CHURCHILL WINS GENERAL ELECTION

What was the immediate backdrop and run-up to the election?

The July 1945 election was the result of an agreement between the ruling coalition that once victory had been achieved in Europe, a general election would be called. Winston Churchill wanted to stay in office until Japan was defeated but was obliged to step down as prime minister beforehand. By this time the country was very war fatigued. We’d been at war since September 1939 and Churchill had been prime minister since May 1940. The general feeling was one of relief but also hope that maybe now there could be a new start. There hadn’t been an election for some time and people felt that the time was right.

What was this run–up like for Churchill himself?

Churchill was undoubtedly quite exhausted by this stage. He’d been running the war both as prime minister and as