Legacy of the war-time Coalition Government

1. Legacy of the war-time Coalition Government • While the post-war Labour Government passed the reforms between 1945 and 1951 which created the Welfare State, it was the war time Coalition government that laid the foundations for much of the changes. • During the war, government control over peoples lives was taken for granted, for example, rationing, conscription etc, something that had been traditionally resisted by many politicians in peacetime. • However, there seemed to be no reason in why governments should not continue to play a major role in peoples lives when the war was ended. It was this mindset that allowed Labour to establish their reforms after 1945.

2. Beverage Report • The basis for Labour’s post-war reforms came from the Beverage Report of 1942. • Sir William Beverage headed an Inter-departmental Committee looking into social insurance provision. • Beverage wanted a social insurance policy which would protect people from loss of income in cases of unemployment, sickness and old age. • Also Beverage wanted to ensure that people had a guaranteed income of subsistence level which would cover their needs i.e. food, clothing, housing etc. • Under Beverage’s plan everyone would pay into the scheme and everyone would be entitled to benefit. These benefits would, therefore, be given as a right thus the degrading ‘means test’ would not be need.

3. Beverage cont, • Beverage identified five giants which had to be tackled these were, want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. • Being a Liberal, however, Beverage wanted private funding as well as state money to solve these problems. • Beverage insisted that a ‘social revolution’ was not needed to solve these problems more it was a matter of common sense which would require no great increase in public spending. • The Beverage Report was very popular when published becoming a best seller and knocking the war of the front page.

4. Five Giants • As noted the Beverage Report laid the foundations for Labours post war reforms. For example, • Want • Disease • Ignorance • Squalor • Idleness

5. Labour Welfare Reforms 1945-51

6. Landslide Victory • The Labour Government 1945-51 introduced a wide range of reforms in a short period of time. • This ‘Social Revolution’ was achieved due to a number of reasons. • Labour came to power in 1945 with a landslide victory, winning 393 seats compared to the Conservative’s 213. • Considering Churchill’s war record this was astonishing! • The result emphasised the British publics desire for future radical social change rather than dwelling on past glories. • They also remembered the failure of Lloyd George to deliver the Liberal promise of ‘a land fit for heroes’ after the Great War and were hesitant about voting for any party not wholly committed to social reform. So how do we explain this desire to establish a new society after 1945?

7. Cradle to Grave • Labour entered government with a commitment to provide social welfare from ‘Cradle to Grave’. • Labour were in the best position to create such a society. • Churchill had promised reform but spoke to often of the cost. • The Conservatives were implicated in the failure of the National Government in the 1930’s. • The Depression of the 30’s had to be avoided, therefore the electorate turned to LABOUR, the party least to blame and most committed to social reform. • The Conservatives were also haunted by Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. “It was not Churchill that lost the 1945 election it was the ghost of Neville Chamberlain” Harold Macmillan. • “The Conservative Party had not much to offer at that time to those who wished to see change, and we relied heavily upon the personality of Churchill… but as it turned out we overestimated the effect this would have on their voting. People distinguished between Churchill the war leader, and the Conservatives as a peace time government.” Reginald Maudling, Memoirs 1978.