Labour Party's Election Victory

How useful is the concept of a ‘people’s war’ for explaining the Labour Party’s election victory?
The Labour Party’s election victory in 1945 is often regarded as a watershed moment in terms of British political history. The establishment of a welfare state, as a result of socialist reforms that were introduced by the newly elected Labour government, saw, what can arguably be described as a radical overhaul of British politics and society. Labour’s unprecedented landslide victory is commonly attributed to a transition in terms of public opinion that occurred as a result of wartime conditions. As a result of the entire British public being affected by total war, it led to the creation of the concept of a ‘people’s war’, as the cooperation
Beveridge’s report ‘may well have been the only official publication in the history of the British government that most of the electorate had heard of,’4 and its popularity, arguably, highlighted the growing awareness of the public on the state of Britain as ‘the war effort also hurled together people of different social backgrounds in a series of massive upheavals caused by bombing, conscription, and the migration of workers to new centres of war industry.’5 The concept of a people’s war and the sacrifices that the public were expected to make, stimulated a desire for social improvement. For example, a Gallup poll in July 1945 showed that 63% of those asked felt that housing was the most urgent home front issue and it is apparent that similar issues such as employment, food shortages and social security were the main concern of a large percentage of the
Although, the Labour Party were obvious advocates of socialist policies, the Conservative election manifesto ‘had a similar commitment to full employment’6 and promised ‘an all-out housing policy.’7 Therefore, if there truly was a shift to the left in terms of public opinion as a result of a ‘people’s war’, then the resulting consensus would not have necessarily resulted in a Labour win in the election. Addison’s argument that there was a formation of a new political consensus due to a shift to the left in public opinion as a result of a ‘people’s war’ has been increasingly disputed. Although, there is an indication that the proposed implementation of social reform policies gained approval during the war, it does not necessarily reflect a movement towards the left wing in terms of public opinion. Arguably, policies that guaranteed national and social insurance were seen as the best approach in rebuilding a nation that had been crippled by total warfare and the public may have recognised this. Therefore, it could be said that as a result of a ‘people’s war’ there was an increase in support for social reform polices but not socialist ideology in