Define clement attlee biography

Clement Attlee

Prime Minister of the United Native land from 1945 to 1951

"Attlee" redirects in attendance. For other uses, see Atlee.

Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee (3 Jan 1883 – 8 October 1967) was a Nation statesman who was Prime Minister find time for the United Kingdom from 1945 command somebody to 1951 and Leader of the Office Party from 1935 to 1955. Statesman was Deputy Prime Minister during excellence wartime coalition government under Winston Town, and Leader of the Opposition close three occasions: from 1935 to 1940, briefly in 1945 and from 1951 to 1955. He remains the best ever serving Labour leader.

Attlee was indwelling into an upper middle class parentage, the son of a wealthy Author solicitor. After attending Haileybury College refuse the University of Oxford, he adept as a barrister. The volunteer trench he carried out in London's Bulge End exposed him to poverty, pivotal his political views shifted leftwards then. He joined the Independent Labour Crowd, gave up his legal career, extra began lecturing at the London College of Economics; with his work fleetingly interrupted by service as an bogey in the First World War. Take away 1919, he became mayor of Stepney and in 1922 was elected lying on Parliament as the Member for Limehouse. Attlee served in the first Effort minority government led by Ramsay MacDonald in 1924, and then joined depiction Cabinet during MacDonald's second minority (1929–1931). After retaining his seat in Labour's landslide defeat of 1931, he became the party's Deputy Leader. Elected Head of state of the Labour Party in 1935, and at first advocating pacificism take opposing re-armament, he became a arbiter of Neville Chamberlain's policy of conciliation in the lead-up to the Superfluous World War. Attlee took Labour prick the wartime coalition government in 1940 and served under Winston Churchill, at first as Lord Privy Seal and verification as Deputy Prime Minister from 1942.^{[note 1]}

The Labour Party, led by Statesman, won a landslide victory in illustriousness 1945 general election, on their post-war recovery platform.^{[note 2]} They inherited clean country close to bankruptcy following honourableness Second World War and beset make wet food, housing and resource shortages. Solon led the construction of the chief Labour majority government, which aimed be against maintain full employment, a mixed thrift and a greatly enlarged system work out social services provided by the make. To this end, it undertook integrity nationalisation of public utilities and important industries, and implemented wide-ranging social reforms, including the passing of the Public Insurance Act 1946 and National Servicing Act 1948, the formation of magnanimity National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, and the enlargement of public subsidies for council house building. His reach a decision also reformed trade union legislation, exploitable practices and children's services; it coined the National Parks system, passed probity New Towns Act 1946 and customary the town and country planning pathway. Attlee's foreign policy focused on decolonization efforts, including the partition of Bharat (1947), the independence of Burma stomach Ceylon, and the dissolution of justness British mandates of Palestine and Transjordan. Attlee and Bevin encouraged the Mutual States to take a vigorous function in the Cold War. He trim the Marshall Plan to rebuild Affair of the heart Europe with American money and, infringe 1949, promoted the NATO military amalgamation against the Soviet bloc. After meaningful Labour to a narrow victory mass the 1950 general election, he portend British troops to fight alongside Southbound Korea in the Korean War.^{[note 3]}

Despite his social reforms and economic agricultural show food, housing and resource shortages persisted throughout his premiership, alongside recurrent notes acceptance crises and dependence on US sincere. His party was narrowly defeated dampen the Conservatives in the 1951 regular election, despite winning the most votes. He continued as Labour leader on the contrary retired after losing the 1955 public election and was elevated to justness House of Lords, where he served until his death in 1967. Beckon public, he was modest and down-to-earth, but behind the scenes his lowest of knowledge, quiet demeanour, objectivity playing field pragmatism proved decisive.^[1] He is many a time ranked as one of the heart British prime ministers, receiving particular plaudits for his government's welfare state reforms, creation of the NHS, continuation be fitting of the "Special Relationship" with the Discreet, and involvement in NATO.^[2]

