Attlee's Election Speech

(25 Jun 1945) The Labour leader gives a pre-Election address to Movietone.
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[@TheArctofireHD]

Clement Attlee, without a doubt one of the greatest prime ministers in history.

[@anthonychambers4399]

Without doubt the man that single handled destroyed the country. Everything they touched is broken. The planning system, the NHS, the state pension system and mass welfare. If the UK had a normal zoning system, French style health system, a private funded pension system and time limited welfare system we would be far far better off as a country and we would not now be facing unimaginably difficult economic choices with completely unfunded social systems.

[@thestonedabbot9551]

"You have only to run through a list of Conservative Party members in the House of Commons, and of their candidates standing for the safer seats, to see that they belong to two classes only: those who are born rich, and those who have achieved riches." based.

[@lectorintellegat]

anything but. it's class envy, that's not 'based', it's servile commie gobbledeegook. His new jerusalem also failed, bear that in mind.

[@toohdvaetihom7088]

What's wrong with achieving riches?

[@malcolmabram2957]

Attlee the greatest prime minister the UK have ever had. And: Not a glib statement. Read a lot about him and the achievements of his administration. Impressed. The country owes him a great debt, and a legacy that unfortunately is being eroded.

[@vashna3799]

Sadly hardly remembered by the working class people

[@theochambers8090]

More like we owe a great debt because of him

[@alexanderrutland6349]

This is incredible, such a preeminent and enlightened speech for the time from for which so much still rings true

[@thebadcellist]

"The dullest man in British politics" . . and also the most effective.

[@nationradical]

Dull in deliverance but nevertheless a man of action

[@KingdomEnfilade]

Everyone underestimated him, and I expect he liked it that way. The most successful PM the UK has ever had.

[@iwannabeadoor4035]

All substance no show.

[@wilsonfisk6626]

Seconded by John Major

[@leonjustleon]

@@wilsonfisk6626 i was about to say

[@hassankhan-jg1dx]

Clement Attlee was the best leader in Britain.

[@mikeanagnostou4399]

Integrity and principle personified! Attlee was totally underrated in his day.

[@briandelaney9710]

A throughly decent man who was a great prime minister

[@tizioqualunque4622]

Everyone miss old politicians

[@valq10]

You won't find Keith talking like this! Bring back Clem!

[@Matt-cz6ti]

I keep telling you, he's 138 years old and he's dead

[@greeenjeeens]

Who's Keith?

[@PeasMinister]

@@greeenjeeens think he means Keir Starmer, current leader of the Labour Party as of 2023

[@PBI45]

​@@PeasMinisterTrodden on Jellyfish faced Keith

[@kingusernamelxixthemagnificent]

Despite being considered one of the best British prime ministers, he looks like your generic evil elementary teacher.

[@r.crompton2286]

Churchill once referred to Atlee as "...a sheep in wolf's clothing."

[@SimpleAmoeba]

@@r.crompton2286 was that before or after losing his election?

[@kelvinpipe4339]

Most admirable, as true today as it was in his day.truly a great prime minister

[@Prauwlet213]

atlee was the best pm we had

[@BoliceOccifer]

Dude said "social justice" but actually meant it

[@thomaslund4795]

Brave choice of facial hair. Particularly considering the year.

[@rigsby1454]

Britain's best PM

[@jamesgiven2734]

When did Socialism become a dirty word?

[@chrisnation1432]

Probably somewhere around the Great Leap Forward, commie.

[@josephr1421]

@@chrisnation1432 Relax man, us filthy commies don't want to hurt you.

[@vanbot8757]

Possibly as political dissidents were carted off to gulags under Stalin, when the kulaks of the Ukraine were starved in the name of collectivization, when millions perished in Mao’s so called “great leap forward”, and when the government of Venezuela wrecked their economy and subjugated their people. I respect the hell out of the National Health Service, but Attlee’s nationalizations of industry and planned economy mindset is what made Britain to lag behind in Europe for the duration of the 20th Century. Socialism is a dirty word to those who have experienced it, James. Not to those who look upon collectivism with favor when they have more wealth than many people worldwide could ever dream of. In short, James, socialism became a dirty word because of the tyranny, oppression, starvation, and hardship that came with it.

[@jamesgiven2734]

@@vanbot8757 I need to look more into your Venezuela critique as my bias is against the IMF/rich elite manipulation and subjugation of non world reserve currency nations. Thank you for the reminder that power corrupts and of my own privilege in welfare state dependency. Does your respect for our NHS include the desire to bring more optical and dental treatments back into the fold of "free at the point of delivery"? The trickle down economic gas-lighting of the top is in my view also an expression of the tyranny, oppression and servitude creation that those in power profit from. Is your name Van? I appreciate your comment.

