Chapter 4 Conservative Domination, 1951-64
Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 election?
Labour weaknesses/ divisions:
- The cabinet was exhausted from dealing with post-war economic problems. Attlee and
Bevan had worked continuously in office since 1940.
- Labour had not done as well in the election of 1950 as it had in the landslide victory of
1945 (only having a majority of 5 seats) which weakened its morale.
- Trade Unions began to resent Labour’s slowness to listen to their demands.
- The British participation in the Korean War (1950) was protested by the left wing of the
party. 1951 Harold Wilson resigned as President of the Board of trade over the scale of
rearmament and a rise in defence spending.
- Spending cuts in the NHS and the introduction of charges for spectacles, prescriptions
and dental care.
Divided the party as it undermined their principle that the NHS should be free at the point
of treatment. In 1951 Bevan (who oversaw the introduction of the NHS) resigned from
the government at the introduction of prescription charges.
- Also internal divisions over nuclear weapons and Clause IV.
- Party was associated with an unpopular policy of austerity. It cut back on imported
goods to encourage exports and maintained high taxation/ rationing to ensure that as
many goods as possible were exported.
- 1947 - Britain had a harsh winter that made coal mining/ transport impossible. Exports
dropped and Britain spent loaned money fast. Austerity measures were imposed to deal
with the crisis and the balance of payments crisis in 1949 meant that the pound was
devalued by 30% (destroyed reputation).
- Labour govt. was not as strong as it had been in earlier years of office. Electorate faced
a party that was internally divided, while the Conservatives had recovered and
reorganised itself after defeat in 1945.
HOWEVER the argument that Labour failings from 1945-51 were responsible for their defeat in
1951 is not supported by their performance in the election:
- Labour won more votes overall than (at that point) any party in British electoral history -
not a sign of a weak/ declining party.
, - They achieved a great deal and implemented some policies that would be followed by all
governments until 1979.
Conservative strengths:
- Lord Woolton reformed party finances and local organisation, so that the party was in a
stronger position to challenge Labour. He brought young, talented politicians into the
party, such as Reginald Maulding, who gave the party new ideas and dynamism.
- Labour’s nationalisation of the iron and steel industry provided a contentious issue
around which the party could successfully challenge the government (didn’t want
nationalisation of already profitable industries). This united the party.
- The new Conservative Research Department developed new ideas, theories and
arguments to oppose the socialism of Labour. E.g Labour relied heavily on US
borrowing - Conservatives criticised Labour for spending American loans on the NHS
and higher wages rather than modernising the economy.
- Conservatives portrayed themselves as champions of ‘liberty and individualism’ as
opposed to state control. Orwell’s 1984 was interpreted as a criticism of Attlee’s
government and their high level of control
Party offered an attractive programme:
- Promised to build 300,000 houses a year. This was popular as Labour had not dealt
with the post-war housing shortage.
- Conservatives promised freedom from rationing and regulations. Give people ‘more red
meat’ at a time when meat was strictly rationed
- Promised to keep the key elements that had been popular since 1945 - the welfare state;
full employment policies; nationalisation of coal, transport and electricity.
- Churchill was a much admired figure and in 1951 he did not make controversial
speeches like those that had helped to lose the 1945 election.
Other factors:
Labour polled over 200,000 votes more than the Conservatives but the conservatives won by a
majority of 26 seats.
3 key reasons for this:
1. FPTP electoral system
1945 election - Labour needed to poll 30,522 votes for each seat it won
1951 - 47,283 votes.
, In contrast the proportion of votes per seat for the Conservatives had declined.
1945 - 46,892 votes.
1951 - 42,733 votes.
This was a result of the FPTP voting system, where Labour won large majorities in many safe
seats but lost lots of marginal seats to the Tories.
2. Boundary changes brought about by the 1948 Representation of the People Act
Boundary changes favoured the Conservatives.
It meant that Labour had to win 2% more of the popular vote than the tories to win the same
number of seats.
The redistribution of seats resulted in some of their safe seats becoming marginal or simply
increased the number of votes they could win in already safe seats.
3. The decline in the Liberal Party
They were financially stretched and in decline, so decided to contest only 109 seats.
Many ex-Liberal voters turned to the Conservatives, as Labour was too associated with state
control of industry (a policy liked by traditional liberals). This helped the Conservatives to win
Labour marginal seats.
Vote fell from 2.6 million in 1945 to 730,556 in 1951.
Why were the Conservatives able to dominate British politics for so long?
After the 1951 election there were 13 years of conservative government under four different
PMs and a further two election victories.
ECONOMIC POLICIES - BUTSKELLISM/ STOP-GO POLICIES
‘Butskellism’ brought together the name and policies of:
Conservative Chancellor R.A Butler (1951-55) with Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell
- Part of consensus
- Both wanted to avoid high inflation or deflation, using interest rates and import controls
to manage the economy.
‘Stop-go’ policies:
- Economy needed a boost = lower interest rate, lower taxation and relax import controls.
More money to spend and production for home demand would go up.
