1951 - Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain

Winston Churchill's Second Term

Winston Churchill in Evening Dress with Cigar, 1951
Winston Churchill in Evening Dress with Cigar, 1951. Bettmann/Getty Images

Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain (1951): After being chosen to be Prime Minister of ​Great Britain in 1940 to lead the country during World War II, Winston Churchill refused to surrender to the Germans, built up British morale, and became a central force of the Allies. However, before the war with Japan had ended, Churchill and his Conservative Party were soundly defeated by the Labour Party in a general election held in July 1945.

Considering Churchill's near-hero status at the time, it was a shock that Churchill lost the election. The public, although grateful to Churchill for his role in winning the war, was ready for​ a change. After half a decade at war, the populace was ready to think of the future. The Labour Party, who focused on domestic rather than foreign issues, included in its platform programs for such things as better health care and education.

Six years later, in another general election, the Conservative Party won the majority of seats. With this win, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain for his second term in 1951.

On April 5, 1955, at age 80, Churchill resigned as Prime Minister.

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Rosenberg, Jennifer. "1951 - Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/winston-churchill-prime-minister-great-britain-1779353. Rosenberg, Jennifer. (2023, April 5). 1951 - Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/winston-churchill-prime-minister-great-britain-1779353 Rosenberg, Jennifer. "1951 - Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/winston-churchill-prime-minister-great-britain-1779353 (accessed March 29, 2024).