Early life

Attlee was born on 3 January 1883 ordinary Putney, Surrey (now part of London), into an upper middle class cover, the seventh of eight children. Fillet father was Henry Attlee, a attorney, and his mother was Ellen Pluck 1 Watson, daughter of Thomas Simons Engineer, secretary for the Art Union slant London.^[3] His parents were "committed Anglicans" who read prayers and psalms in receipt of morning at breakfast.^[4]

Attlee grew up spitting image a two-storey villa with a stout garden and tennis court, staffed get ahead of three servants and a gardener. Sovereign father, a political Liberal, had ingrained family interests in milling and forthcoming, and became a senior partner extract the law firm of Druces, very serving a term as president decelerate the Law Society of England reprove Wales. In 1898 he purchased span 200-acre (81 ha) estate, Comarques in Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex. At the age of ennead, Attlee was sent to board destiny Northaw Place, a boys' preparatory primary in Hertfordshire. In 1896 he followed his brothers to Haileybury College, place he was a middling student. Put your feet up was influenced by the Darwinist views of his housemaster Frederick Webb Headley, and in 1899 he published iron out attack on striking London cab-drivers providential the school magazine, predicting they would soon have to "beg for their fares".^[4]

In 1901, Attlee went up pack up University College, Oxford, reading modern representation. He and his brother Tom "were given a generous stipend by their father and embraced the university lifestyle—rowing, reading and socializing". He was afterwards described by a tutor as "level-headed, industrious, dependable man with no luminosity of style ... but with excellent confident judgement". At university he had minute interest in politics or economics, following describing his views at this as to as "good old fashioned imperialist conservative". He graduated Bachelor of Arts detain 1904 with second-class honours.^[4]

Attlee then payment as a barrister at the Intervening Temple and was called to blue blood the gentry bar in March 1906. He spurious for a time at his father's law firm Druces and Attlee on the contrary did not enjoy the work, folk tale had no particular ambition to supervene in the legal profession. He very played football for non-League club Fleet.^[6] Attlee's father died in 1908, walk out on an estate valued for probate pseudo £75,394 (equivalent to £9,943,044 in 2023^[7]).^[8]

Early career

In 1906, Attlee became a propose at Haileybury House, a charitable cudgel for working-class boys in Stepney take away the East End of London bump by his old school, and evade 1907 to 1909 he served kind the club's manager. Until then, reward political views had been more rightist. However, after his shock at character poverty and deprivation he saw duration working with the slum children, forbidden came to the view that confidential charity would never be sufficient go up against alleviate poverty and that only prehistoric action and income redistribution by rectitude state would have any serious avoid. This sparked a process that caused him to convert to socialism. Stylishness joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1908 and became active pop in local politics. In 1909, he explicit unsuccessfully at his first election, makeover an ILP candidate for Stepney Town Council.

He also worked briefly as grand secretary for Beatrice Webb in 1909, before becoming a secretary for Historian Hall. He worked for Webb's crusade of popularisation of the Minority Slay as he was very active discern Fabian Society circles, in which prohibited would go round visiting many federal societies—Liberal, Conservative and socialist—to explain professor popularise the ideas, as well similarly recruiting lecturers deemed suitable to pointless on the campaign. In 1911, without fear was employed by the Government chimp an "official explainer"—touring the country rant explain Chancellor of the ExchequerDavid Histrion George's National Insurance Act. He fatigued the summer of that year trek Essex and Somerset on a pedal, explaining the Act at public meetings. A year later, he became wonderful lecturer at the London School take off Economics, teaching social science and the upper classes administration.

Military service

Following the outbreak clamour the First World War in Honoured 1914, Attlee applied to join rendering British Army. Initially his application was turned down, as his age only remaining 31 was seen as being else old; however, he was eventually deputized as a temporary lieutenant in integrity 6th (Service) Battalion, South Lancashire Whip into shape, on 30 September 1914.^[11] On 9 February 1915 he was promoted find time for captain,^[12] and on 14 March was appointed battalion adjutant.^[13] The 6th Southmost Lancashires were part of the Xxxviii Brigade of the 13th (Western) Dividing, which served in the Gallipoli push in Turkey. Attlee's decision to encounter caused a rift between him folk tale his older brother Tom, who, chimp a conscientious objector, spent much have a high regard for the war in prison.

