Labour Essay Plan
Labour essays are always about how successful the Labour reforms were. However they DO NOT all ask exactly the same thing.
1.
Intro – SEAF
Start Date – 1942 – Beveridge Report – expectation of a welfare state.
AND 1945 - end of the Second World War/Labour landslide in the general Election
End date – 1951 – Labour loses General Election to Conservatives.
Argument – Define what the question is asking you about (Welfare state, needs of British people, social problems etc) – argue whether Labour did these things or not .
Factors
– Beveridge Report and the Five Giants –
WIDIS . Link this to your argument.
THEN DO A SECTION ON EACH OF THE GIANTS AND THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
OF THE LABOUR REFORMS.
(ACTS IN BRACKETS WERE NOT PASSED BY LABOUR,
BUT WERE IMPLEMENTED BY LABOUR.)
ONLY FOR A WELFARE STATE QUESTION:
Liberals/Wartime reforms
What had the Liberals and the Second World War Coalition already done to lay the foundations of a welfare state?
Mention –
Liberals - free school meals, pensions and National Insurance.
Wartime Coalition – Family allowances, Butler Education Act, mention also that the Beveridge
Report created the blueprint for the welfare state and an expectation of a welfare state. Mention that the Conservatives would have introduced similar reforms if they had been elected – as per their manifesto.
BE BRIEF – you’re just arguing that Labour don’t deserve ALL of the credit.
Want
(Family Allowances 1945)
National Insurance 1946
National Assistance 1948
ANALYSE AS YOU GO – Weigh up good and bad points of reforms – link to question !!
2.
Ignorance
(Education Act 1944)
School Building
ANALYSE AS YOU GO – Weigh up good and bad points of reforms – link to question !!
3.
Disease
NHS – 1946/48
ANALYSE AS YOU GO – Weigh up good and bad points of reforms – link to question !!

4.
Idleness
Unemployment figures/Dalton’s quote
What Labour did –
Marshall Aid
Nationalisation
House building
What private industry/other factors did –
Baby Boom
Exports
ANALYSE AS YOU GO – Weigh up good and bad points of reforms – link to question !!
5.
Squalor
Squatting
Council Houses
Prefabs
Private House Building
ANALYSE AS YOU GO – Weigh up good and bad points of reforms – link to question !!
6.
Conclusion
ANSWER THE QUESTION
FOR A WELFARE STATE QUESTION - HOW MUCH DO LABOUR DESERVE THE
CREDIT? HOW MUCH DOES THE CREDIT LIE ELSEWHERE – e.g. LIBERALS/IMAPCT
OF THE WAR?
OTHER QUESTIONS - ADDRESS WHAT’S BEING ASKED!!
Sum up all the good points then all the bad points, or vice -versa. Finish with what you agree with.
PUT IN A GOOD QUOTE
DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!
DON’T JUST REPEAT WHAT YOU’VE ALREADY SAID!