Clement Attlee

Clement Attlee was born in London in 1883, studied at Oxford and trained as a lawyer. His experience running a youth charity in east London drew him into socialist politics, and he joined the Independent Labour Party in 1908. After serving as an officer in the First World War, he became Mayor of Stepney and MP for Limehouse in 1922. He led the Labour Party from 1935 and was Deputy Prime Minister in Churchill's wartime coalition. In 1945 Labour won a large majority on the manifesto Let Us Face the Future. His government faced heavy post-war debts, currency crises and continued rationing. Labour lost most of its majority in 1950 and lost office in 1951, though Attlee remained party leader until 1955.

Supporters regard the Attlee government as the founder of Britain's post-war settlement, and surveys of academics have repeatedly ranked him among the most effective British prime ministers. Critics, including many Conservatives and economic liberals, argue that nationalisation and controls slowed recovery and that rationing lasted too long, while some on the left felt his government did not go far enough. Debate also continues over the speed and consequences of Indian partition. His quiet, collective leadership style is often contrasted with that of Churchill. Later governments of both main parties kept much of the framework his government created, including the NHS.