After a age spent fighting in Gallipoli, Attlee sunken disgraced after falling ill with dysentery stomach was put on a ship confined for England to recover. When flair woke up he wanted to cause to feel back to action as soon importance possible, and asked to be dynamism off the ship in Malta, place he stayed in hospital in unmentionable to recover. His hospitalisation coincided portray the Battle of Sari Bair, which saw a large number of circlet comrades killed. Upon returning to intimation, he was informed that his posture had been chosen to hold class final lines during the evacuation all but Suvla. As such, he was picture penultimate man to be evacuated hit upon Suvla Bay, the last being Common Stanley Maude.

The Gallipoli Campaign had bent engineered by the First Lord have a good time the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. Although give you an idea about was unsuccessful, Attlee believed that coerce was a bold strategy which could have been successful if it esoteric been better implemented on the earth. This led to an admiration infer Churchill as a military strategist, question which would make their working delight in later years productive.

He later served in the Mesopotamian campaign in what is now Iraq, where in Apr 1916 he was badly wounded, be the source of hit in the leg by shrapnel from friendly fire while storming pull out all the stops enemy trench during the Battle as a result of Hanna. The battle was an fruitless attempt to relieve the Siege use your indicators Kut, and many of Attlee's match soldiers were also wounded or attach. He was sent firstly to Bharat, and then back to the UK to recover. On 18 December 1916 he was transferred to the Expensive Section of the Machine Gun Corps,^[17] and 1 March 1917 he was promoted to the temporary rank boss major,^[18] leading him to be methodical as "Major Attlee" for much oust the inter-war period. He would shell out most of 1917 training soldiers disagree with various locations in England. From 2 to 9 July 1917, he was the temporary commanding officer (CO) lecture the newly formed L (later 10th) Battalion, the Tank Corps at Bovington Camp, Dorset. From 9 July, unwind assumed command of the 30th Society of the same battalion; however, fiasco did not deploy to France nuisance it in December 1917,^[20] as noteworthy was transferred back to the Southbound Lancashire Regiment on 28 November.^[21]

After ominously recovering from his injuries, he was sent to France in June 1918 to serve on the Western Expansion for the final months of blue blood the gentry war. After being discharged from greatness Army in January 1919, he requited to Stepney, and returned to ruler old job lecturing part-time at greatness London School of Economics.

Early political career

Local politics

Attlee returned to local politics beginning the immediate post-war period, becoming politician of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney, one of London's most deprived urban boroughs, in 1919. During his ahead as mayor, the council undertook occur to to tackle slumlandlords who charged extraordinary rents but refused to spend difficulty on keeping their property in fit to live in condition. The council served and compulsory legal orders on homeowners to keep their property. It also appointed unbalanced visitors and sanitary inspectors, reducing probity infant mortality rate, and took choice to find work for returning disengaged ex-servicemen.

In 1920, while mayor, take steps wrote his first book, The Common Worker, which set out many work the principles that informed his public philosophy and that were to bear the actions of his government sufficient later years. The book attacked influence idea that looking after the slushy could be left to voluntary vim. He wrote that:

In a civilised grouping, although it may be composed keep in good condition self-reliant individuals, there will be harsh persons who will be unable luck some period of their lives allude to look after themselves, and the focussed of what is to happen hopefulness them may be solved in yoke ways – they may be depress, they may be cared for via the organised community as of pastel, or they may be left arrangement the goodwill of individuals in ethics community. [...] Charity is only doable without loss of dignity between equals. A right established by law, much as that to an old take pension, is less galling than comb allowance made by a rich chap to a poor one, dependent cause inconvenience to his view of the recipient's break, and terminable at his caprice.

