End of Coalition Why did Labour win? Beveridge Report Education Act 1944 Family Allowances Act 1945 National Insurance Act 1946 National Assistance Act 1948 National Health Service Act 1946 Housing and Town Planning Education The Labour Election Victory of 1945 Part 1

The End of the Coalition 21st May 1945 – Attlee telephoned Churchill and they agreed to plan election Both assumed the Conservatives would win, but Attlee thought there might be reduced Conservative majority 23rd May – ‘caretaker’ cabinet formed by Churchill 5th June – parliament dissolved 5th July – voting 25th July – counted votes, so boxes abroad could be collected (soldiers)

Pre-election Emotions Comradely attitude between parties during war Many had served in war Churchill addressed letters «My dear Clem» (to Attlee) He even cried at final Cabinet meeting «The light of history will shine one every helmet» Shared aims foreign policy. Both parties agree to co-operate with USA Welfare at home But, CONFLICT Typical of election time

General Election, 1945

General Election, Why Labour won Manifesto What people wanted after last war Less injured servicemen with no support Less unemployment (like 1930s) Labour MPs 250 out of totally new Some highly respected and familiar to the public e.g. Attlee, Bevin and Morrison. Some were intellectuals e.g. Gaitskell, Castle, Wilson they helped ensure party policy was carefully thought out. Beveridge Report Labour promised to implement it It was very influential and popular

General Election, Why Labour won Mood Campaign more modest – wife ‘Vi’ drove him around in-tune with the public mood. power of the state could be used to better the lives of the public Labour campaign based on reconstruction Experience in the war gained them recognition and respect. Attlee’s reponse to ‘Gestapo’ speech Calm and controlled People overlooked Labour’s previous failings they were ascribed to them being a minority government. Electoral system worked to advantage of Labour.

General Election, Why Conservatives lost Depression Associated with it and economic failures of 1930s Beveridge Report Churchill felt the report fostered ‘a dangerous optimism’ Mood Conservatives promoted a more laissez-faire approach Campaign Grand cavalcade around Britain ‘let him (Churchill) finish the job’ – too focused on past and Churchill Gestapo speech 1930s Blamed for appeasement and British entry into war

General Election, Why Conservatives lost Scaremongering Gestapo speech Said Labour Party was ‘left-wing’ Focussed on link to Laski (London School of Economics – Party Chairman) However, Laski had little influence over Attlee (page 24 – Source G)

Labour members Clement Attlee Ernest Bevin Herbert Morrison

Labour Members Sir Richard Stafford Cripps Aneurin «Nye» Bevan Hugh Dalton

Labour members Clement Attlee Became prime minister in 1945 modest Ernest Bevin Traditional Labour politician Suggested Attlee go to Buckingham Palace before leadership election Foreign Office Herbert Morrison Attempted to replace Attlee as leader in 1945 by suggesting new leadership election Became leader of the House of Commons

Labour members Sir Stafford Cripps President of Board of Trade Chancellor for the Exchequer from 1947 Aneurin «Nye» Bevan Surprise choice for Minister of Health – only 47 (average age of Cabinet – 60) Mining, working-class background Hugh Dalton Chancellor of the Exchequer

Landslide Victory for Labour? Liberals – 20 (1935), 12 (1945) Labour 1935 – 154 seats 1945 – 393 seats Did well in most regions London Convincing majority Southern England Slight majority (unusual) North, Midwest, Wales Support Scotland close Conservatives 1935 – 432 seats 1945 – 213 seats

Election Results Labour 393 seats47.8% of vote Cons 213 seats39.8% Liberal 12 seats9.0% Communist 2 seats0.4% Other20 seats2%

Weird results… Each Labour seat = 30,522 votes Each Con seat = 46,893 votes Each Lib seat = 187,352 votes!! So, this isn’t the crushing defeat of the Cons some historians like to explain it as. It was more of a marginal shift to Labour

Forming a Labour Government Churchill and Attlee surprised Morrison suggested vote among MPs for prime minister He expected to win Ernest Bevin Suggested Attlee go to the palace and get appointed before Morrison did anything His wife ‘Vi’ drove him and the King appointed him Morrison continued to cause trouble so Bevin reminded him ‘stop mucking about or he wouldn’t be in the bloody government’ Elation among Labour John Freeman (young Labour MP) – ‘Today we go into action. Today may rightly be regarded as D-Day in the battle for the New Britain’

