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In 1940 Attlee joined the coalition government headed by [[Winston Churchill]]. He was virtually deputy Prime Minister although this post did not formally become his until 1942. It was afterwards claimed that during the Second World War Attlee worked as a restraining influence on some of Churchill's more wilder schemes.  

In 1940 Attlee joined the coalition government headed by [[Winston Churchill]]. He was virtually deputy Prime Minister although this post did not formally become his until 1942. It was afterwards claimed that during the Second World War Attlee worked as a restraining influence on some of Churchill's more wilder schemes.  

In the 1945 General Election Attlee lead the Labour Party to its largest victory at the polls. During his six years in office he carried through a vigorous programme of reform. The [[Bank of England]], the coal mines, civil aviation, cable and wireless services, gas, electricity, railways, road transport and steel were nationalized. The National Health Service was introduced and independence was granted to [[India]] (1947) and [[Burma]].  

In the 1945 General Election Attlee lead the Labour Party to its largest victory at the polls. During his six years in office he carried through a vigorous program of reform. The [[Bank of England]], the coal mines, civil aviation, cable and wireless services, gas, electricity, railways, road transport and steel were all nationalized. The National Health Service was introduced and independence was granted to [[India]] (1947) and [[Burma]].  

After being narrowly defeated in the 1951 General Election, Attlee led the Labour Party until resigning in 1955. He was granted a peerage and was active in the House of Lords until his death in 1967.

In April 1951 Attlee's already weak position (the Labor majority in the House of Commons had been reduced to six) further deteriorated when two Labor leaders, Aneurin Bevan and Harold Wilson (afterward Prime Minister), resigned from the government over the introduction of National Health-service charges, which were bitterly opposed by the public.  When the Conservatives narrowly won the election of October 1951, Attlee resigned. On yielding the party leadership in December 1955, he was created an Earl. In 1937 he published The Labour Party in Perspective and in 1954 his memoirs, "As It Happened". He was active in the House of Lords until his death in 1967. [http://www.mdlg05075.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/attlee.htm]