The election
After the war in Europe ended, new elections were held in Britain.
The election was fought mainly between the Conservative Party led by Winston Churchill and the Labour Party led by Clement Attlee.
In July, 1945, the Labour Party won the election. Clement Atlee became Prime Minister.
The Labour government
Aneurin Bevan became Minister for Health.
Between 1945 and 1951, the Labour government created the ‘Welfare State’. The government took responsibility for looking after the well-being of all its citizens.
The reforms made were designed to take care of the British people 'from the cradle to the grave' (ie from birth to death).
The Labour government introduced a number of reforms and changes in order to attempt to tackle the Five Giants - disease, want, squalor, ignorance and idleness.
