Britain in Transition, 1906–1957 – 'Never had it so good'? 1951–1957…

The idea

By 1957, Britain faced new domestic and international challenges. The arrival of New Commonwealth migrants, facilitated by the 1948 British Nationality Act, aimed to fill labour shortages. However, this shift sparked complex issues relating to race-relations, as migrants frequently encountered discrimination in housing and employment, foreshadowing later riots. Simultaneously, Cold War anxieties fuelled intense nuclear concerns. The government's decision to develop a British hydrogen bomb, tested in 1957, generated widespread public apprehension regarding radioactive fallout. This moral and existential dread directly catalysed the formation of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1957, uniting pacifists and intellectuals in mass protest.

What earns the marks

• Explain the push and pull factors driving New Commonwealth migration to Britain in the 1950s, including labour shortages in the NHS and transport.
• Analyse the deterioration of race-relations, highlighting the informal colour bars, housing discrimination, and growing white working-class resentment.
• Detail the context of British nuclear concerns, specifically the development and testing of the British H-bomb in 1957.
• Evaluate the origins and significance of the formation of CND, noting its appeal to middle-class activists and its use of direct action.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the timing of the Notting Hill riots (1958) as happening before 1957.

  Put it right by discussing the build-up of racial tensions by 1957 that led to later violence.

• Assuming CND was a fringe movement with no impact.

  Put it right by highlighting its massive middle-class support and the scale of the Aldermaston marches.

• Stating that the government restricted Commonwealth immigration before 1957.

  Put it right by noting that the open-door policy under the 1948 Act remained in place until 1962.

Exam tips

• Connect the influx of New Commonwealth migrants to the broader economic context of the 1950s labour shortages and the post-war boom.
• Use the 1957 British hydrogen bomb test as a pivotal turning point that transformed vague nuclear anxieties into the organised CND movement.
• When discussing race relations, differentiate between official government policy and the lived reality of discrimination on the ground.