Booklet 14 - Conservative dominance after Labour fall and consensus politics.

Reasons for Labour defeat:

• Timing of both elections - 1950 election was after devaluation of pound and the 1951 election was after Korean War.

• Split in party - Gaitskell and Bevan split over prescription charges.

• Korean War - Necessitated an Austerity budget.

• Redistribution Act of 1949 reduced safe seats.

• 5% dip in those identifying as working class.

• Shinwell said in a speech that apart from organised workers “the rest don’t matter a tinker’s cuss”

• Weak election programme with slogan “Labour believes in Britain” - No new ideas

• Trade unions disappointed with 1948 budget.

• Ernest Bevin died in 1950.

When did Atlee first call an election?

February 1950

Despite holding 46.1% of votes, how much of a majority did Labour have in the 1950 election?

A majority of 5 seats

What did Hugh Dalton say about the 1950 election result?

“We have office… Without power”

What was the conservative majority in 1951?

Majority of 17

Who helped reinvigorate the Conservative party post 1945, raising one million pound for campaigning?

Lord Woolton - Party Chairman

What two industries did Conservatives oppose Nationalisation over?

• Road Haulage

• Iron and Steel

Who committed the Tories to a mixed economy and corporatist policy in 1947 through an industrial charter?

RAB Butler

Reasons Conservatives won 1951 election:

• Churchill’s reputation as a wartime statesman, given the Korean war.

• Pledged to build 300,000 houses a year, Labour only managed 200,000.

• String of young promising MP’s such as Butler following 1944 Education act.

How old was Churchill when he won in 1951?

76 years old - very frail

What happened to Churchill in 1953 that was not known until the late 1960s?

He had a stroke, damaging his speech and leaving Eden to do day-to-day running.

Churchill government legislation 1951-55:

• ID Cards abolished

• Rationing Ended 1954

• Iron and steel and Road Haulage were denationalised

• 1952 - Atomic Bomb detonated

• MacMillan met 300,000 houses pledge.

• Increased expenditure on education opened Hull and Southampton University.

• Town and Country Planning Acts 1953 and 1954.

• Increased prescription charges.

What overlord did Churchill place as minister of Transport, fuel and power?

Lord Leathers

What was RAB Butler described as?

“The best prime minister the Conservatives never had”

Evidence of boom post 1951:

• Wages rose by 72% from 1951-1963

• Working week reduced from 48 hours - 42 hours.

• ITV Launched in 1955.

• Car ownership rose by four million 1951-1963.

What phrase was coined by ‘The Economist’ in 1954?

Butskellism

How much was the bank rate raised by in 1951?

4%

What did Butler ignore in 1955 and still reduced taxes?

The trade deficit

Evidence of consensus:

• Both saw importance of cooperating with TU’s

• Both saw the merit of the NHS

• Keynesian thinking became the basis of British Economics.

• Growth of corporatism - government directed economic planning.

• Both pro-USA, anti-USSR and anti-imperial.

Reasons for Conservative victory 1955:

• First Past the post system - Majority of 70 yet only 3.4% more votes than Labour.

• Women voters found Eden handsome.

• Atlee was 72 years old.

• Impact of tax cuts, like Butler’s 1955 giveaway budget.

• Press favoured Tories

• Eden was a statesman who would stand up to USSR.

• Poor Labour campaign, only wanted to abolish prescription charges and remove 11+.

Evidence Eden was not going to be a great PM:

• At age of 58, he was past his best

• He was labelled a nervous man who had mood swings.

• He had experience as foreign secretary, but little experience domestically.

• Butler summed it up as he said, unenthusiastically, ‘the best PM we have’

What did Macmillan do as chancellor in December 1955?

• Raised Bank rate to 5.5%.

• Increased hire purchase restriction.

What was introduced economically in February 1956?

Premium bonds

Measures passed by the Eden Government:

• Clean Air Act 1956 - It reduced smoke pollution by 30% over ten years.

• Food and Drugs Act - Consolidated previous legislation

• Housing Subsidy Act - Began to restore subsidies for council building

• Road Traffic Act 1955 - tests on cars over a certain age

The Suez Crisis:

• Nasser took over the canal on the 26th July 1956 and nationalised it. It had been owned by Britain and France.

• Eden made a secret agreement with Israel called the Protocol of Sevres to attack the Egyptian Army at the canal.

• British and French used paratroopers and bombed the area, yet they were forced to withdraw by USA.

• Eisenhower had not been consulted and so threatened to cause collapse of the pound.

The Suez Crisis consequences:

• The Conservative party split over the crisis. Colonial Minister Nutting resigned. There was a rebellion of nearly 40 MPs. Edward Heath kept the party in line.

• USA Pressure started a run on the pound. Macmillan advised against Suez for this exact reason.

• Eden lied to the commons - saying he had not colluded with Israel and France.

• Post war weakness exposed.

• Nasser’s standing improved.

• The last time Britain would act outside of NATO until the Falklands. It was a humiliating withdrawal.