Quote by Christopher Hitchens
This historic general election, which showed that the British are well able to distinguish between patriotism and Toryism, brought Clement Attlee to the prime ministership. In the succeeding five years, Labor inaugurated the National Health Service, the first and boldest experiment in socialized medicine. It took into public ownership all the vital (and bankrupted) utilities of the coal, gas, electricity and railway industries. It even nibbled at the fiefdoms and baronies of private steel, air transport and trucking. It negotiated the long overdue independence of India. It did all this, in a country bled white by the World War and subject to all manner of unpopular rationing and controls, without losing a single midterm by-election (a standard not equaled by any government of any party since). And it was returned to office at the end of a crowded term.
Summary
The quote highlights the significance of the historic general election in Britain that brought Clement Attlee to the position of prime minister. It emphasizes that the British people were able to differentiate between patriotism and Toryism (ideology of the Conservative Party) during this election. Over the course of Attlee's five-year tenure, the Labour government achieved multiple landmark achievements. These included the establishment of the National Health Service (NHS), which was a groundbreaking step towards socialized medicine. Additionally, the government nationalized various vital industries that were bankrupted, such as coal, gas, electricity, and railways. The government also made progress in gaining independence for India and successfully navigated various challenges. Despite facing criticism due to rationing and controls imposed in the aftermath of World War II, the Labour government did not lose a single by-election during this period, which remains a standard unmatched by any subsequent government of any party.
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