Winston Churchill said some foolish things during the election campaign of 1945, such as statements that equated Labour with totalitarian dictatorship.
How much chance did Churchill have to win the election of 1945 if the Conservatives had run a better campaign?
Will Timeghost make a homefront episode or a special episode about the British election of 1945?
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Personally, I don’t think Churchill could have won the 1945 general election regardless of how well or how poorly the Conservatives campaigned. He was seen – not unfairly – as a wartime leader and the war was then (mostly) over. Unlike earlier Labour election wins, Attlee led a large number of highly experienced ministers and could (and did) take over the government without too many hiccoughs. From the average voter’s point of view, it was high time for a change of government and Attlee’s Labour Party was a better alternative offering post-war ideas that were enticing to many.
I do think a Homefront episode on the election would be a good idea.
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Churchill was re-elected in October 1951, when the Conservatives gained a majority again. Remarkebly the Conservatives lost the popular vote in October 1951.
Perhaps a better campaign of the Conservatives in 1945 could have resulted in a situation similar to 1951.
Don’t forget Churchill said som stupid thing during the lectionary campaign, suggesting that Labour’s plans for nationalisations required such a degree of state control that it could lead to totalitarian tyranny.
In reality the Conservatives did not oppose the Beveridge report of November 1942,that called for increased welfare.
Timeghost made a Homefront episode about the Beveridge report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRa3N9niFW4
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