[@vanbot8757]

James Given I’m not British, so I don’t have a full understanding of the NHS, I respect it as the British People adore it and if a government system is that popular it garners my admiration. I think, personally, that extreme state power is what allows oppressors to come about. Corporate bailouts make competition more difficult and narrow the playing field so consumer options are limited. I’m just a hands-off kind of person when it comes to the economy, as propping it up or collectivizing it are both abuses of power in my mind.

[@thejoin4687]

Those last few lines!

[@mandykhoo2473]

Like Churchill...a great man but aware of the utopians

[@Godlike-87]

Churchill was a piece of shit. Don't even compare this man to that bigoted idiot.

[@owl2944]

@@Godlike-87 attlee would not have been pleased to hear you refer to him in that way, he greatly respected the man despite their political differences

[@lukylooper]

@@owl2944 Although Churchill was rude about Attlee behind his back. In 1945 he compared Attlee and the labour party to the Gestapo, bloody rude if you ask me considering they just fought the Nazis.

[@duncan4260]

@@owl2944 Yeah, they worked very closely together as part of the War Cabinet and Government.

[@davidharman3665]

@@lukylooper that’s mostly politics, I think the sign that they both deeply admired one another, despite their differences is that Churchill wanted Attlee to be one of his Paul Bearers and Attlee insisted on taking on the honour, despite being very ill himself

[@indiegenre9333]

turn on the auto generated cc

[@mandykhoo2473]

A quiet man

[@richardbrown1189]

A politician with integrity who was in politics for public service. Unlike the totally unprincipled, self-serving and talentless chancers who make up the present government.

[@IanCross-xj2gj]

Atlee's 1945 postwar pre-election speech.

[@alexander92179]

One of my favourite prime ministers. If only both the Tories and Labour were like this now, they wouldn't be so despised.

[@theominousu6484]

my beat prime minister as well, always modest, rational, and sympathetic.

[@alexander92179]

@@theominousu6484 back when politics was more sane.

[@willhovell9019]

Learn from him Keir, not Blair, Brown, Campbell and certainly not Lord Mandlesson, although they all achieved a lot at home 1997-2010. The case for a Labour Government is essentially a moral ibw, and now one of plain competence

[@DavidHoughton17]

Are you hearing this Johnson PM!

[@adamsalt4226]

Are you hearing this? HE GOT REELECTED! (woo)

[@p.w.sexman5746]

@@adamsalt4226 tories have no banter

[@leilafa785]

Truly all substance and no show

[@LegoDonut18]

Two of the best British prime ministers... IN A ROW!

[@BoraCM]

rod dog Then Churchill came blundering in again and overstayed his welcome.

[@user-do2ez8hh1w]

You mean Churchill? Absolutely not.

[@amirpourghoureiyan1637]

The true golden age of politics

[@teenradiouk9740]

greatest prime minister this country ever had

[@samizdatbroadcasts7654]

Love this man.

[@BigJunnySoprano69]

The last good PM Nvm I forgot about Harold Wilson

[@PBI45]

Macmillan was alright and John Major tried his best

[@amaritineenthusiast]

Wilson made a big screw up with the troubles though.

[@theministryoftruth3246]

Very right wing tbh, but Atlee is one of my favourite PM's and the only Labour PM I can honestly say was fairly decent based on my knowledge. Implimented needed social programmes, especially for housing and healthcare. Imo he was a very good PM slightly lost in importance over the coming decades.

[@thewhistleblower8531]

How the hell was Attlee right wing????

[@jebdunkins6796]

@@thewhistleblower8531 i think op was saying that he was very right wing not atlee

[@alexander92179]

Agreed. He was a patriot.

[@theministryoftruth3246]

@@jebdunkins6796 Uh huh, I'm pretty much a disillusioned tory but it'd be silly not to acknowledge Labour's best PM.

[@willhovell9019]

Women of varied experience. Clem on form and forceful .

[@janjantimalsina1465]

✨️

[@StephenFiorentini]

His grandson now sits as a Tory Peer........couldn't make this up.

[@Thicc_Cheese_Dip]

Since 1997 no less! John Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee (probably the last hereditary Earl Attlee due to the House of Lords Act 1999).

[@allegra0]

🎇 NOWHERE MAN 🎇 Nice to see dear Clem wearing national health style spectacles……long before dreary Lennon stuck em on his head in one of the many silly transformations he went through ( I don’t think he knew who he really was)

[@jayd4ever]

it is no doubt that labour party has a lot working class people and the conservative have a lot of higher class people but how many doctors, scientists, engineers, teachers were in the labour party in 1945

[@captainleech6769]

He himself was a professor for a short time.

[@hugoclarke3284]

What point are you trying to make?

[@goldbridge]

??))

[@hugoclarke3284]

@@tajs476 I believe that in the same way the human brains stabilizes moral passions and rational efficiency, a healthy society is one that can effectively stabilize Socialist and Capitalist systems simultaneously.

[@gabrielareyesvilla7409]

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