Fascinating insight provided by Leo McKinstry into the relationship between Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill

Attlee and Churchill – Allies in war, adversaries in peace

By Leo McKinstry

Published by Atlantic Books                                 Price - £25

 This fascinating study of Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill focuses on how their lives became intertwined almost from the very beginning, leading to a great combination during the Second World War and separate but still in many ways parallel lives thereafter.

Author Leo McKinstry has certainly done his homework to the level of finding that the two men had the same governess at different times. Ms Hutchinson eventually leaving, or being dismissed by the young Winston, from employment in the Churchills household. She then went onto Putney to work for the Attlees.

Moving forward to 1911, Churchill has one of his periodic rushes of blood to the head when as Home Secretary he goes down to personally supervise a siege in Sydney Street in East London. At the same time Attlee is working at the charitable organisation, where his experiences see him move from his early conservatism to socialism, he wanders by as the Sydney Street drama is reaching a climax. And so the linkages continue: Churchill being forced out of the World War I government, after the failure of his Dardanelles campaign, culminating in the Gallipoli disaster. Attlee fought at Gallipoli.

The two men then cross swords in Parliament over the inter-war years. What McKinstry expertly brings out is how the two men came to perfectly compliment each other. Churchill the brash maverick, who could be brilliant or reckless. Attlee the organised administrator, in charge and gaining influence through his quiet efficiency and good anagement of situations.

The coverage of the two men’s relationship immediately before World War II and during makes for a fascinating insight. It shows the vital role Attlee and the Labour Party played in first refusing to serve in coalition with Conservative Prime Minister Nevillle Chamberlain, then taking major roles in the government itself. Too often over recent years the key role that Attlee and the Labour Party played in the war effort has been virtually airbrushed out, replaced at best with a minor support role at worst removed altogether as the great leader Churchill beat the Nazis single handed. McKinstry nicely illustrates how the two men came to compliment each other, creating a perfect team.

Attlee continued to push hard during the war for the implementation of social reforms, along the lines of the recommendations made in the Beveridge Report of 1942. Churchill was more resistant, which when it came to the 1945 election, cost him dearly.

McKinstry singles out two things done by Churchill that helped Attlee. First, giving him more and more responsibility, including being deputy Prime Minister in the Coalition. Second, the pursuit of a total war strategy against Germany, which meant that social and economic life in Britain was brought under almost total state control. The basis of a command socialist based economy was thereby normalised by 1945.

The leadership of both men came under attack. In Churchill’s case, when the war appeared to be going badly, the likes of Stafford Cripps were pressuring for change. He was only saved by the victory at El Allemain, which saw the tide turn. Attlee was under pressure pre, during and after the 1945 election, primarily from Herbert Morrison, who thought he should be leader and Prime Minister. Even a year or two into the Labour administration of 1945, Attlee was being questioned by Cripps and Morrison over his leadership.

However, he always survived and triumphed in the end. The dislike of Morrison was lifelong, with Attlee staying on as leader after the 1955 election defeat to the Tories in the main to stop Morrison becoming leader of the Labour Party.

Churchill and Attlee had a close bond, without ever really being friends. The niceties of congratulations on birthdays and the like continued over the years. But the battles were fierce between the two men over the years of the Attlee administration – Churchill really staying on as Tory leader just to win back office.

McKinstry dismisses the idea that Churchill was dismissive of his Labour counterpart, quoting a story of a Sir John Rogers, Conservative MP for Sevenoaks, referring to “silly old Attlee” whilst visiting Churchill’s country residence Chartwell. The response from Churchill was cutting: “Mr Attlee was Deputy Prime Minister during the war and played a great part in winning the war. Mr Attlee is a great patriot. Don’t you dare call him silly old Attlee at Chartwell or you won’t be invited again.”

The bond between the two men extended to Attlee being a pallbearer at Churchill’s funeral.

McKinstry opens up a truly fascinating period of recent British history with this excellent book. It is one of a number of recent works that have begun to bring to prominence the role of Attlee and Labour in the war and the achievement of the post war government – a period often grossly misrepresented in the populist arena. Attlee and Churchiil are shown to be two towering figures of the 20^th century, who at time of war came together to build an unstoppable team, then became adversaries in peace. It must be hoped that the work of bringing the truth of this period to light can continue to the point where the popular consciousness of what really happened over those years might at last be truly pricked.    

- published - Morning Star - 23/1/2020