To What Extent Was The Conservative Government In The Years 1951-1964
To What Extent Was The Conservative Government A Success In The Years 1951-1964?
When Harold Macmillan said in 1957 that Britain had “never had it so good” it was easy to see why he spoke with such optimism. The period of Conservative dominance brought many benefits to the British people including the end of rationing, full employment and a boom in the economy. However, in labour’s 1964 manifesto they described this period as “thirteen wasted years”. It seems difficult to believe that both could be true and in this essay I will be assessing the successes and failures of the Conservative government during this time.
During 1951-1954 Britain saw an improvement in the economy of the country. The global economy was booming as countries rebuilt after the war. High levels of demand from other countries and at home meant that by 1955 the unemployment rate was 1%, the lowest it had been since the end of the war. Wages rose by 30% and this all led to economic growth which was illustrated by the fact that home and car ownership, as well as demand for consumer goods increased dramatically
However, it could be argued that this was not actually due to the Conservative …show more content…
One event that could be considered a colossal failure of the conservative government could be the Suez crisis in 1956. Not only did it leave Britain an embarrassment in terms of government respectability but it also undermined the belief that Britain held a place as one of the major world powers and showed that it was now the USA and the Soviet Union that held the power. It also highlighted Britain’s inability to work alone, without the support of the USA. Overall, the Suez Crisis was a big failure that greatly affected the world’s view of
When Harold Macmillan said in 1957 that Britain had “never had it so good” it was easy to see why he spoke with such optimism. The period of Conservative dominance brought many benefits to the British people including the end of rationing, full employment and a boom in the economy. However, in labour’s 1964 manifesto they described this period as “thirteen wasted years”. It seems difficult to believe that both could be true and in this essay I will be assessing the successes and failures of the Conservative government during this time.
During 1951-1954 Britain saw an improvement in the economy of the country. The global economy was booming as countries rebuilt after the war. High levels of demand from other countries and at home meant that by 1955 the unemployment rate was 1%, the lowest it had been since the end of the war. Wages rose by 30% and this all led to economic growth which was illustrated by the fact that home and car ownership, as well as demand for consumer goods increased dramatically
However, it could be argued that this was not actually due to the Conservative …show more content…
One event that could be considered a colossal failure of the conservative government could be the Suez crisis in 1956. Not only did it leave Britain an embarrassment in terms of government respectability but it also undermined the belief that Britain held a place as one of the major world powers and showed that it was now the USA and the Soviet Union that held the power. It also highlighted Britain’s inability to work alone, without the support of the USA. Overall, the Suez Crisis was a big failure that greatly affected the world’s view of