After war, social change was put forth. Indeed, the numerous victims of the 1930’s depression in Britain, as well as soldiers coming home from serving in the war, all found themselves unemployed. Therefore, the Labour Party’s slogan “Let us face to the future” appealed the British public, who did not want to go through this again.
The publication of the Beveridge Report, written by William Beveridge, produced an equivalent of a manifesto of social reform. This report included full employment, social security and National Health Service. In opposition to the Conservatives, the Labour party adopted it and strongly campaigned for it. And therefore, the Prime Minister Clement Attlee had the great opportunity –which Churchill completely missed– to reinvent himself and to become the leader of a party which was concerned with serious social questions. The Beveridge Report highlighted what is called the ‘five giants’ (i.e. five problems): want, ignorance, disease, squalor and idleness. To solve these problems, the report recommended the creation, in addition to the National Health Service, of a National Insurance Act, a housing programme, an Injuries Act, an Education Act... All of these gave a sense of well-being and security to British people, because everything turned out to be free. The report was extremely popular, and copies of its findings were widely purchased, turning into a best-seller. With it, Labour could offer a new comprehensive welfare policy. And this therefore lead to further disbelief in the Conservative Party and more support for the Labour Party.
The National Health Service (NHS) includes health centres where people get the best that can be offered by modern science, as well as more and better hospitals with proper conditions for the nurses and doctors. But Labour will especially work for Britain’s mothers and their children’s care –meaning better maternity and child welfare services. Indeed, a healthy family life has to be fully ensured if the British families are to be prevented from declining. And after a horrible war period, people were particularly sensible to this.
Campaigning appears to have been a decisive aspect of people’s choices for voting. Churchill, a man popular for his wartime –and not peacetime– leader personality, failed here as well because he thought that scarier ways would be more effective –but they indeed didn’t. The actions of press during these campaigns also influenced the British voters: a majority of newspapers, including the newspaper with the biggest circulation, the Daily Mirror, promoted the Labour Party.
So the Labour Party was traditionally a party for the working-class people and held a notion of equality. Their overall majority of 146 for the 1945 elections is basically the result of a decrease of the conservatives’ popularity –this decrease being caused by the fact that people considered them responsible of the 1930s depression and miseries. The Labour Party promised what people wanted: jobs for everyone, new houses and National Health Service. This party was more specific about the social reforms they proposed and seriously approved the Beveridge Report. Moreover, it was supported by the trade union and the press, while the Conservative Party wasn’t properly prepared to fight a general election campaign. Finally, the leading figures in the Labour Party were experienced, respected and well-known personalities, who didn’t scare middle-class voters. The electorate voted for significant change and a new approach to reconstruction in post-war Britain.
by
dhove (student)
