2.8 Parliament and the people, c.1914–c.1980

• Government involvement


  The government became more involved in the lives of the people during this period
• Government control during First World War

  • The whole country was geared towards supporting the war effort - this is known as total war
  • Conscription was used from January 1916 to force men to enlist
  • People who refused to fight were known as conscientious objectors. These people could be put into prison or sent to do other war work
  • The government took control of the coal industry and set up its own munitions factories
  • The government employed female workers in factories to help the war effort but they were paid less than men
• Government lessons learned by Second World War

  • Conscription started in 1938 before the Second World War broke out. Fewer men were needed on the ground fighting due to the nature of the conflict, but many more were needed in industrial production
  • In 1941, over half the population was employed by the government
  • A coalition government was formed so that people from all political parties were running the country – the Labour minister Ernest Bevin worked to involve trade unions in governmental decisions
  • More women were needed for work, to facilitate this the government introduced flexible working hours and childcare
• Propaganda and censorship in both world wars

  • Propaganda and censorship were used to keep public morale high
  • In 1914, the government produced lists of topics that should not be written about; there were stiff penalties for those who broke the rules
  • In April 1915, the government informed the press to publish casualty lists that were of acceptable levels, and not to print the truth
  • In January 1917, the prime minister (David Lloyd George) created the Department of Information – this had the sole responsibility for issuing and enforcing guidelines for censorship
  • During the Second World War, the government was given special powers by Parliament to control what people could see and hear: this included all films, photographs and written reports
  • Propaganda posters were used in both wars, but they were more subtle in the Second World War – some were even removed after people thought they were causing offence
• Rationing in both world wars


  • Rationing was introduced in 1918 in the First World War
  • Blockades were used by both sides to prevent supplies from reaching their destination
  • Lots of public sites were used as allotments
  • Householders were told to use their gardens to grow vegetables. Many people also kept animals that could be used as food (such as chickens)
  • Rationing was introduced at the start of the Second World War conflict
  • The government set up 'swap shops' for clothes
  • Recycling was encouraged
  • The black market (illegal trade of items) flourished – this allowed people to get hold of rationed items
• Home Front in both world wars

  • There were some coastal raids in the First World War but the main threat to the Home Front was the bombing raids and the Blitz during the Second World War
  • In both world wars, the government encouraged people not to talk about any kind of war work for fear of spies
  • The Home Guard was set up in 1940 – they were a group of volunteers who acted as a reserve force
  • The government gave people the job of checking that no lights could be seen during blackouts – these people were called Air Raid Precautions (ARP) wardens
• The two world wars changed the relationship between Parliament and the people

  • The 1918 Representation of the People Act gave the vote to all men over the age of 21 and some women. This was in recognition for their war work
  • Some people became very angry when the relationship between the government and trade unions broke down in the 1920s, as they thought that despite their contribution to war, the government would not give any concessions
  • Evacuation in the Second World War revealed differences in wealth and living circumstances to many people – this put pressure on the government to provide more welfare
  • The Labour Party won a landslide election in 1945 and implemented a welfare state as recommended by the Beveridge Report of 1942. Historians argue that they won the election due to their promises of a new start for people