2. By July 1945 the current government had been sitting for 10 years without an election!
The Labour Party sensing the war’s end withdrew from the National Government forcing
an election
Churchill’s approval rating 83% in May 1945
However 18% Labour lead in the polls in Feb 45
Polls suggested:
41% people thought Housing was the most important issue
Only 5% thought international security the most important issue
Labour
Conservatives
3.
4.
5.
6. In 1942…. The Beveridge Report was commissioned
Chaired by economist William Beveridge
Five ‘Giant evils’ in society:
Squalor
Disease
Ignorance
Want
Idleness
To defeat these evils state social security must expand
A reward for the hardships of wartime
Universally approved of
7. Labour embraced the recommendations
Conservatives approved of them, but warned that they were too expensive
Churchill had warned in a radio broadcast entitled ‘After the War’ in 1943 that
the public should not hope for:
‘Great new expenditure by the state without any relation to the circumstances which might
prevail at the time’
He said there would be a four year plan to provide ‘Five or six large measures of
a practical character’
‘National compulsory insurance for all classes for all purposes from the cradle to the grave’
8.
9. Conservative campaign is largely based around Churchill as a personality
However the public distinguish heavily between Churchill and his party
Partly due to years of being a ‘lone’ voice
Also little confidence that Churchill will be a good ‘domestic’ leader
Churchill also quick to offend. Denounces Labour as fascists!
Labour ‘would have to fall back on some form of Gestapo!’ to impose socialism on
Britain
Tory party also heavily associated with Appeasement
Also WSC not that popular with soldiers….. Turning up in Africa smoking big fat
cuban cigars in front of soldiers who had gone weeks without any cigarettes.
