Achievements
- Post war consensus: mixed economy, welfare state, pro us policies
Clement - Welfare state - using recommendations of the Beveridge report, Labour implemented a system of National Insurance, national
assistance, industrial injuries, and most notably the National Health Services. This provided a system of Social Care.
- Attlee’s govt also carried out manifesto commitments for nationalisation of basic industries and public utilities. By 1951, about
Atlee -
20% of the British economy had been taken under public ownership.
Decolonisation – Britain accepted that its possession and retention of colonies held a burden. Atlee orchestrated the move to
declare Pakistan and India as independent nations in 1947.
- NATO – GB played a key role in the formation of NATO in 1949 – an alliance of countries that created a safeguard from the
USSR.
- Nuclear weapons – in 1947 the labour government started a programme of research that led to the detonation of the H-bomb
in 1952 and 1957.
- Housing – Between August 1945 and December 1951 there were 1,016,349 new houses were built in England, Scotland and
Wales.
Problems within the Labour Party and why it lost in 1951.
- Attlee’s government was worn down. There were party divisions which severely impacted their performance. The Left of the
party were against nuclear weapons and prescription charges, whereas the right supported those. There was also a balance of
1945-1951 -
payments crisis.
Industrial concern – there was slow response to workers’ demands.
- Entry into the 1951 Korean war – the left of the party was worried that the labour part was being too pro-America especially as
Britain was dependent on Marshal aid funding.
- Bevanite (left of party) rebellion – Atlee’s charge on dental treatment meant that Bevan led a number of ministers to resign,
showing the potential weakness/loss of control of Atlee’s govt.
- In 1951, the Chancellor Gaitskell, proposed to impose charges on NHS false teeth and spectacles to help fund additional
defence spending needed for Korean War. This outraged Bevan who, along with Harold Wilson resigned from the government.
- There was also conservative recovery – conservatives sharpened their attacks and younger politicians meant that the party had
a ‘fresh look; to it as well as new ideas being introduced.
- Post war consensus: mixed economy, welfare state, pro us policies
Clement - Welfare state - using recommendations of the Beveridge report, Labour implemented a system of National Insurance, national
assistance, industrial injuries, and most notably the National Health Services. This provided a system of Social Care.
- Attlee’s govt also carried out manifesto commitments for nationalisation of basic industries and public utilities. By 1951, about
Atlee -
20% of the British economy had been taken under public ownership.
Decolonisation – Britain accepted that its possession and retention of colonies held a burden. Atlee orchestrated the move to
declare Pakistan and India as independent nations in 1947.
- NATO – GB played a key role in the formation of NATO in 1949 – an alliance of countries that created a safeguard from the
USSR.
- Nuclear weapons – in 1947 the labour government started a programme of research that led to the detonation of the H-bomb
in 1952 and 1957.
- Housing – Between August 1945 and December 1951 there were 1,016,349 new houses were built in England, Scotland and
Wales.
Problems within the Labour Party and why it lost in 1951.
- Attlee’s government was worn down. There were party divisions which severely impacted their performance. The Left of the
party were against nuclear weapons and prescription charges, whereas the right supported those. There was also a balance of
1945-1951 -
payments crisis.
Industrial concern – there was slow response to workers’ demands.
- Entry into the 1951 Korean war – the left of the party was worried that the labour part was being too pro-America especially as
Britain was dependent on Marshal aid funding.
- Bevanite (left of party) rebellion – Atlee’s charge on dental treatment meant that Bevan led a number of ministers to resign,
showing the potential weakness/loss of control of Atlee’s govt.
- In 1951, the Chancellor Gaitskell, proposed to impose charges on NHS false teeth and spectacles to help fund additional
defence spending needed for Korean War. This outraged Bevan who, along with Harold Wilson resigned from the government.
- There was also conservative recovery – conservatives sharpened their attacks and younger politicians meant that the party had
a ‘fresh look; to it as well as new ideas being introduced.
