In 1955 the Conservatives made it two election victories in a row, achieving the coup of stretching their lead over Labour that they had gained at the last poll three and a half years ago. Winston Churchill had finally let go of the reins of power in April, leaving Sir Anthony Eden to take up the Tory leadership and the premiership. Eden helped Conservatives win in 1955, with his ‘film star looks’. Eden was the housewife choice, fighting against Gaitskell, using ‘personality’. However in 1957, resigns due to ill health, due to the pressures of Suez. Macmillan then comes into power, from 1957, having narrowly defeated Butler in the power struggle.
Macmillan proved to be a smooth political operator and established a reputation for skillful political management. Macmillan had an elegant style, a mastery of the media, and had a good grasp of party politics. Unlike Gaitskell, Macmillan was able to use the media to his advantage. A new form of media had just began, which would now benefit politics, if used effectively. ‘super-Mac’, was able to use this to his advantage, ‘Mac-wonderful’ was increasing Conservative likeability in the public eye.
Macmillan had entered the 1959, election in a very strong position, there was a consumer boom and Labour was still suffering from internal feuding and in particular from disagreements over Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent. Even though, becoming Prime Minister in such difficult circumstances’. Macmillan proved to be on of the most successful of all conservative leaders, which mostly down to luck, down to the failure of the Labour Party.
Now this is just looking at the personalities, and how it helped achieve Conservative success. However, was it Consensus politics that kept the Conservatives in power?
In the 1959 general election, Conservatives had gained 321 seats, with 48% of the public vote. While Labour had gained, 48.8% of the vote while only gaining 295 seats. This was due to the ‘first past the post electorate system’.
The policies in this respect of consensus were improving housing, maintaining full employment, continuing on with the welfare state. To nationalise further to address the continuation of a mixed economy. As well as looking into foreign policy. This was helping the majority of the conservatives, in the coming of the elections.
Public perception of Labour was still the party of austerity. Where the Conservatives, were the party that could end austerity, which was making the public grow keener on maintaining Conservative power.
Improving economic conditions and relatively rapid rates of growth in the middle of the 1950s undoubtedly helped to ensure the party’s re-election in 1955, and again in 1959.
The health of the economy was claimed to be the work of Butler, who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1951 and 1955. The economy was growing fast, which enabled Butler to reduce taxes and increase spending on the welfare at the same time, which helped to keep voters happy. Full employment continued through this period.
However, Macmillan’s ‘honey-moon’ period was soon to end. Macmillan was convinced that economic policy was the basic problem for most voters. He told his cabinet in May 1962 that trying to maintain full employment, low inflation, and the balance of payments and high rates of growth all at the same time was too much to handle. Macmillan gambled on the idea that controlled expansion of the economy could revive the party’s fortunes in the following year. This new approach led to the ‘night of the long knives’, where Macmillan caused great offence by dismissing so many of his colleagues, radically reshuffling the cabinet, in 1962.
It was clear now, to many that Macmillan was not acting from a position of strength, but rather out of political desperation. On the other hand, the long term damage has probably been exaggerated. It’s true that the Conservatives failed to recover sufficiently to win the election of 1964. Yet, it can be argued that the defeat might have been worse had such radical action not been taken, such as Macmillan’s economic ideas to be implemented. Expansion after 1962 was certainly an important factor in drawing voters back to the party.
Meanwhile, the government was rocked by the Profumo scandal, and by June Macmillan was fighting for his political life. Macmillan support for John Profumo, showed him to have lack of judgement on his part. This certainly weakened Macmillan’s already battered position and resigning in 1963 with further contributing factors.
