The post-war consensus was an era in British political history which lasted from the end of World War Two to the election of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979. German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the head of government and so exercises many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

The foundations of the post-war consensus can be traced to the reports of William Beveridge, who in 1942 formulated the concept of a more comprehensive welfare state in the United Kingdom. Shortly after the surrender of Germany in May 1945, a general election was held in the UK. The result was a landslide victory for the Labour Party, whose leader was Clement Attlee. The policies undertaken and implemented by this Labour government laid the base of the consensus. William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge of Tuggal (March 5, 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and social reformer. ... This article is about the year. ... It has been suggested that Welfare capitalism be merged into this article or section. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... The Labour Party has, since the early twentieth century, been the principal left wing political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883–8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ...

The post-war consensus can be characterised as a belief in Keynesian economics, a mixed economy with the nationalisation of major industries, the establishment of the National Health Service and the creation of the modern welfare state in Britain. Such policies were instituted by all governments (both Labour and Conservative) in the post-war period. Even though the Labour government of James Callaghan were forced to abandon Keynesian economics by the IMF in 1976, other aspects of the consensus continued. Keynesian economics, or Keynesianism, is an economic theory based on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, as put forward in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936 in response to the Great Depression of the 1930s. ... A mixed economy is an economy that contains both private and public, or state owned (or controlled) enterprises. ... The logo of the NHS for England. ... The Right Honourable Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (March 27, 1912 – March 26, 2005), was Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979. ... Keynesian economics, or Keynesianism, is an economic theory based on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, as put forward in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936 in response to the Great Depression of the 1930s. ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ...

However, in the 1970s the consensus was increasingly seen by those on the right wing as being the cause of the UK's relative economic decline. Believers in New Right political beliefs saw their ideology as the solution to Britain's economic dilemmas in the 1970s. As a consequence, the Conservative party won the 1979 general election, thus bringing to an end the post-war consensus. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... For the British national anarchist group of this name, see New Right (UK) New Right is used in several countries as a descriptive term for various forms of conservatism that emerged in the mid- to late twentieth century. ... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ...

New Zealand

The 'post-war consensus' is also regarded as an era of New Zealand political history, from the first New Zealand Labour Party government of the 1930s until the election of a fundamentally changed Labour party in 1984, following years of mostly New Zealand National Party rule. Like in the UK, it was built around a 'historic compromise' between the different classes in society: the rights, health and security of employment for all workers would be guaranteed, in return for co-operation between unions and employers and a very potent form of continuously conservative governments. The key ideological tenets of governments of the period were Keynesian economic policy, heavy interventionism, economic regulation and a very powerful welfare state. The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New Zealand National Party (National or the Nats) currently forms the second-largest (in terms of seats) political party represented in the New Zealand Parliament, and thus functions as the core of the parliamentary Opposition. ... Keynesian economics, or Keynesianism, is an economic theory based on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, as put forward in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936 in response to the Great Depression of the 1930s. ... In politics, interventionism is a term for significant activity undertaken by a state to influence something not directly under its control. ... Regulatory economics is the economics of regulation, in the sense of the application of law by government that is used for various purposes, such as centrally-planning an economy, remedying market failure, enriching well-connected firms, or benefiting politicians. ... It has been suggested that Welfare capitalism be merged into this article or section. ...

See also: Butskellism. Butskelism is the, moderately satirical, term used in British politics to refer to the political consensus formed in the 1950s and associated with the exercise of office as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Rab Butler and Hugh Gaitskell. ...