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Britain: British Society 1931-1951 - The 1945-1951 Labour Government's Domestic Policy
Britain's coal industry became the property of the British people when it was nationalised in 1947.

Britain: British Society 1931-1951 - The 1945-1951 Labour Government's Domestic Policy

Explore how the Labour governments of 1945–51 tried to build a fairer Britain through welfare reforms, the NHS and nationalisation, and why these changes still matter today.

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Fascinating Fact:

By 1951 many of the main welfare state foundations were in place. Supporters saw this as a major social change, although critics argued about cost and efficiency.

In GCSE History, this topic looks at Labour's domestic policies between 1945 and 1951. You study how the government built the welfare state, including the NHS, new benefits and improved housing. The course also explores nationalisation of key industries, reasons for these changes and the debates they created. By examining sources and historians' views, you assess how far these policies transformed life in Britain and whether they matched the promises made in 1945.

  • Welfare State: A system where the government provides services and support such as health care, education and benefits to protect people from poverty and hardship.
  • Nationalisation: When the government takes ownership and control of private companies or industries, such as coal, railways or steel.
  • National Health Service (NHS): A state-run health service created in 1948 to provide medical care that is free at the point of use for everyone.
What were the main achievements of the 1945–1951 Labour governments?

The main achievements included founding the NHS, expanding social security, improving education and housing, and nationalising key industries to create a more planned and secure economy.

Why did Labour introduce the welfare state after 1945?

Labour introduced the welfare state to tackle poverty, poor health and unemployment exposed by the Depression and the war, aiming to guarantee basic security for all citizens from cradle to grave.

How did nationalisation affect British industry in the late 1940s?

Nationalisation brought key industries under state control, which supporters hoped would improve coordination and investment, while critics argued it reduced competition and could lead to inefficiency.

1 .
In 1947 Hugh Dalton, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was forced to resign. On what grounds did he hand in his resignation?
He had been fiddling his parliamentary expenses
He had confided budget secrets to a journalist just as he was about to deliver his budget speech
He had been accused of having an affair with a female M.P.
He had been plotting to remove Attlee as prime minister and had been found out
Dalton was replaced by the austere Stafford Cripps
2 .
What proportion of British industry had been nationalised by Labour in 1951?
35%
50%
20%
40%
Labour had promised to take into public ownership transport and the major utilities as well as the Bank of England
3 .
In 1947 the new Minister of Education raised the school leaving age to what?
15 years old
14 years old
16 years old
17 years old
The Labour Party regarded free education as an intrinsic right and they were keen to keep children at school for as long as possible
4 .
Labour's 1918 Constitution provided for the state control of industry in the interests of employees and the wider public. Which clause of the Constitution set out this intention?
Clause 4
Clause 231
Clause 95
Clause 101
This clause later became a bone of contention between modernisers who wanted to amend or abolish it and traditionalists who wanted to retain it intact
5 .
Who was the only woman in Attlee's government?
Margaret Bondfield
Barbara Castle
Jennie Lee
Ellen Wilkinson
Women MPs were still in short supply
6 .
Which Liberal economist and government supporter, the author of the "General Theory", urged a policy of full employment and state stimulation of the economy?
John Maynard Keynes
William Beveridge
Friedrich Hayek
Walter Balogh
The government was keen to have intellectual support for full employment, partly as they criticised the Conservatives for the high levels of unemployment in the 1930s
7 .
The coal industry was nationalised. By what named was its controlling body now known?
The Coal Corporation
British Coal
Carbogen
The National Coal Board
The coal industry employed nearly a million miners and had enjoyed poor industrial relations in the inter-war period
8 .
Which cabinet minister, the founder of the NHS in 1948, was ridiculed by Churchill, now Leader of the Opposition, as the "Minister of Disease"?
Ernest Bevin
Aneurin Bevan
John Strachey
Michael Foot
Churchill kept up a steady stream of insults against his political enemies
9 .
"A sheep in sheep's clothing." - This rather cruel jibe by Churchill was made about which Labour minister?
Herbert Morrison
Tom Williams
Emmanuel Shinwell
Clement Attlee
Churchill was very quick to make these half-amusing and half-abusive asides
10 .
In 1948 the Representation of the People Act removed some anomalies from the electoral system. Which of the following reforms was enshrined in the Act?
The voting age was reduced to 18
The University seats were abolished, so that university graduates were denied their extra vote
Voting was made compulsory in parliamentary elections
The deposit required to be paid by parliamentary candidates was raised to £50
Labour was keen to retain power and believed that a further franchise act could give them more support.
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Depression, war and recovery, 1930-1954

Author:  Edward Towne

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