About Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee KG, PC, OM, CH (3/1/1883-8/10/1967) was born in Putney in 1883. He was educated at Haileybury and University College, Oxford. Following in his father’s footsteps, he trained and became a lawyer in 1906. In his spare time, he volunteered at a boy’s club in Stepney in the East End of London, later becoming manager of the club at Haileybury House. It was through this work that he developed an interest in the social problems affecting the communities and young people in the deprived east end of
He returned to the East End of London and became involved in politics, initially as the new mayor of Stepney in 1919. A few years later he met his future wife, Violet Millar whom he married in January 1922; they had four children together. In the same year, Clement Attlee was elected as MP for Stepney, and after changes in political party leadership, he was appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Labour party under George Lansbury in the 1931 General Election.
In July 1945, following the Labour Party landslide victory at the General Election, Clement Attlee became Prime Minister until 1951. During his time as Prime Minister he implemented major policy reforms that laid the foundation of a post-war consensus, with the nationalisation of industries such as coal, rail and road transport, the Bank of England, the creation of National Health Service and a new welfare state. His time was also remembered for his commitment to pursuing the independence of
The Labour Party were defeated at the 1951 general election and Clement Attlee continued as its leader until his resignation in 1955 when he was granted a peerage and became Earl Attlee.
Just prior to his death, the Attlee Memorial Foundation (now the Attlee Foundation) was established as an enduring legacy to his community and social work.