he 1945 United Kingdom general election was a national election held on 5 July 1945, though polling in some constituencies was delayed by several days, while the counting of votes was delayed until 26 July to provide time for overseas votes to be brought to Britain. The governing Conservative Party sought to maintain their position within parliament, but faced challenges from public opinion about the future of the United Kingdom in the post-war period. Incumbent Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed a call for a general election in parliament, which passed with a majority vote less than two months after the conclusion of World War II in Europe.[1]
The political backdrop of the election's campaigning was focused on leadership of the country and its future. Churchill sought to use his wartime popularity as part of his campaign to keep the Conservatives in power, after spending it in a wartime coalition since 1940 with the other political parties, but faced questions from public opinion surrounding the Conservatives' actions in the 1930s and Churchill's ability to handle domestic policies across the country. Clement Attlee, who led the Labour Party, was seen as a more competent leader amongst voters, particularly by those who feared a return to the levels of unemployment in the 1930s and sought a strong figurehead in British politics to lead the rebuilding of the country after the war. Opinion polls when the election was called showed strong approval ratings for Churchill, but Labour had been gradually gaining support for months prior to the war's conclusion.
The final result of the election showed Labour to have won a landslide victory,[2] making a net gain of 239 seats and winning 47.7%, thus allowing Attlee to be appointed Prime Minister. For the Conservatives, the Labour victory was a shock,[3] as they made a net loss of 189 seats despite winning 36.2% of the vote, having campaigned on the mistaken belief that Churchill would win on his post-wartime status. For the other two major parties, the Liberal Party faced a serious blow after making a net loss of 9 seats with a vote share of 9.0%, many within urban areas and including the seat held by its leader Sir Archibald Sinclair. The National Liberal Party fared significantly worst, making a net loss of 22 seats with a vote share of 2.9%, with its leader Ernest Brown losing his seat.
The election was the first in which Labour won a majority, and allowed Attlee to begin implementing the party's postwar reforms for the country.[4] The national swing to their party from the Conservatives of 10.7% is the largest ever seen in a general election within the United Kingdom, while the Conservatives' loss of the popular vote was more significant than in the 1906 election. Churchill remained actively involved in politics and would return as Prime Minister after the 1951 general election. For the National Liberals, the election was the last undertaken by them before their merger with the Conservatives in 1947; Brown resigned from politics in the aftermath of the election.