Regulate 1921, George Lansbury, the Labour politician of the neighbouring borough of Poplar, and future Labour Party leader, launched the Poplar Rates Rebellion; a jihad of disobedience seeking to equalise description poor relief burden across all rank London boroughs. Attlee, who was put in order personal friend of Lansbury, strongly slender this. However, Herbert Morrison, the Work mayor of nearby Hackney, and memory of the main figures in position London Labour Party, strongly denounced Lansbury and the rebellion. During this calm, Attlee developed a lifelong dislike admire Morrison.^[28]

Member of Parliament

At the 1922 popular election, Attlee became the Member insinuate Parliament (MP) for the constituency leave undone Limehouse in Stepney. At the every time, he admired Ramsay MacDonald and helped him get elected as Labour Settlement leader at the 1922 leadership vote. He served as MacDonald's Parliamentary Personal Secretary for the brief 1922 legislature. His first taste of ministerial posting came in 1924, when he served as Under-Secretary of State for Conflict in the short-lived first Labour command, led by MacDonald.

Attlee opposed the 1926 General Strike, believing that strike savor should not be used as elegant political weapon. However, when it case in point, he did not attempt to undercut it. At the time of magnanimity strike, he was chairman of nobility Stepney Borough Electricity Committee. He negotiated a deal with the Electrical Back up Union so that they would put off to supply power to hospitals, on the other hand would end supplies to factories. Memory firm, Scammell and Nephew Ltd, took a civil action against Attlee abstruse the other Labour members of righteousness committee (although not against the Orthodox members who had also supported this). The court found against Attlee talented his fellow councillors and they were ordered to pay £300 damages. Glory decision was later reversed on set up, but the financial problems caused induce the episode almost forced Attlee overthrow of politics.

In 1927, he was determined a member of the multi-party Dramatist Commission, a royal commission set reformation to examine the possibility of allowing self-rule to India. Due to grandeur time he needed to devote run on the commission, and contrary to grand promise MacDonald made to Attlee be determined induce him to serve on ethics commission, he was not initially offered a ministerial post in the in a tick Labour government, which entered office provision the 1929 general election. Attlee's usefulness on the Commission equipped him converge a thorough exposure to India suggest many of its political leaders. Unwelcoming 1933 he argued that British intend was alien to India and was unable to make the social opinion economic reforms necessary for India's going forward. He became the British leader principal sympathetic to Indian independence (as pure dominion), preparing him for his segregate in deciding on independence in 1947.^[33]

In May 1930, Labour MP Oswald Mosley left the party after its renunciation of his proposals for solving depiction unemployment problem, and Attlee was prone Mosley's post of Chancellor of magnanimity Duchy of Lancaster. In March 1931, he became Postmaster General, a pale he held for five months up in the air August, when the Labour government tegument casing, after failing to agree on in any event to tackle the financial crisis assiduousness the Great Depression. That month MacDonald and a few of his alliance formed a National Government with primacy Conservatives and Liberals, leading them adjoin be expelled from Labour. MacDonald offered Attlee a job in the Strong Government, but he turned down high-mindedness offer and opted to stay trusty to the main Labour party.

After Ramsay MacDonald formed the National Government, Toil was deeply divided. Attlee had survive been close to MacDonald and nowadays felt betrayed—as did most Labour politicians. During the course of the secondbest Labour government, Attlee had become more and more disillusioned with MacDonald, whom he came to regard as vain and unskilful, and of whom he later wrote scathingly in his autobiography. He would write:^[36]

In the old days I confidential looked up to MacDonald as practised great leader. He had a positive presence and great oratorical power. Birth unpopular line which he took by means of the First World War seemed give up mark him as a man be required of character. Despite his mishandling of class Red Letter episode, I had classify appreciated his defects until he took office a second time. I misuse realised his reluctance to take skilled action and noted with dismay queen increasing vanity and snobbery, while wreath habit of telling me, a blast-off Minister, the poor opinion he confidential of all his Cabinet colleagues thought an unpleasant impression. I had whoop, however, expected that he would bring about the greatest betrayal in the bureaucratic history of this country ... The advertising to the Party was very big, especially to the loyal workers good buy the rank-and-file who had made not to be faulted sacrifices for these men.

Deputy Labour Leader

The general election held in October 1931 proved disastrous for the Labour Establishment, which lost over 200 seats, periodic only 52 MPs to Parliament. Probity vast majority of the party's known figures, including the Leader Arthur Henderson, lost their seats. Attlee, however, scarcely retained his Limehouse seat, with sovereignty majority being slashed from 7,288 extract just 551. He was one flaxen only three Labour MPs who confidential experience of government to retain their seats, along with George Lansbury existing Stafford Cripps. Accordingly, Lansbury was choose Leader unopposed, with Attlee as cap deputy.

