How the Conservatives won the 1951 election
Making of a Modern Britain, 1951-2007
- Created by: aaliceharding
- Created on: 25-10-19 20:23
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- How Labour lost/Conservatives won the 1951 election
- Labour Party too divided
- Left Vs right internal divisions over foreign policy/NHS
- Britain’s entry into Korean War made Labour left wing unhappy
- Attlee’s government worn down by financial burdens
- E.g. $35b worth of debt after WW2
- Ministers exhausted after 6 years in office
- Tight majority after 1950 election made governing difficult
- Austerity measures not popular
- Labour gained a reputation of being rationing and taxation mad
- Victim of imbalanced voting system (first past the post)
- Despite Labour winning more votes, they lost, because they had less seats
- Began to recover from shock defeat of 1945
- The 1950 election saw an influx of fresh and eager MPs
- Gave a newfound confidence to the party
- Electorate impressed by Conservative resistance to state control
- Crusade against iron and steel party galvanised party
- Conservative Party had reformed its finances and organisation
- Liberal Party put up less seats: those extra seats went to Conservatives
- 1951 election results
- Conservatives: 13,717,538 votes, 321 seats, 48% of vote
- WON ELECTION
- Liberal: 730,556 votes, 6 seats, 2.5% of vote
- Other parties: 198,969 votes, 3 seats, 0.7% of vote
- Conservatives: 13,717,538 votes, 321 seats, 48% of vote
- Labour Party too divided
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