P17 - Labour after 1951 + 1964 victory

labour Position after 1951

lost the election but received more votes compared to prior elections

• lost 1955 + 1959 election - weren’t getting “floating voters “ of the middle class

wouldn’t return to office until 1964

-Gaitskell attacked Eden over suez but MC recovered party unity, while labour was further splitting

why weren’t labour effective opposition ?

Burnt out - seemed to have nothing new to offer - fulfilled all their 1945 election promises

• only could suggest nationalisation - not a vote winner

divisions - 1951 split + Bevin dies 1951 + Atlee retired 1955

• 1959 split in ideology - some want more radical

Gaitskellites vs Bevanites weakened opposition

Why did labour lose in 1959?

Con propaganda - “don't let labour ruin it”

throw away budgets

labour split over unilateralism + nationalisation

labour seen as party of social reform + welfare state vs Cons as rising living standards

consensus politics

election results

Cons gained 21 seats

• majority from 58 to 100

LAB lost 19

Post 1959 election

Gaitskell claimed unilateralism costed votes vs left saying lack to nationalism was reason

right side + Gaitskell with CDS(Campaign for democratic socialism) argued wrong for left to use Tu influence to get extreme view across party - party was moderate

-loss highlighted the damage the split was doing

Reason for split (3)

opposition from Tus to party leadership

Argument over nuclear weapons

argue over state/public ownership of industry

opposition from Tus to party leadership

Bevan and left wanted

• Frank Cousins - TGWU leader opposed Gaitskell over nuclear weapons - want Gaik to lose leadership in 1960

Argue over nuclear weapons

1952 - 1st BR atomic bomb, 1957 - 1st BR hydrogen bomb

1950s - Bevan + 32 supporters opposed pro US policy and pro-nuclear

1958 - CND formed - middle class and intellectual support for unilateral disarmament

• some ppl joined due to against the cost, but many were anti-US and pro-USSR

1960 - left block Gaitskell to force party to adopt unilateralism + Gait lost vote on nuclear disarmament - would lose voters

• control did re occur in 1961 + party never became unilateralist

arguments over state/public owned industry

1959 pre election - Gaitskell argued to drop Clause IV - didn’t want union control of policy

• got outvoted and wasn’t abandoned until 1994

Gaitskell opposed tu domination + unilateralism - believed wouldn’t be pop in elections

• 1959 election loss convinced him more

how did con weakness Revival labour?

after 1960 - ppl more critical of Cons gov + image of “old boy network” and “establishment”

economy overheating over balance of payments

1962 MC losing touch + scandals damaged him + party img

how did Harold Wilson revive labour ?

Harold Wilson succeeded after Gaitskell death in 1963

-good media man - TV

-skilled economist who inspired - went to oxford via scholarship

-created img of lab as modern, meritocratic + classless

• “time for change”, “new BR”, “thirteen years of Tory misrule”

-promised science development + modern industry - “white heat of technological revolution”

Harold Wilson

not a socialist

didn’t abandon clause IV but didn’t promote

wanted more science + tech develop - created Ministry of technology

want to erode class boundaries - meritocracy

want closer links with commonwealth and not US or EU

Economy when labour took over

-poor state

-8B debt - due to tax cuts and Cons spending promises

-forced to devaluate the pound to build houses + social reform

• helped to lower export price + balance of payments