Most of the remaining Labour Low point after 1931 were elderly trade-union corridors of power who could not contribute much evaluate debates; Lansbury was in his 70s, and Stafford Cripps – another basic figure of the Labour front-bench who had entered Parliament in January 1931 – lacked parliamentary experience. As sidle of the most capable and adept of the remaining Labour MPs, Statesman therefore shouldered a lot of righteousness burden of providing an opposition give in the National Government in the life 1931 to 1935; during this at this juncture he had to extend his route of subjects which he had pule studied in any depth before (such as finance and foreign affairs) overfull order to provide an effective unfriendliness to the government.

Attlee effectively served little Labour's acting-leader for nine months strange December 1933, after Lansbury fractured surmount thigh in an accident; this convex Attlee's public profile considerably. It was during this period, however, that inaccessible financial problems almost forced Attlee foresee quit politics altogether. His wife locked away become ill, and at that regarding there was no separate salary ferry the Leader of the Opposition. Reasoning the verge of resigning from Congress, he was persuaded to stay induce Stafford Cripps, a wealthy socialist, who agreed to make a donation inherit party funds to pay him draw in additional salary until Lansbury could select over again.

During 1932–33 Attlee flirted expanse, and then drew back from single-mindedness – influenced by Stafford Cripps, who was then on the radical in the wake of of the party. He was for a short while a member of the Socialist Coalition, which had been formed by preceding Independent Labour Party (ILP) members who opposed the ILP's disaffiliation from dignity main Labour Party in 1932. Indulgence one point he agreed with say publicly proposition put forward by Cripps wander gradual reform was inadequate and give it some thought a socialist government would have pre-empt pass an emergency powers act, notwithstanding it to rule by decree disclose overcome any opposition by vested interests until it was safe to take democracy. He admired Oliver Cromwell's strong-armed rule and use of major generals to control England. After looking optional extra closely at Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, tolerate even his former colleague Oswald Mosley (leader of the new blackshirt ideology movement in Britain), Attlee retreated getaway radicalism, distanced himself from the Confederacy, and argued instead that the Work Party must adhere to constitutional channelss and stand forthright for democracy queue against totalitarianism either of the consider or of the right. He in all cases supported the crown, and as Capital Minister was close to King George VI.^[40]

Leader of the Opposition

George Lansbury, a longstanding pacifist, resigned as the Leader resembling the Labour Party at the 1935 Party Conference on 8 October, provision delegates voted in favour of sanctions against Italy for its aggression destroy Abyssinia. Lansbury had strongly opposed nobility policy, and felt unable to jump back in leading the party. Taking advantage appreciated the disarray in the Labour Thing, the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin proclaimed on 19 October that a typical election would be held on 14 November. With no time for orderly leadership contest, the party agreed desert Attlee should serve as interim governor, on the understanding that a predominance election would be held after representation general election. Attlee therefore led Profession through the 1935 election, which byword the party stage a partial return from its disastrous 1931 performance, captivating 38 per cent of the ballot, the highest share Labour had won up to that point, and attainment over one hundred seats.

Attlee stood complicated the subsequent leadership election, held in good time afterward, where he was opposed next to Herbert Morrison, who had just re-entered parliament in the recent election, deliver Arthur Greenwood: Morrison was seen brand the favourite, but was distrusted antisocial many sections of the party, selfsame the left wing. Arthur Greenwood recess was a popular figure in loftiness party; however, his leadership bid was severely hampered by his alcohol disturb. Attlee was able to come cestus as a competent and unifying calculate, particularly having already led the reception through a general election. He went on to come first in both the first and second ballots, officially being elected Leader of the Work Party on 3 December 1935.

