How effective was Winston Churchill as Prime Minister between 1951 and 1955? In this lesson, we will aim to: Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the Churchill's Ministry’s domestic policies between 1951 and 1955. Starter challenge: The diagram to the right shows the House of Commons after the 1951 election – Who has the majority? How large is this majority? Who is in opposition? Who are the minority parties?

Why were the Conservatives elected in 1951? By 1951, Clement Attlee's Labour Government was on its last legs. The general election of 1950 had slashed Attlee's majority to just five seats. Attlee's Cabinet was also suffering from long years in office. The cost of the war had disastrous effects on Britain's economy. Labour were forced to impose prescriptions charged on NHS. This deeply divided the party. This prompted the resignation of two Cabinet ministers, Nye Bevan and Harold Wilson. Churchill’s campaign was well run and funded. He played on his record as a war hero. Pledged to build 300,000 council houses per year, end rationing and make Britain a strong nuclear power on the world stage. By 1951, Clement Attlee's Labour Government was on its last legs. Most of the promises set out by the Labour Party in its 1945 manifesto had been put into practice, leaving the party directionless. The general election of 1950 had slashed Attlee's majority to just five seats. Attlee's Cabinet was also suffering from long years in office. Sir Stafford Cripps, the Chancellor, resigned due to illness in 1950 and Ernest Bevin, the Foreign Secretary, died in 1951. the Conservatives ran an efficient campaign that was well funded and orchestrated. Their manifesto Britain Strong and Free stressed that safeguarding "our traditional way of life" was integral to the Conservative purpose. They did not propose to dismantle the welfare state or the National Health Service which the Labour Government had established (Post-war consensus) With the nation at war, Churchill played up his succesful wartime record. They also pledged to reduce rationing and ease the housing shortage by building 300,000 council houses per year. As allies of the USA, Britain sent troops to support America's defence of South Korea in 1951, The cost of the war had disastrous effects on Britain's economy. Hugh Gaitskill, the new Chancellor, was forced, among other things, to impose prescription charges on National Health glasses and false teeth. This prompted the resignation of two Cabinet ministers, Nye Bevan and Harold Wilson.

Now, the Conservatives were greatly helped by a stroke of luck, that in 1952, there was a windfall improvement in the terms of trade because import prices fell, and that meant an automatic fall in the cost of living and an automatic rise in the standard of living, without governments having to do anything about it. That enabled the Conservatives to remove rationing. These years are characterised by the long boom in Europe, and it is possible that any government coming to power in the early-1950s would have been returned to power because economic conditions were so favourable. It does make one think that, if only Labour could have held on until 1952, until the fall in import prices, if they could have held on and won in 1952, they would have been the beneficiaries of all this, and Britain might look a very different place from what it does now, but that is all speculation. Professor Vernon Bogdanor, FBA CBE

What kind of Prime Minister was Churchill? When he took office in 1951, Churchill was 77 years old. He was now too old and frail to be much more than a figurehead. Considered himself ‘above’ domestic politics. Churchill’s main aim was to make sure Britain played a part on the world stage of the Cold War. He rarely spent much of his time devoted to building relations with the USA, and trying to negotiate peace with the USSR. The day-to-day running's of his government were left to the Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, or Chancellor R.A. Butler. The Churchill ministry was mainly concerned with international affairs.

For three and a half years, between October 1951, when Clement Attlee departed the scene, and April 1955 when Sir Anthony Eden arrived on it, 10 Downing Street was frequently uninhabited. Britain did have a Prime Minister in name – someone with a very famous name, Winston Churchill – but for much of the time it did not have one in reality. During those three and a half years, the job at the top was often scarcely being done. Or, more precisely, most of it was being done, but by other minister and officials, not by the Prime Minister. The government largely ran itself. The old warlord, by now in his late 70s, had neither the strength nor the will to play the role of peace lord….One of his many biographers describes him as having at this time been ‘gloriously unfit for office’. Anthony King, 2016

British steel was denationalised (privatised) RA Butler aligning Conservative Party economics with Keynesian principles. Rationing was ended British steel was denationalised (privatised) Britain successfully detonated its first atomic bomb in 1952. Television Act, 1954 Further decolonisation within the British Empire Divisions within the party over Soviet policy after Stalin’s death Clean Air Act, 1956 Formation of ‘Special Relationship’ Instability within the Empire e.g. Mau Mau Uprising and Malayan Emergency The government committed itself to a mass house building programme to meet the 300,00 per year target.

A post-war consensus? With social policy, Churchill was keen to show the Conservatives were committed to the welfare state. When Harry Crookshanks, Minister of Health, suggested a weekly charge for staying in a NHS hospital, they were quickly rejected by the cabinet. Even Conservative back-benchers were opposed to tampering with the NHS. Churchill’s decision to replace Crookshanks with Ian Macleod (a firm supporter of the NHS) shows his commitment to the welfare state. By governing from the centre, maintaining many of Labour’s post-war welfare reforms, Churchill hoped to win the support from the electorate.

Learning Task One “As a domestic leader, Churchill was ‘gloriously unfit for office’” How far do you agree with this assessment of the Prime Minister between 1951 and 1955? You should look at both sides of the argument; looking for examples of his successes and failures during this period. Use the textbook page, the article provided to you, as well as your own research online to compile evidence for and against Churchill.