To What Extent Was the Period of Conservative Rule 1951-64 “Thirteen Years Wasted”?
This essay will examine the impact of the Conservative party during their period in office between 1951 and 1964. The assessments by historians of these thirteen years vary widely as the Conservative rule left behind a mixed feeling about its achievements. We will therefore be discussing to what extent their period in office can be described as “thirteen years wasted”, based on their performances in the political, economic and social sectors. When the Conservative Party came to power in 1951, they won the election by a slim majority of 26 seats, leaving them with very little power to make important changes. However, their number of seats increased throughout their thirteen years in office, leaving them with a majority of 107 in the 1959 election. This large lead allowed them to reverse some of the laws passed by the Labour government, such as nationalisation and reaffirmed the party's power in British politics. Furthermore, the Conservative victory is historically significant as it broke Labour's monopoly in government which they had held since the end of the Second World War.
Although their numbers of seats increased throughout their period of rule, it is worth noting that during their thirteen years in power, the Conservatives had a sequence of different Prime Minister, from Churchill, to Eden, then Macmillan and finally Sir Alec Douglas-Hume. Each of these Prime Minister governed very differently which meant that it was harder to plan long term as Eden for example only stayed in office for two years between 1955 and 1957. Furthermore, it would seem that the Conservatives did not take enough into account the public atmosphere and the emergence of the youth culture in the early sixties as they chose a Prime Minister with a poor public image who failed to attract the votes of the younger generations. This can be considered a waste of the Conservatives last few months in power where they should have put maximum effort into improving their public image in order
Although their numbers of seats increased throughout their period of rule, it is worth noting that during their thirteen years in power, the Conservatives had a sequence of different Prime Minister, from Churchill, to Eden, then Macmillan and finally Sir Alec Douglas-Hume. Each of these Prime Minister governed very differently which meant that it was harder to plan long term as Eden for example only stayed in office for two years between 1955 and 1957. Furthermore, it would seem that the Conservatives did not take enough into account the public atmosphere and the emergence of the youth culture in the early sixties as they chose a Prime Minister with a poor public image who failed to attract the votes of the younger generations. This can be considered a waste of the Conservatives last few months in power where they should have put maximum effort into improving their public image in order