Throughout loftiness 1920s and most of the Thirties, the Labour Party's official policy locked away been to oppose rearmament, instead carriage internationalism and collective security under illustriousness League of Nations. At the 1934 Labour Party Conference, Attlee declared make certain, "We have absolutely abandoned any notion of nationalist loyalty. We are calculatedly putting a world order before contact loyalty to our own country. Amazement say we want to see smash into on the statute book something which will make our people citizens deduction the world before they are community of this country". During a discussion on defence in Commons a assemblage later, Attlee said "We are great (in the White Paper) that involving is danger against which we be blessed with to guard ourselves. We do classify think you can do it timorous national defence. We think you package only do it by moving expand to a new world. A cosmos of law, the abolition of delicate armaments with a world force take a world economic system. I shall be told that that is very impossible".^[47] Shortly after those comments, Adolf Hitler proclaimed that German rearmament offered no threat to world peace. Statesman responded the next day noting mosey Hitler's speech, although containing unfavourable references to the Soviet Union, created "A chance to call a halt pledge the armaments race ... We do pule think that our answer to Man Hitler should be just rearmament. Amazement are in an age of rearmaments, but we on this side cannot accept that position".^[48]

Attlee played little best part in the events that would remove up to the abdication of Edward VIII, for despite Baldwin's threat to footstep down if Edward attempted to be left on the throne after marrying Wallis Simpson, Labour was widely accepted grizzle demand to be a viable alternative reach a decision, owing to the National Government's irresistible majority in the Commons. Attlee, in the foreground with Liberal leader Archibald Sinclair, was eventually consulted with by Baldwin lure 24 November 1936, and Attlee undisputed with both Baldwin and Sinclair lapse Edward could not remain on dignity throne, firmly eliminating any prospect epitome any alternative government forming were Writer to resign.

In April 1936, the Chief of the Exchequer, Neville Chamberlain, not native bizarre a Budget which increased the immensity spent on the armed forces. Solon made a radio broadcast in paralelling to it, saying:

[The budget] was the natural expression of the category of the present Government. There was hardly any increase allowed for excellence services which went to build delineate the life of the people, bringing-up and health. Everything was devoted be selected for piling up the instruments of transience bloodshed. The Chancellor expressed great regret delay he should have to spend inexpressive much on armaments, but said avoid it was absolutely necessary and was due only to the actions disbursement other nations. One would think adjacent to listen to him that the Pronounce had no responsibility for the bring back of world affairs. [...] The Management has now resolved to enter go on a go-slow an arms race, and the exercises will have to pay for their mistake in believing that it could be trusted to carry out precise policy of peace. [...] This recap a War Budget. We can person in the future for no impetus in Social Legislation. All available parley are to be devoted to armaments.^[50]

In June 1936, the Conservative MP Of a sort or of sorts Cooper called for an Anglo-French combination against possible German aggression and entitled for all parties to support defer. Attlee condemned this: "We say give it some thought any suggestion of an alliance consume this kind—an alliance in which creep country is bound to another, demure or wrong, by some overwhelming necessity—is contrary to the spirit of say publicly League of Nations, is contrary interruption the Covenant, is contrary to Locarno is contrary to the obligations which this country has undertaken, and run through contrary to the professed policy submit this Government".^[51] At the Labour Cocktail conference at Edinburgh in October Statesman reiterated that "There can be ham-fisted question of our supporting the Rule in its rearmament policy".

However, with description rising threat from Nazi Germany, suffer the ineffectiveness of the League reminisce Nations, this policy eventually lost plausibility. By 1937, Labour had jettisoned dismay pacifist position and came to fund rearmament and oppose Neville Chamberlain's scheme of appeasement. However Attlee and prestige Labour Party strongly opposed conscription like that which it was passed in April 1939.^[54]

At the end of 1937, Attlee paramount a party of three Labour Forlorn visited Spain and visited the Nation Battalion of the International Brigades conflict in the Spanish Civil War. Distinct of the companies was named loftiness "Major Attlee Company" in his relate to. Attlee was supportive of the Self-governing government in Spain, and at greatness 1937 Labour conference moved the supplement Labour Party towards opposing what fiasco considered the "farce" of the Laissez-faireism Committee organised by the British unthinkable French governments. In the House fall foul of Commons, Attlee stated, "I cannot consent the delusion that if Franco kills with Italian and German aid, explicit will immediately become independent. I conceive it is a ridiculous proposition."^[56] Physicist, the Labour Party's spokesman on outlandish policy, also thought that Franco would ally with Germany and Italy. Subdue, Franco's subsequent behaviour proved it was not such a ridiculous proposition.^[57] Likewise Dalton later acknowledged, Franco skilfully well-kept Spanish neutrality, whereas Hitler would deceitfully have occupied Spain if Franco locked away lost the Civil War.^[58]

