Reasons for conservative dominance (1951-64)

Reasons for conservative dominance (1951-64)

1. Leaders

   • Churchill (1951-55)
     • ends rationing
       • denationalises steal
     • 30,000 houses a year
     • commits to PWC
   • Eden (1955-57)
     • suez crisis
     • massive conservative majority
   • Macmillan (1957-63)
     • popular home sec
     • ended death penalty
     • legalised homosexuality
   • Butler
     • Best PM never had
       • home sec/ foreign sec
     • industrial charter
   • Home
     • PM for just under 363 days
     • widely respected by party
     • abolishing of resale price maintenance

2. domestic policies

   • rise in employment
     • tidal barrage (river severn)
   • housing
     • created 1.7 mil new homes (52-64)
     • 1957 Rent Act
   • health
     • support NHS
       • plan to build 90 new hospitals
         • remodal 134 existing
   • education
     • Butler Act 1944 - Grammar school system
   • social reform
     • homosexuality legalised
     • abolished death penalty
     • clean air act 56

3. prosperity/affluence

   • stop - go economics
     • deflation/ inflation
     • cut income tax
   • food rationing ends (1954)
   • global economy booming
     • increase in overseas trade
   • less than 1% of workforce unemployed (1955)
   • rising living standards
   • holidays
   • car ownership
     • hire purchase & technology
     • liesure oppertunities

4. labour divisions

   • the bevanite quarrel
     • 1951 Aneurin bevan resigned as minister over introduction of prescription charges
     • Bevan (left) .v. Gaitskelll (right)
       • Gaitskell wins leadership election
         • wanted to abolish clause IV (commitment to nationalisation) but failed
     • fought at annual party conferences
       • Blackpool 1959
       • scarborough 1960
   • Trade Union divisions
     • Frank cousins (TGWU)
       • Bitterly opposed Gaitskill (specifically over ND
   • Unilateral nuclear disarnment
     • links between CND & labour left

5. post war consensus

   • This is an understanding that after WW2 the politcal parties marganilised ( great deal of agreement on policies and major issues)
     • support for NHS
     • support for welfare state
     • belief in mixed economy (keynseanism)
     • pro employment

6. FPTP