Let Us Face the Future: the Labour Party 1945 Manifesto
Let Us Face the Future: The Labour Party 1945 Manifesto
At the very end of World War 2, the British people is craving for a change in the economic and social policies of their country. In fact, the Great Depression and pre-war Conservative governments were very disappointing : Chamberlain's (from 1937 to 1940) and Churchill's (from 1940 to 1945) governments were practically only based on foreign policy (because of the war and the progressive degradation of the British Empire), and were considered responsible for not enough preparing Britain to war ; moreover, the Great Depression's various governments (Labour as well as Tories) were blamed because they did not assure the people's, and particularly the working-class' financial safety during the late 20's – early 30's. In 1945, Britain really needs a drastic change in its national policy while a time of post-war reconstruction has come. The Labour Party of 1945, and its leader Clement Attlee, claims that it embodies this change : its manifesto of 1945, from which this text is an extract, demands great social, economic and industrial reforms, hoping to erase the past defeat of the Party during the Depression. Between the promises for a National health care plan and economic reforms that benefits the lower-middle and working-class, lies a programme of Public ownership, or nationalization of every industry (that is to say that these industries will be run by the State), which reinforces the Labour's self-declaration as a Socialist government. This designation is even more appealing to the British people, that sees in this new socialist Labour party an even greater sign of future changes to come for their country. But this extract, which can firstly be seen as a normal Manifesto for a new socialist government, suggests as a watermark a vivid criticism of the pre-war Conservative government, and more generally of Capitalism and privatization of the industries ; moreover, if one goes deeper into the
At the very end of World War 2, the British people is craving for a change in the economic and social policies of their country. In fact, the Great Depression and pre-war Conservative governments were very disappointing : Chamberlain's (from 1937 to 1940) and Churchill's (from 1940 to 1945) governments were practically only based on foreign policy (because of the war and the progressive degradation of the British Empire), and were considered responsible for not enough preparing Britain to war ; moreover, the Great Depression's various governments (Labour as well as Tories) were blamed because they did not assure the people's, and particularly the working-class' financial safety during the late 20's – early 30's. In 1945, Britain really needs a drastic change in its national policy while a time of post-war reconstruction has come. The Labour Party of 1945, and its leader Clement Attlee, claims that it embodies this change : its manifesto of 1945, from which this text is an extract, demands great social, economic and industrial reforms, hoping to erase the past defeat of the Party during the Depression. Between the promises for a National health care plan and economic reforms that benefits the lower-middle and working-class, lies a programme of Public ownership, or nationalization of every industry (that is to say that these industries will be run by the State), which reinforces the Labour's self-declaration as a Socialist government. This designation is even more appealing to the British people, that sees in this new socialist Labour party an even greater sign of future changes to come for their country. But this extract, which can firstly be seen as a normal Manifesto for a new socialist government, suggests as a watermark a vivid criticism of the pre-war Conservative government, and more generally of Capitalism and privatization of the industries ; moreover, if one goes deeper into the