biography
| name: |
Attlee, Clem
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popular name of Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1883–1967)
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| biography:
| British statesman and prime minister (1945–51), born in London, UK. He studied at Oxford, and was called to the bar in 1905. He became a Labour MP in 1922, Ramsay MacDonald's parliamentary secretary (1922–4), under-secretary of state for war (1924), and postmaster-general (1931). He succeeded Lansbury as Leader of the Opposition in 1935. In Churchill's war cabinet, he was dominions secretary (1942–3) and deputy prime minister (1942–5). As Leader of the Opposition he accompanied Eden to the San Francisco and Potsdam conferences (1945), and after the Labour victory returned to Potsdam as prime minister. He carried through a vigorous programme of reform, nationalizing several industries, and introducing the National Health Service. Independence was granted to India (1947) and Burma (1948). He was again Leader of the Opposition (1951–5), then resigned and accepted an earldom. |
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