Why did the Conservatives win the 1951 election?
Labour weaknesses/ divisions:
- The cabinet was exhausted from dealing with post-war economic problems. Attlee and
Bevan had worked continuously in office since 1940.
- Labour had not done as well in the election of 1950 as it had in the landslide victory of
1945 (only having a majority of 5 seats) which weakened its morale.
- Trade Unions began to resent Labour’s slowness to listen to their demands.
- The British participation in the Korean War (1950) was protested by the left wing of the
party. 1951 Harold Wilson resigned as President of the Board of trade over the scale of
rearmament and a rise in defence spending.
- Spending cuts in the NHS and the introduction of charges for spectacles, prescriptions
and dental care.
Divided the party as it undermined their principle that the NHS should be free at the point
of treatment. In 1951 Bevan (who oversaw the introduction of the NHS) resigned from
the government at the introduction of prescription charges.
- Also internal divisions over nuclear weapons and Clause IV.
- Party was associated with an unpopular policy of austerity. It cut back on imported
goods to encourage exports and maintained high taxation/ rationing to ensure that as
many goods as possible were exported.
- 1947 - Britain had a harsh winter that made coal mining/ transport impossible. Exports
dropped and Britain spent loaned money fast. Austerity measures were imposed to deal
with the crisis and the balance of payments crisis in 1949 meant that the pound was
devalued by 30% (destroyed reputation).
- Labour govt. was not as strong as it had been in earlier years of office. Electorate faced
a party that was internally divided, while the Conservatives had recovered and
reorganised itself after defeat in 1945.
HOWEVER the argument that Labour failings from 1945-51 were responsible for their defeat in
1951 is not supported by their performance in the election:
- Labour won more votes overall than (at that point) any party in British electoral history -
not a sign of a weak/ declining party.
, - They achieved a great deal and implemented some policies that would be followed by all
governments until 1979.
Conservative strengths:
- Lord Woolton reformed party finances and local organisation, so that the party was in a
stronger position to challenge Labour. He brought young, talented politicians into the
party, such as Reginald Maulding, who gave the party new ideas and dynamism.
- Labour’s nationalisation of the iron and steel industry provided a contentious issue
around which the party could successfully challenge the government (didn’t want
nationalisation of already profitable industries). This united the party.
- The new Conservative Research Department developed new ideas, theories and
arguments to oppose the socialism of Labour. E.g Labour relied heavily on US
borrowing - Conservatives criticised Labour for spending American loans on the NHS
and higher wages rather than modernising the economy.
- Conservatives portrayed themselves as champions of ‘liberty and individualism’ as
opposed to state control. Orwell’s 1984 was interpreted as a criticism of Attlee’s
government and their high level of control
Party offered an attractive programme:
- Promised to build 300,000 houses a year. This was popular as Labour had not dealt
with the post-war housing shortage.
- Conservatives promised freedom from rationing and regulations. Give people ‘more red
meat’ at a time when meat was strictly rationed
- Promised to keep the key elements that had been popular since 1945 - the welfare state;
full employment policies; nationalisation of coal, transport and electricity.
- Churchill was a much admired figure and in 1951 he did not make controversial
speeches like those that had helped to lose the 1945 election.
Other factors:
Labour polled over 200,000 votes more than the Conservatives but the conservatives won by a
majority of 26 seats.
3 key reasons for this:
1. FPTP electoral system
1945 election - Labour needed to poll 30,522 votes for each seat it won
1951 - 47,283 votes.
, In contrast the proportion of votes per seat for the Conservatives had declined.
1945 - 46,892 votes.
1951 - 42,733 votes.
This was a result of the FPTP voting system, where Labour won large majorities in many safe
seats but lost lots of marginal seats to the Tories.
2. Boundary changes brought about by the 1948 Representation of the People Act
Boundary changes favoured the Conservatives.
It meant that Labour had to win 2% more of the popular vote than the tories to win the same
number of seats.
The redistribution of seats resulted in some of their safe seats becoming marginal or simply
increased the number of votes they could win in already safe seats.
3. The decline in the Liberal Party
They were financially stretched and in decline, so decided to contest only 109 seats.
Many ex-Liberal voters turned to the Conservatives, as Labour was too associated with state
control of industry (a policy liked by traditional liberals). This helped the Conservatives to win
Labour marginal seats.
Vote fell from 2.6 million in 1945 to 730,556 in 1951.
Why were the Conservatives able to dominate British politics for so long?
After the 1951 election there were 13 years of conservative government under four different
PMs and a further two election victories.
ECONOMIC POLICIES - BUTSKELLISM/ STOP-GO POLICIES
‘Butskellism’ brought together the name and policies of:
Conservative Chancellor R.A Butler (1951-55) with Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell
- Part of consensus
- Both wanted to avoid high inflation or deflation, using interest rates and import controls
to manage the economy.
‘Stop-go’ policies:
- Economy needed a boost = lower interest rate, lower taxation and relax import controls.
More money to spend and production for home demand would go up.
