avatar
Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social

Churchill delivered victory in the Second World War only to lose the 1945 election. Clement Attlee delivered the National Health Service only to lose the 1950 election.

sep 1, 2025, 2:30 pm • 81 14

Replies

avatar
DBurx @dburx.bsky.social

The govt was 'National' during WWII; and Churchill had not won the election before. That was the Baldwin-Chamberlain Tories, as Labour were not slow to point out in 45. The 1950 election was a narrow Labour victory, but the party was exhausted, and they lost the following year.

sep 1, 2025, 2:39 pm • 4 0 • view
avatar
D-Cym @d-cym.bsky.social

Elections are about the future, so any backward looking political party/leader is trying to win a popularity contest rather than win an election. Running on your past accomplishments is a message to the voters that you don't have ideas for the future.

sep 1, 2025, 2:35 pm • 1 0 • view
avatar
Stephen Drennan @stephen1958.bsky.social

Well the version of WWII in the films (& in Churchill’s own history of it!) have Churchill winning the war. But I think, given it was a National, coalition, govt and the voters had just come through delivering their own individual contributions, I guess they felt they had *all* delivered victory ?

sep 1, 2025, 2:55 pm • 1 0 • view
avatar
John L @JohnLowe56.bsky.social @johnlowe56.bsky.social

Attlee won in 1950 but by a very small margin. It was actually 1951 when the Conservatives regained power under Churchill. Harold Wilson, whose governments were beset by crises (I'm old enough to remember devaluation and troops NI) was good at winning elections. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_Un...

sep 1, 2025, 5:26 pm • 1 0 • view
avatar
Scandifriend @scandifriend.bsky.social

1951 election - he scraped home in 1950 - but point taken

sep 1, 2025, 2:33 pm • 5 0 • view
avatar
Garret Beggan 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @garretbeggan.bsky.social

As other commentators have pointed out, if you run elections under a twisted and undemocratic voting system, what The People want hardly matters. Not sure how anyone would trace the benefits of delivery through the distortions of the system.

sep 1, 2025, 3:32 pm • 1 0 • view