Party Years

 

Despite a conservative tendency in British politics there have been significant periods when Britain opted for a Labour man to lead the country. These thirty-three years were years when British society chose to show its caring side, an awareness of others and the need for social cohesion.  However, Labour started badly in 1924 with Ramsay MacDonald who was unfortunate to be premier during the Great Depression. Leaving office in 1935 it would be a further ten years before a Labour leader would enter 10 Downing St. Clement Attlee took over from war-time leader Winston Churchill and became the man responsible for introducing the NHS. The 1950s were a decade of the Tories, but by 1964 Britain again turned to the left. Pipe smoking Harold Wilson became Prime Minister in 1964 and guided the country through the white heat of the 60s, but by 1970 when the fun times were over the voters briefly turned their backs on Labour. Wilson once again stepped into Downing St in 1974, but his tenure was short-lived and only two years later he handed over to former Labour Chancellor, James Callaghan. Callaghan was forced to end his tenure in 1979 after a Winter of Discontent and sadly would  be the last Labour premier for a generation until Tony Blair led the party to a landslide victory in 1997. Blair won a record three general elections and as such has been the most successful Labour leader to date. However, the US inspired Second Gulf War in 2003 seriously damaged Blair and after a ten year tenure Blair gratiously stepped down allowing his former Chancellor (history repeats itself) Gordon Brown to take over as leader and UK Prime Minister. How long Brown remains in Downing St is unknown, but all indications are he’ll be packing his bags long before the London Olympics. How long we’ll have to wait for a new Labour leader and premier is anyone’s guess at the moment of writing, but if anyone is reading this, how about David Milliband (worked at the Treasury but not been a Chancellor).

 

First  Premier Welfare

Two long-gone Labour pioneers. Above left founding father Ramsay McDonald, first Labour Prime Minister (PM 1924, 1929-1935). Above right Clement Attlee founding father of the NHS (PM 1945-1951).