By: Quinn Riordan
The 1945 British House of Commons is bitterly divided between the Laborists and the Conservatives, but came together to form a National Healthcare Bill. The Parliament spent the entirety of the morning in conflict - debating and questioning each other's positions. The Laborists focuses more on naturalization, advocating worker’s rights while the Conservationists believe in less government intervention.
The Parliament is convening after World War II, and a weary Britain is faced with a multitude of problems: a drained economy, fearful population, unemployment, and a damaged empire. These issues impact the nation as a whole and its population, however the diversity leads to conflict due to the differing opinions and solutions to the problems.
The National Healthcare Bill was drafted by the Labor Party, but throughout its multiple readings has gained support from both the Liberal and Conservative parties.
“The bill focuses on outlining a universal national healthcare system. That will be done with the increase of infastructure by building hospitals and clinics, reducing discrimination and malpractice, and aiding those hurt during and after the war. The bill at its whole addresses the overview of the healthcare system within the United Kingdom overhauling it to better serve the citizens,” the President of the Board of Trade Stafford Cripps said.
The main question brought up by the Conservative Party surrounded the idea of funding, and where the funds would come from. The Labor Party therefore introduced a funding bill, outlining the acquisition and distribution of the funding for the healthcare plan.
“The Labor Party hopes to pass those two bills together to provide an in-depth approach and cover all the possible faults to provide the best solution,” Laborist Barbara Castle said.
As the British House of Commons neared the end of its committee session, the bill gained support of the majority of the body after hours of debate. The unity within the Parliament lead to the production of a healthcare bill that hopes to aid and protect the health and lives of the citizens, and bring the United Kingdom back to its pre-war state.