5 ▁general ▁election , ▁to ▁the ▁surprise ▁of ▁many ▁obser vers , ▁W inst on ▁Church ill ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁head ed ▁by ▁Clement ▁Att lee . ▁ ▁The ▁Labour ▁government ▁built ▁up ▁from ▁pre - war ▁found ations ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁' c rad le - to - gra ve ' ▁w elf are ▁state , ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁tax ▁fund ed ▁National ▁Health ▁Service , ▁which ▁gave ▁treatment ▁according ▁to ▁need ▁rather ▁than ▁ability ▁to ▁pay ▁as ▁the ▁previous ▁tax ▁fund ed ▁system ▁had ▁been . ▁The ▁Labour ▁government ▁also ▁en act ed ▁Ke yn esian ▁economic ▁policies , ▁to ▁create ▁artificial ▁economic ▁demand ▁leading ▁to ▁full ▁employ ment . ▁These ▁policies ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" post - war ▁cons ensus ", ▁and ▁were ▁accepted ▁by ▁all ▁major ▁political ▁parties ▁at ▁different ▁times . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁noted ▁disag re ements ▁about ▁the ▁invol vement ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁with ▁the ▁steel ▁industry . ▁With ▁one ▁government , ▁it ▁was ▁state ▁owned , ▁to ▁then ▁be ▁sold ▁off ▁with ▁the ▁following ▁conserv ative ▁administration ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁then ▁re - n ational ised ▁by ▁the ▁following ▁labour ▁government . ▁For ▁the ▁most ▁part , ▁the ▁post - war ▁cons ensus ▁last ed ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁it ▁was ▁becoming ▁clear ▁from ▁all ▁sides ▁that ▁radical ▁change ▁was ▁needed ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁such ▁economic ▁cr ises ▁as ▁the