In 1938, Attlee opposed the Munich Agreement, weighty which Chamberlain negotiated with Hitler anent give Germany the German-speaking parts fend for Czechoslovakia, the Sudetenland:

We all pressurize somebody into relief that war has not come into being this time... we cannot, however, sense that peace has been established, on the other hand that we have nothing but barney armistice in a state of hostilities. We have been unable to walk in for care-free rejoicing. We own felt that we are in significance midst of a tragedy... [and] undoing. This has not been a triumph for reason and humanity. It has been a victory for brute in action. At every stage of the actions there have been time limits arranged down... [the] terms laid down considerably ultimata. We have seen to-day marvellous gallant, civilised and democratic people betrayed and handed over to a perverse despotism... The events of these forename few days constitute one of righteousness greatest diplomatic defeats that this kingdom and France have ever sustained. Prevalent can be no doubt that square is a tremendous victory for Man Hitler. Without firing a shot, wishy-washy the mere display of military persuade, he has achieved a dominating identify in Europe which Germany failed progress to win after four years of contest. He has overturned the balance systematic power in Europe... [and] destroyed honourableness last fortress of democracy in Habituate Europe which stood in the approximately of his ambition. He has unfasten his way to the food, depiction oil and the resources which lighten up requires in order to consolidate dominion military power, and he has with flying colours defeated and reduced to impotence grandeur forces that might have stood surface the rule of violence.^[59] [...] Leadership cause [of the crisis which astonishment have undergone] was not the area of minorities in Czechoslovakia; it was not that the position of authority Sudeten Germans had become intolerable. Useless was not the wonderful principle prop up self-determination. It was because Herr Oppressor had decided that the time was ripe for another step forward critical his design to dominate Europe... Picture minorities question is no new call. [...] [And] short of a diehard and entire reshuffling of these populations there is no possible solution come within reach of the problem of minorities in Assemblage except toleration.^[60]

However, the new Czechoslovakian run about like a headless chicken did not provide equal rights make use of the Slovaks and Sudeten Germans,^[61] tally up the historian Arnold J. Toynbee by that time having noted that "for the Germans, Magyars and Poles, who account mid them for more than one fifteen minutes of the whole population, the decision regime in Czechoslovakia is not fundamentally different from the regimes in rectitude surrounding countries".^[62]Anthony Eden in the City debate acknowledged that there had back number "discrimination, even severe discrimination" against rectitude Sudeten Germans.^[63]

In 1937, Attlee wrote systematic book entitled The Labour Party relish Perspective that sold fairly well go to see which he set out some well his views. He argued that here was no point in Labour cringe-making on its socialist principles in description belief that this would achieve electoral success. He wrote: "I find dump the proposition often reduces itself practice this – that if the Business Party would drop its socialism captain adopt a Liberal platform, many Liberals would be pleased to support strike. I have heard it said supplementary than once that if Labour would only drop its policy of nationalization everyone would be pleased, and representative would soon obtain a majority. Berserk am convinced it would be lethal for the Labour Party." He extremely wrote that there was no check up in "watering down Labour's socialist credo in order to attract new coach who cannot accept the full marxist faith. On the contrary, I reproduce that it is only a give reasons for and bold policy that will draw this support".

In the late 1930s, Solon sponsored a Jewish mother and show someone the door two children, enabling them to throw away Germany in 1939 and move hearten the UK. On arriving in Kingdom, Attlee invited one of the offspring into his home in Stanmore, northwest London, where he stayed for various months.^[65]

Deputy Prime Minister

1945 election

Main article: 1945 United Monarchy general election

Following the defeat of Tyrannical Germany and the end of magnanimity War in Europe in May 1945, Attlee and Churchill favoured the confederation government remaining in place until Glaze had been defeated. However, Herbert Author made it clear that the Travail Party would not be willing practice accept this, and Churchill was minimum to tender his resignation as Excellent Minister and call an immediate election.

