Conservatives in Power (1951-64)

• In 1951, despite Labour winning the popular vote, the Conservatives triumphed, largely due to the 'first-past-the-post' system: they would remain in power for another 13 years
• Churchill was an ineffective peacetime leader for several reasons:

  • He was old (80 when he finally stepped down in 1955)
  • He was not in good health, most seriously a 1953 stroke which left him with impaired speech
  • He saw himself as a world statesman, and so often left domestic policy to others
• R.A. Butler

  • 'the best PM the Conservatives never had'
  • Came to prominence as the Education Act's architect (1944)
  • Chancellor from 1951-5
• There were significant tensions within Parliament: Butler, Macmillan and Eden did not get on, while Eden grew increasingly impatient whilst he waited for Churchill to step down
• Economic growth under the Conservatives was impressive - GDP rose by over 2% per year between 1951 and 1973
• Unemployment fell dramatically during this period, reaching its lowest level since the 1930s by 1960
• Between 1951 and 1964, unemployment averaged just 1.5%, compared to 2.5% in the previous decade
• In 1955, Eden finally come to power: he shortly after called a successful election, increasing the Conservative majority from 17 to 60
• Eden was a poor leader: he was anxious, and so often over-hesitated, and also desperate to avoid industrial action (and so was criticised for being too conciliatory with unions, who were at this time massively powerful)
• Eden's weakness was exemplified when he attempted to move Macmillan from the role of Foreign Secretary to the Treasury in October 1955: Macmillan didn't want to, and managed to delay until December
• July 26th, 1956: Egypt's President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalised the Suez Canal Company, which threatened both French and British holdings and also threatened to cut off Europe's oil supply
• Nasser's decision to nationalise was made after the US and UK revoked a previous agreement to finance the completion of the Aswan Dam; without this support, Nasser needed the revenue of the tolls to fund the dam
• Britain and France secretly contacted the Israeli government, and proposed a joint military operation in which Israel would invade the Sinai Peninsula, after which Britain and France would land paratroopers in Egypt, ostensibly to ensure peace (but actually to secure their interests)
• October 29th, 1965: Israeli forces invade, defeating the Egyptian army in the Sinai Peninsula, but the USA and USSR both demand a ceasefire, with the US tabling a UN resolution to demand the withdrawal of all invading troops
• By December 22nd, 1956, British and French troops had both withdrawn, but Israel remained in Gaza (...) until March 19th, 1957
• The Suez Crisis led to Eden resigning on January 8th, 1957, as his health deteriorated rapidly following the crisis
• Harold Macmillan became Prime Minister on January 10th, 1957
• Macmillan was an experienced politician who had been Chancellor under Churchill and then Foreign Secretary under Eden
• In April 1957, Macmillan announced that Britain would withdraw its remaining troops from Cyprus by August 1958
• Macmillan's first task was to rebuild relations with America, which he did by visiting President Eisenhower at Camp David in February 1957
• On May 3rd, 1957, Macmillan won an overwhelming victory at the general election, winning 400 seats compared to Labour’s 262
• Macmillan also visited Moscow in July 1957, where he met Khrushchev and signed a trade agreement worth £3 million per year
• One of Macmillan’s main achievements was the introduction of the National Health Service Act in 1957, which increased spending on healthcare
• Another achievement was the establishment of the National Economic Development Council in 1962, which aimed to improve economic growth through planning and investment