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Reasons for election wins,

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Detailed notes on reasons for election win, for depth-study (History of Modern Britain, ) A-Level History

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  • March 8, 2021
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Reasons for election wins, 1951-1997


1951 - Conservative - PM = Winston Churchill


 1945-51 : Labour gain extra 2 million votes, Conservatives - nearly 4 million
 But still not immediately obvious that there would be a long period of Conservative dominance
 Labour actually won more votes - 14 million (larger than any of Labour’s previous election
victories)
 Conservatives only have a 17 seat majority

 Many Labour activists believed they would soon return to power
 But :


 Attlee ageing and often in poor health
 Growing split in the Labour party, both in ideology and in personalities
 1951 - Bevanite rebellion
 Heavy economic and financial difficulties, inc. wartime debts, BoP crisis, declining exports,
defence expenditure, etc.
 Government exhausted after 6 years in office
 Found it difficult to shake off its image as party of rationing and high taxation
 Called for austerity which they claimed the party demanded → not attractive to the electorate
 They had rationed essential items, introduced financial controls, introduced wage freezes and
devalued the £


 1950 election saw influx of bright young Conservative MPs, e.g. Butler → brought new ideas
and confidence to the party
 Conservatives seen as the ‘natural party of government’
 Liberal Party’s decisión to put up only 109 candidates, a drop of 366 compared with 1950.
The nearly 2 million ex-Liberal votes went largely to the Conservatives

1955 - Conservative - PM = Anthony Eden


 Healthy majority - 68 seats; 49.7% of the vote - 60 seat majority

Why did they win?


 Butler boosted election prospects with a ‘give-away’ budget that provided the middle class
with £134 million in tax cuts
 Affluence : ‘feel good factor’; most voters happy with their rising living standards
 Eden called the election immediately after Churchill retired - relaxed and low key and gave
Eden the chance to get a mandate to govern before the electorate could judge him on actual
performance as PM
 Support of national press and media
 Continued splits within Labour - conflict between Gaitskellites & Bevanites from 1951
continued to cause trauma

→ Not a crushing defeat for Labour - still obtain 46.4% of the vote


1959 - Conservative - PM = Harold Macmillan

,  100 seat majority; 49.7% of the vote (Labour vote goes down from 46.4% to 43.8%)

Reasons for success of Macmillan


 Macmillan had opposed Suez. Restored party unity without lasting splits. Eden disappeared
 Economic prosperity continued to gain voter approval - continuing affluence keeps voters
happy
 Reputation - nicknamed ‘Supermac’; success as housing minister (300,000 new homes as
promised during 1951 election manifesto)
 Divisions under Gaitskell
 Macmillan = safe choice
 Post war economic boom continuing; confidence in government
 Labour party increasingly concerned with internal battles - ineffective opposition + left of the
party want nationalisation, abandonment of deterrent, etc. - unpopular with voters
 Media supportive - used TV with flair
 Pwc politician
 Competent cabinet members (Butler, MacLeod, Boyle) - capable & efficient; in tune with
political opinión

1964 - Labour - PM = Harold Wilson


 4 seat majority; 44.1% of votes (compared with 43.4% of votes for Conservatives)


 Run of scandals and ‘events’ 1962-3, e.g. Vassall affair (1962), spy scandals, Night of the
Long Knives (1962), Profumo (1963)
 NLK intended to rejuvenate the cabinet but actually weakened it > Macmillan appeared
clumsy and out of touch
 Profumo Affair → personal disaster for Macmillan. Given sensational treatment by the press.
Reinforced image of Macmillan as old and out of touch
 Government embarrassed by French rejection of EEC application
 Sense of growing impatience with the old ‘Establishment’ and desire for generational change
> showed through Private Eye and That Was The Week That Was → ADH was a lord
 Wilson = strong campaigner - confident in dealing with media
 Bevan & Gaitskell dead; split over
 Labour election slogan - ‘Thirteen years of Tory misrule’ played on public mood
 Conservatives appear to be trapped in a bygone era > sharp contrast with Wilson and his
promises to take Britain into the ‘White heat of technology’

1966 - Labour - PM = Harold Wilson


 Labour - 48% of vote; 98 seat majority
 Conservatives - 42%


 Heath no match for Wilson; Wilson = experienced campaigner
 Unable to connect with voters
 More in tune with popular culture and society
 Had created dept of technology and strengthened science and education - 7 new unis by
1966
 Scientists employed as gov advisors
 Liberalisation laws under Jenkins - Race Relations Act, capital punishment abolished, etc.

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