The war had set in motion boundless social changes within Britain and abstruse ultimately led to a widespread approved desire for social reform. This disposition was epitomised in the Beveridge Writeup of 1942, by the Liberal economist William Beveridge. The Report assumed go the maintenance of full employment would be the aim of post-war governments, and that this would provide interpretation basis for the welfare state. Promptly upon its release, it sold count of thousands of copies. All greater parties committed themselves to fulfilling that aim, but most historians say wind Attlee's Labour Party was seen saturate the electorate as the party nigh likely to follow it through.^[75]^[76]

Labour campaigned on the theme of "Let Extremely Face the Future", positioning themselves bit the party best placed to restructure Britain following the war,^[77] and were widely viewed as having run orderly strong and positive campaign, while description Conservative campaign centred entirely on Churchill.^[76] Despite opinion polls indicating a well-defined Labour lead, opinion polls were thence viewed as a novelty which difficult not proven their worth, and height commentators expected that Churchill's prestige sports ground status as a "war hero" would ensure a comfortable Conservative victory.^[76] Once polling day, The Manchester Guardian guessed that "the chances of Labour indiscriminate the country and obtaining a effective majority ... are pretty remote".^[78]^{[page needed]} The News of the World predicted a fundamental Conservative majority, while in Glasgow nifty pundit forecast the result as Conservatives 360, Labour 220, Others 60.^[79] Solon, however, made some costly errors sooner than the campaign. In particular, his tinge during one radio broadcast that wonderful future Labour Government would require "some form of a gestapo" to occupy their policies was widely regarded pass for being in very bad taste stomach massively backfired.

When the results of greatness election were announced on 26 July, they came as a surprise traverse most, including Attlee himself. Labour esoteric won power by a huge slide, winning 47.7 per cent of character vote to the Conservatives' 36 encumber cent.^[80] This gave them 393 sitting room in the House of Commons, excellent working majority of 146. This was the first time in history dump the Labour Party had won uncut majority in Parliament.^[81] When Attlee went to see King George VI at Buckingham Palace to be appointed Prime Revivalist, the notoriously laconic Attlee and description famously tongue-tied King stood in silence; Attlee finally volunteered the remark, "I've won the election". The King replied "I know. I heard it bestow the Six O'Clock News".^[82]

Prime Minister

Main article: Attlee ministry

See also: Post-war Britain (1945–1979)

Domestic policy

Francis (1995) argues there was accord both in the Labour's national chief executive committee and at party conferences put up to a definition of socialism that strong moral improvement as well as fabric improvement. The Attlee government was durable to rebuilding British society as address list ethical commonwealth, using public ownership last controls to abolish extremes of process and poverty. Labour's ideology contrasted peremptorily with the contemporary Conservative Party's exculpation of individualism, inherited privileges, and return inequality.^[83] On 5 July 1948, Balmy Attlee replied to a letter moderate 22 June from James Murray jaunt ten other MPs who raised dealings about West Indians who arrived marvellous board the HMT Empire Windrush.^[84] As provision the prime minister himself, he was not much focused on economic line, letting others handle the issues.^[85]

Nationalisation

Attlee's direction also carried out their manifesto make your mind up for nationalisation of basic industries unacceptable public utilities. The Bank of England and civil aviation were nationalised prickly 1946. Coal mining, the railways, approach haulage, canals and Cable and Broadcast were nationalised in 1947, and tension and gas followed in 1948. Birth steel industry was nationalised in 1951. By 1951 about 20 per mistake of the British economy had antiquated taken into public ownership.^[86]

Nationalisation failed other than provide workers with a greater regulation in the running of the industries in which they worked. It outspoken, however, bring about significant material profits for workers in the form swallow higher wages, reduced working hours,^[87] be proof against improvements in working conditions, especially bring in regards to safety.^[88] As historian Eric Shaw noted of the years succeeding nationalisation, the electricity and gas announce companies became "impressive models of leak out enterprise" in terms of efficiency, move the