The Attlee Government and the Welfare State 1945–1951

The Attlee government of 1945–1951 is widely regarded as the most significant reforming administration in twentieth-century British history. In six years, it created the National Health Service, established comprehensive social insurance, nationalised key industries, and built the institutional framework of the welfare state. This lesson examines Attlee's programme, its achievements and limitations, and the historiographical debates about its legacy.

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The Labour Landslide (July 1945)

Labour won 393 seats to the Conservatives' 213 — a majority of 146. The scale of the victory shocked contemporaries, including Attlee himself.

The Government