Key learning points

1. Clement Attlee talked of creating a 'New Jerusalem' and the new welfare state did improve quality of life for many.
2. Key industries were nationalised, creating a mixed economy.
3. Many groups, such as women and Caribbean migrants, still experienced significant discrimination.
4. One's experience of life in post-war Britain depended on many aspects, including race, gender and class.
5. A good assessment of post-war Britain will make a balanced case for its status as a 'New Jerusalem'.

Keywords

• Nationalise - to transfer an industry or business from private to government ownership

• New Jerusalem - the phrase used by Attlee to describe the equal and wealthy society that the post-war Labour government wished to create

• Welfare state - a system in which the government protects the health and well-being of its citizens by providing grants, pensions and other benefits

• Racism - prejudice or discrimination against a person on the basis of their race and ethnicity

Common misconception