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Progress before 1945

Explore the progress and changes in post-war Britain under the Labour governments between 1945-1951, focusing on their efforts to tackle the five giants identified in the Beveridge Report: social security, health, education, housing, and employment.

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Progress before 1945

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  1. Progress before 1945

  2. By-elections in 1943 • resulted in Conservatives losing votes • Churchill blundered by speaking on radio and not mentioning The Beveridge report • He did commit to ‘national compulsory insurance for all classes’ • Although no enthusiasm • Public perceived that Labour would be the party to deliver changes

  3. Coalition government • Under Churchill detailed plans were drawn up for peacetime Britain • Lord Woolton, Minister for reconstruction drafted white papers for health, employment, social insurance and education

  4. White papers 1943-45 • Educational reconstruction 1943 (blueprint for 1944 Act) • National Health service 1944 proposed a comprehensive system of health provision which would be ‘free’ • Employment policy 1944 committed to high employment rate and accepting responsibility to intervene • Social insurance 1944 proposed comprehensive insurance scheme ( became Nat Ins. Act 1946 with some modifications)

  5. Further progress • 1943, ministry to supervise benefits • 1943, Ministry of Town and Planning set up to propose new towns around London • Temporary housing for homeless, cost of building materials controlled

  6. Education Act 1944 • Major achievement of coalition government during the war • Believed to be an important way to fight poverty • Steered through parliament by RA Butler(conservative)

  7. Changes to education • School meals compulsory • School medical service • Leaving age raised to 15 by 1947 and 16 as soon as was practicable • 3 stages: nursery, primary, secondary • Compulsory

  8. Changes to education • Recommended that secondary schools be divided into grammar,modern and technical schools • In Scotland senior or junior secondary • Based on abilities • ‘eleven-plus’ exam

  9. Criticisms • Clear that a first-rate and a second-rate structure were being put in place • Future decided at 11/12 !! • Reflected social class divisions in society overall • Labour criticised for not adding anything

  10. Family Allowance Act 1945 • ‘caretaker’ government between election introduced Act • 5 shillings (25p) a week for each child after the first • Helped employers keep wages down • Helped prevent fall in birth rate • Wife received benefit rather than husband Eleanor Rathbone

  11. Criticisms • Small allowance • (Beveridge had proposed 8s) • Only marginal impact on families • Motives of MPs had little to do with welfare

  12. Labour Governments 1945-51 • It is now important to establish how well the Labour Governments were in tackling Beveridge’s Five Giants-Social security, Health, Education, Housing and Employment

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