1. How was the political situation in Britain in the 1950s?
The composition of the population has undergone a marked transformation, due primarily to advances in medicine. In line with a general trend around the developed world, life expectancy has risen greatly for both men and women. Furthermore, large-scale immigration became more common due to the politicians lenience. Nearly 500 Caribbean immigrants were docked at Tilbury to Britain, many attracted by offers of work. This arrival represented the beginning of significant immigration to Britain from the Commonwealth, particularly the Caribbean, and later the Indian subcontinent and this was the first time the politics had agreed to this significant immigration change. Labour and Conservatives parties both shared major overlaps in policy throughout the post-war period, for example in maintaining free health care at the point of delivery - the basis of the National Health Service. The Labour government established the National Health Service during post-war as they attempted to improve the medical services available for their citizens. Labour remained in government but its majority fell greatly, to only five seats, as the electorate's enthusiasm for Labour's post-war vision dwindled away. The Labour government fell as the Conservatives won a clear majority. Remarkably, Winston Churchill became prime minister again at the age of 76 in 1951 however it wasn’t long until he retired at the age of 80 in 1955 due to his declining health. The government primarily focused on foreign affairs, including reducing the escalation of the Cold War tensions and maintaining the a good relationship with America which they had developed during World War Two.