1945 General Election

1945 GENERAL ELECTION

LABOUR SUCCESSES

• Campaign focused on policies, not personalities
• War time prominence of Labour MPs: Attlee, Bevin, Morrison. Increased experience. 16 MPs in cabinet (1940), which increased as the war went on
• In favour of the Beveridge report - were more likely to implement it
• Prominent on the Home Front
• Churchill 'owed' his power to Labour, as they refused to work with Chamberlain
• Return of the 2 party system - left vote was no longer split
• United against appeasement
• Could blame its past failings on Ramsay MacDonald
• Left wing features in the media: Orwell, Priestley, Foot

CONSERVATIVE FAILURES

• Number of constituency agents decreased dramatically - either they were called up to the front line or they retired. Not an…