In the years 1951-64, the Conservative dominated control of parliament mainly due to the ineffectiveness of the Labour party. However, there were many contributing factors, including the age of affluence. The economy carried the Conservatives through events that should have caused their government to break apart, for example Conservative power survived the Suez Crisis. The Tories used different governing policies in order to maintain their government, but it was the effect of the disunity within the Labour party at the time that allowed this to happen. It can be argued that it was the impact of public image that was the reason for the Conservative election victories, as it was also the reason for their defeat.
However, the effect of consensus politics must not be disregarded. At the start of the administration, Churchill created a cabinet that was mostly comprised of ministers who had moderate approaches. Their aim was to continue with the popular policies set up by Labour to strengthen their support. They led from the middle as they felt that it was the best way of gaining the majority of public votes. They were successful in fixing the problems left behind by Labour, including the housing issue. By 1953, they had exceeded the target of 300,000 new homes. They also managed to appease the trade union by applying conciliation policies. This unproblematic administration gave the public no reason to vote them out. Due to the affluence of the time, the Conservatives were able to reduce income tax in 1953. The affluence was a result of a worldwide economic recovery that the United Kingdom benefited from, therefore going in to the 1955 election the Tories could reap the rewards of a successful economy without playing any major role in it. The success with the economy, despite being based on a Stop-Go cycle, kept the Conservatives popular. A main aspect of voter support was down to the economy, as people’s votes are likely to follow where the money is.
While the Tories enjoyed giveaway budgets, the Labour party was distracted with infighting and division. The party’s organisation was weaker than that of the Conservatives and there were fierce disagreements over the ideology of the party. During the 1950s there were arguments over Clause 4 of the Party Programme. This was a significant issue as Clause 4 was a central aspect of Labour and to have it revised would mean major changes to the party. It also portrayed to the public that Labour was disunified and weren’t a viable option for government. The Conservative campaign slogan was ‘Life’s better with the Conservatives, don't let Labour ruin it.’, this was very effective as it highlighted the potential danger of a Labour government. It raised the question of whether they would be able to lead a country if they aren’t even able to lead themselves. It gave the Conservative party a boosted image as they would appear as a stronger front than Labour.
A main reason for Conservative dominance was the appeal of their party. They were seen by the public as successful in governing and were able to campaign effectively. In the 1959 general election, Gaitskell seemed wooden on TV messages while Macmillian appeared confident. This election also brought to the surface Labour’s division, including battles over the party’s future. Altogether, the Conservatives were able to present a strong front while Labour seemed to be lagging behind. However, Gaitskell was an effective campaigner in other medians and the party’s loss was a surprise and a disappointment. This motivated the party into re-establishing themselves going into the 1960s.
Up until 1960, Labour disunity was the justification of the Conservative dominance. After the Suez Crisis and Eden’s resignation, the Tory control should have crumbled and Labour should have been voted in. However, the reasons previously mentioned as well as the image of the Labour party as the option of the working classes meant that the Tories prevailed. This ‘cloth cap’ reputation was another factor that hindered the growth of Labour support because a growing number of people who were previously part of the working class felt that they had become middle class, thanks to the affluence under the Tories. This was 40% of manual workers and a key part of their target votes. Despite this, the majority of voters could no longer deny that the Conservatives were struggling as the 60s progressed.
The old Etonian image that once helped the Tory party was now to be part of its downfall as satire comedy rose in popularity. The party was starting to be seen as outdated, especially after the appointment of Douglas-Home as Macmillan's successor. This was because of the way in which Douglas-Home was appointed, which included him having to step down from the House of Lords. This was the last straw for the public after a sequence of events that led up to Macmillan’s resignation.
In 1962, Macmillan reshuffled his cabinet due to disagreements between him and Chancellor Selweyn Lloyd over the future of the economy. In the reshuffle, Macmillan fired Lloyd and a third of the cabinet in an attempt to refresh the government’s image and regain his influence over the budget. This was leaked to the press and Macmillan was seen as disloyal, damaging his image.
Public view of the Conservative administration was vital to their dominance but suffered further in 1963 due to multiple factors. The rejection of the British entrance to the EEC raised concerns over the economy. There were also scandals that questioned the integrity of the government. Two Soviet spy scandals weakened the public’s trust in them. The Profumo Affair had short political impact, however it reinforced the old and out-of-touch image that Macmillan and Conservatives were suffering from, which they couldn’t afford. Dominic Sandbrook stated that the Profumo Affair was a ‘potent combination of political corruption and sexual licence at a time when the government was deeply distrusted’. After Macmillan’s health issues, he resigned. It was the divisive power struggle that followed and the strong opposition to the two main candidates meant that Macmillan’s recommended Lord Douglas Home was appointed. The process made the party seem trapped in the past. This allowed Labour to portray themselves as the young and fresh option for the British public and win the election of 1964, breaking Conservative dominance.
It can be argued that the main reason for Conservative electoral dominance was Labour disunity, however it is justifiable that this was aided by the importance of public image and voter prosperity. Throughout Conservative control, there were events that should have broken their control but didn’t because Labour was struggling with disunity. This disunity damaged their image to the extent that the Tories always appeared to be the better option. Labour’s disunified image blurred the reality of Conservative government, making it appear more successful than it was. As long as the Tories could keep the economy going and keep a steady image, Labour wouldn’t even be considered an option by the voter. It wasn’t until the cracks started to appear in both the government and economy and Labour began to strengthen, that the Conservative grip on power fell apart.