1. Why did Labour win the 1964 General Election?

2. my political career in the House of Lords
Contenders
I spent most of
my political career in the House of Lords V
Alec Douglas Home (Conservative)
Harold Wilson (Labour)

3. Why did Labour win the 1964 General Election?
Scandal
Night of the Long Knives
Illness of Macmillan
Europe
Labour as party of modernisation
Youthful image of Wilson

4. Scandal There were two major scandals which rocked the government
The Vassal spy scandal
The Profumo affair
These scandals rocked and discredited the Conservative governments

5. The Vassal spy affair
John Vassall, a homosexual clerk who worked at the Admiralty
been photographed in Moscow by the KGB at a gay sex party, was uncovered as a spy
Vassall was a conspicuous consumer, living far beyond his means, yet no one had asked the obvious question about where his money was coming from
there was much speculation about a wider homosexual and traitorous network, this time involving ministers too

6. The Profumo affair
was a scandal involving the Minister for War, John Profumo
liaison with a prostitute created a national security risk since she included members of the Soviet embassy among her clients
Profumo lied in the House of Commons about the relationship. The scandal did not by itself bring down the government, but the fact the Prime Minister believed Profumo’s original denial of impropriety suggested that Macmillan was loosing his political grip

7. Night of the Long Knives
Macmillan reorganised his cabinet in an event that became known as the Night of the Long Knives
But the effect of the reshuffle was to make Macmillan’s own position more precarious

8. Illness of Macmillan
Macmillan was seriously ill following a major operation in 1963 and eventually resigned due to ill health

9. Europe
The constant arguing over Britain’s relations with Europe discredited the government
Britain’s membership was rejected
No!

10. Labour as party of modernisation
First we must produce more scientists. Secondly, having produced them we must be a great deal more successful in keeping them in this country. Thirdly, having trained them and kept them here, we must make more intelligent use of them when they are trained than we do with those we have got. Fourthly, we must reorganise more purposively to our national production effort

11. Youthful image of Wilson
The Labour campaign was based around Harold Wilson, who was plugged as a man of the people. "If the past belongs to the Tories", Wilson declared, "the future belongs to us, all of us."

12. THE RESULT Party Votes Seats Change UK Vote Share (%)
GB Vote Share (%)
Labour
12,205,808
317
+ 59
44.1
44.8
Conservative
12,002,642
304
- 61
43.4
42.9
Liberal
3,099,283 9
+ 3
11.2
11.4
Others
349,415
- 1
1.3
0.9
the Tory turnout was
two million down
on 1959.

13. Why did Labour win the 1964 General Election?
The various factors can be remembered as ....
SNIELY

14. Why did Labour win the 1964 General Election?
Scandal
Night of the Long Knives
Illness of Macmillan
Europe
Labour as party of modernisation
Youthful image of Wilson

15. Night of the Long Knives
WHAT IS THE
MOST
IMPORTANT
FACTOR?
Scandal
Europe
Why did Labour win
the 1964 election?
Night of the Long Knives
Labour as party of
modernisation
Illness of Macmillan
Youthful image of
Wilson

16. QUESTIONS Who was the Labour leader during the election?
Who was the Conservative leader?
What did the Vassal scandal involve?
What did the Profumo scandal involve?
Who said no to Britain’s entry to Europe?
What was the Night of the Long Knives?
Where did Home spend most of his political career before becoming leader?
Why was Labour seen as the party of modernisation?
Who was described by the press as a ‘cretin’?
How can the factors that led to a Labour victory be easily remembered?