Beveridge plan, various other reforms and nationalisation. In the 1950 election, the Liberals put up 475 candidates and secured 2.6 million votes (9.1% of the entire vote). 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. Reply 1 7 years ago A TSR George OP 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. The Road Manifesto 1950 accepted Why did Labour win the 1945 election and lose in the 1951 election? 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. The 1945-1946 period of Labour government sought to address some key difficulties facing the nation following World War II. The first-past-the-post system played a key role in both winning Labour the vote in 1945 and losing it in 1951. This massive reform of the 1945-1946 period was dealt a blow in February 1947, when the government faced a fuel crisis. National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. 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. For all of my fellow A2 AQA historians out there, I hope this helps! keeping the NHS, Attractive party to businessmen UNHAPPY PARLIAMENT, Labour majority A TSR George 17 I got all the reasons.but looking at the figures conservative had 13.7mil votes and labour got 13.9mil. 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. Conservative (48.0%) The poor timing of the 1951 election can also be claimed to have weakened Labour's position. 20thcentury British politics had been dominated by the conservatives, and Labour had never formed a workable majority before 1945. favoured 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. Liberals 6, Note how Labour actually achieved a 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. Conservative pre-war blunders played a key role in Labour's victory due to the electorate remembering these mistakes. Under the first past the post electoral system, many Labour votes were "wasted" as part of large majorities for MPs in safe seats. Indeed, after signing the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain was heralded as a hero: 'saving' the country from another bloody war. 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. As the Labour Party emerged to replace the Liberal Party in the 1920s, G.D.H. Within the Cabinet, Gaitskells decision to expand the defence budget at the expense of domestic spending enraged health minister Nye Bevan in particular, who resigned as a response to the Korean deployment. But it was not. 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. 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. why did Labour lose the 1951 election? National income had fallen by a quarter during the War, meaning that many export markets needed to be recovered lest Britain face financial ruin. Conservative opposition fell off quickly, however, when the popularity of the NHS became increasingly apparent following its inception in 1946. Labour argued that they had earned their independence by fighting in WW2, and that it was not economically viable to sustain them. 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 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. Why didn't Labour win the election 1948 Representation of the People Act What was the name of the 1948 law which changed constituency boundaries Liberal Party What party saw their vote fall from 2.6 million to 730,556 Sets with similar terms POLS 315 Exam 3 67 terms Leiigit_Kae American Gov Unit 4 Exam 91 terms Alexis_Martyn45 my could least handle it, and Labour was blamed by a weary public in 1951. called for This split was a key moment in the demise of Attlees government. spring of 52' due to the Kings tour of Australia it hit the party at a Extremely cold weather met with insufficient stockpiles of coal, and much industry ground to a halt as a result. Technicalities. Why then, did Labour go on to lose so many seats in 1950 before losing the General Election in 1951? priorities, Coal mining-1947 The Attlee Labour government of 1945-51 ended more with a whimper than with a bang. between people of different '51 was an attempt that backfired to increase the labour majority - but in reality they only lost 22 seats in that election. The state of the economy had contributed to both elections also 1945 voters remembered the conservative led crippled economy of the 1930s; and in 1951 voters judged labour on the struggling economy of the time. The 1983 general election marked a low point for the Labour Party. 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. Following Cripps resignation on grounds of ill health, Hugh Gaitskell took over as Chancellor during Attlees second government. It had several effects, all of which were harmful in both the long and short term. Their living standards had not radically altered since 1945, and the significance of many of these voters is that they voted in marginal constituencies. However Pearce concludes that. The dynamic nature of our site means that Javascript must be enabled to function properly. highly controversial and cost But Labour didn't lose in 1983 because it was too left wing; rather, Thatcher won because of the Falklands War. 9% swing against Labour. The newly recruited young members dramatically contrasted with the aging Labour cabinet and presented the Conservatives as a rising party fit to govern. Essay on why Labour failed to renew itself after it fulfilled its 1945 manifesto So a better question is why did labour lose so many seats in '50. 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 interesting they had little to do with shifting the electorate's opinions, indeed in 1945 both parties' campaigns were largely improvised. Bankruptcy in 1808 did not prevent him from enjoying later success, with the backing of senior officials and . Greenwood, a Labour Politician, commissioned Beveridge to produce a report outlining a socio-economic strategy of post-war reconstruction. 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. Labour would not again form a government until 1964, the question is; what caused people to revert back to supporting the conservatives once again? How about receiving a customized one?