Was Welfare new to Britain? Elizabeth 1 introduced Major reforms by Liberals pre – WW1 Old-age pensions National insurance against sickness Insurance against unemployment For some by 1914 By 1939 Gradually Extended Pre – 1942 Labour already committed to Welfare Beveridge Report Propaganda triumph – Had to happen

Beveridge Report - read page 11 & 12 Presented in November 1942 by William Beveridge Aims Abolish material want Universal scheme of insurance to protect against problems (no ‘means test’) Protect from the ‘cradle to the grave’ Retain ‘personal responsibilities’ No increase in government expenditure Maintain capitalism (liberal) 200,000 words long Sold 100,000 copies in a month. 635,000 copies in total

Beveridge Report What did it include?

Beveridge Report Take notes outlining what Beveridge’s 5 Giants represented and how they were tackled by Labour.

Family Allowances Act Provided Child benefit for all children except eldest Originally 5 shillings per child (later increased) Had been mentioned in Beveridge Report Trade Unions were wary in case had impact on thier wages

National Insurance Act Focus on ‘universality’ – Welfare for all (rich and poor) All workers and employers contribute Minimum number of 156 contributions required NOT from taxation Did not include school children, pensioners, married women and self-employed earning less than £104 a year Left-wing MPs demanded unemployment benefits but were defeated Minister of Social Security – in charge Old-age pensions 26 shillings – 1 person 42 shillings - couple

Industrial Injuries Act Extra benefits for People injured at work Through National Insurance Act

National Assistance Act 1948 National Assistance Board created Means tests for unemployed – only if you did not pay in to National Insurance Act Both Acts – National Insurance Act Not challenged by Conservatives Widely supported Big difference to all Britons lives (except most wealthy) Helped with - sickness and unemployment benefit, retirement pension and widow and maternity benefit

National Health Service Act Plan Announced by Minister of Health – Aneurin Bevan Attacked by Conservatives Aims Improve physical and mental health in England and Wales Prevent, diagnose, treat illness Free of Charge where possible Hospitals Would be nationalised Some opposition Morrison – believed in local control Chancellor of Exchequer – Hugh Dalton Offered to cover 80% with taxation 20% from National Insurance contributions Plan for 388 hospitals to be run by 14 regional hospital boards Consultants would be paid generously and spread over hospitals Could continue privately too

National Health Service Act Opposition British Medical Association (BMA) Representing GPs (General Practitioners) Feared becoming state employees – wanted by the Socialist Medical Association (SMA) Compromise Doctors who joined NHS got small salary topped up by number of patients enrolled (in NHS) Gave doctors option to practice privately Generous. Bevan said – ‘I stuffed their mouths with gold’ Andrew Marr Page 29 – Source M

National Health Service 1946 – In Action Not just hopitals State-funded maternity, child welfare clinics, health visitors, vaccination and ambulance services 5th July % of GPs had agreed to join Huge success for Attlee Thousands received treatment they thought they couldn’t Biggest employer in country Sacrosanct institution – replaced Navy

NHS

Housing and town planning By 1945 Massive Housing crisis Stopped building and slum clearance during war German bombers destroyed homes By 1945 – 700,000 fewer houses than 1945 Minister for Health – Nye Bevan responsible but ‘only keeping half a Nye on it’ Housing Acts Aim to not segregate rich and poor Built 157,000 temporary houses (pre-fabricated) Bevan called them ‘rabbit hutches’ Bevan did not achieve aim of 300,000 houses a year Partly because his standards were too high. Wanted bigger houses and indoor toilets up and downstairs

Housing and town planning By September ,000 new houses Slow start in , but considerable achievement Town and Country Planning Act, Protected agricultural land Controlled urban development Stict controls (unlike Victioruan Britain) National Parks created – especially loved by Hugh Dalton – Chancellor of the Exchequer 14 new cities created to solve housing problems Eg. Stevenage,

1944 Education Act Created by Butler (conservative) who was Minister for Education in the War Cabinet Included an end to fees in secondary school Extended oppurtunities for young people Implemented by Labour government

Education – Mostly success for working class 1944 Butler (Conservative) introduced Education Act Ended fees in secondary schools Extended oppurtunities for working-class New government Had to implement Act Ellen Wilkinson (Minister of Education) responsible Achievement Raised school leaving age to 15 in 1947 Emergency building – huts at schools for students 35,000 extra teachers trained 928 new primary school buildings by 1950 Tripartate system – grammar, technical and secondary Not always possible – technical 25% grammer, 75% secondary