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Core Argument¶
The chapter delivers a Marxist analysis of the 1945 British general election, framing Labour’s landslide victory as a decisive anti-capitalist turn by the working class, not a mere swing of the electoral pendulum. The core argument is that the masses, radicalised by thirty years of slump, war, and unemployment, voted for a complete break with capitalism, despite the Labour leadership’s timid campaign and failure to expose Churchill. Evidence cited includes the 10,000 votes cast for an unknown independent against Churchill in his own constituency, the estimated 80–90 per cent of servicemen voting Labour, and the heavy disenfranchisement of workers, which understates the true scale of the Tory defeat. The chapter contrasts 1945 with 1918 to underscore the growth in class consciousness.
The polemic is directed at three targets. First, the Labour leaders themselves, who are accused of failing to offer a bold, socialist programme and of already preparing to manage capitalism, as shown by Bevin’s reported remarks to a Swedish trade unionist about lower wages. Second, the Communist Party (Stalinists) is excoriated for its popular front policy, which called for a national government including Liberals and ‘progressive’ Tories like Churchill and Eden. The chapter notes that the CP was forced to abandon this mid-election after a hostile reception, but still lost thirteen deposits and polled only just over 100,000 votes. Third, the Liberals are dismissed as a capitalist party, their halving of seats evidence of a genuine anti-capitalist shift, not a mere swing.
The chapter draws on the immediate post-war context: the housing crisis, demobilisation, reconversion of war industry, and the ongoing war against Japan. It calls for immediate working-class demands: requisitioning empty houses, nationalisation under workers’ control, repeal of the 1927 Trade Disputes Act, equal gratuities for all ranks, and withdrawal from the Pacific war. Internationally, it demands a break with Franco, the Greek monarchy, and other reactionary regimes, and proposes a Socialist United States of Europe. The final sections warn that big business is already preparing sabotage, citing the Daily Mail’s veiled threats and the Daily Telegraph’s report of railway workers howling down union officials. The chapter concludes by urging the formation of local committees of unions, factories, housewives, and cooperatives to exert mass pressure on the Labour government, while the RCP offers critical support: fighting alongside workers to ensure the Labour leaders deliver, but warning that only working-class organisation and solidarity can secure real gains.