The NHS starts with a wartime coalition agreement, so its roots are not all socialist.
As a Conservative, I do not regard Attlee as a pig or POS, I think he was a very decent man and a fine politician. I simply disagree with some of his policies. No need for such language. As an actual Brit, I don’t like such language used to describe a former British Prime Minister and certainly don’t think the man deserves it. The man did after all send British troops to fight communism in Korea and Malaya, fight terrorism in Palestine. Yes, I agree he was by far the best Labour leader, ahead of Wilson and Blair. He made in hindsight good decisions and also some poor decisions. The UK entry into Korea actually caused us financial trouble but he/we as in 1914 and 1939 understood that sometimes morality and doing the right thing must trump the pound and shilling.
Americans tend to forget why we voted Winnie out. It was because A-—the Tories had been in power since the 30s and had led the country to another war. B—what Labour 1945 offered was a ‘new jerusalem’, a very attractive idea of postwar Britain, with a free NHS, new housing, improved working conditions and labour rules, more leisure time, better schooling and other social issues.
To a country near bankrupt, bombed out and burying nearly 400000 men and women, military and civilian, their idea of a new Britain was far more attractive than the Tories more of the same. To be frankly honest, I would have voted for it in 1945 as a young man or an older family man.
To ask why we kicked him out is to fail to grasp Britain in 1945 and Britain postwar.
Good post! Explains a great deal. I have nostalgia for this period - and I don’t even live there. Perhaps its a holdover from my 50s childhood which was so wonderful.
I’m no expert but as I understand it the wartime measures were supposed to be temporary and a far cry from this scheme.
Churchill lost cause Labour promised gibsmedat (a crude but accurate term) to a shellshocked population, class warfare, what the party was founded on, revolting. Anyone that blamed the Conservative Party for the war (what cause long gone Chamberlain was a *ussy?) wasn’t cooking with gas. I sure wish we would have turned out Truman based on that rationale.
I think MacDonald was the best Labour leader cause he was actually willing break with the majority of his party when they were obstructing doing what has necessary.
I respect your gentlemanly level of decorum but I can’t share it. I hate socialists. Labour’s first majority moved your country permanently to the left, just as FDR’s long reign of terror did to my country. I can’t not loathe the people responsible no matter if they are decent or honorable on a personal level (FDR was not, I’ll take your word on Mr. Attlee).