Labour's Promised Land?

the long version

The Labour governments of 1945-51 were the high point of Labour's popularity and enthusiasm for reform. They also established the framework for the post-war political consensus. This new collection of essays explores the cultural climate of Labour Britain and the framework of post-war political culture and welfare policies which conditioned that climate. Labour's Promised Land? resists the temptation to view British culture of the period through rose-tinted glasses. The contributors critically assess the successes and failures of the Governments' policies, and cover issues such as: British cinema of the period, working-class consumer culture, the founding of the NHS, Labour's attempts to house and educate the heroes and their families, post-war feminist activity and the response of the right to their crushing defeat.