The Attlee govt is oft cited by the Labour left as evidence the UK is hungry for radical left policies when offered in the right circumstances but there is some really interesting Gallup polling from the period which tells a slightly different story.

It’s absolutely true voters were initially keen on radical change in the immediate post war period. In July ‘45, 56% backed “sweeping changes” such as nationalisations

In Dec ‘45, 59% approved of the Labour govt’s programme of nationalisations

Yet less than 3yrs later, while voters approved of the NHS, only 7% were equally supportive of nationalisation of industry & the policy topped the list of the worst things the Attlee govt had done since ‘45

By Jan ‘49 voters 43% of voters deemed the Labour govt too socialist & 51% now disapproved of the plan to nationalise the iron & steel industry

Labour would of course reduce their majority to a mere 5 seats in 1950 & lose it entirely to the Churchill & the Tories in 1951. The Tories would stay in power for another 13 years.

That excellent polling data was taken from @JohnRentoul here https://docs.google.com/document/d/16QGtfygjIUUBrTG43Je9x4zSure4EDCRB19zHanRTBE/mobilebasic

I like this little snippet, too. In ‘51 when Gaitskill did impose charges for prescriptions & glasses Bevan resigned his role as Minister of Labour on principle, but voters appear to have been relaxed about it at this point.