WI: PM Nye Bevan?

In the UK, Clem Attlee led Labour to office in 1945, bringing some industry into national ownership and building a universal welfare state.
In spite of his success, Attlee was out of office by 1951. Had the NHS' founder, Nye Bevan, been elected Labour leader that year, how might he fare?
Would the next election go red or blue?
Which policies would Labour push?
Fortunes in government?
:)
 
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The Tories were very popular until the Profumo Scandal, and even then they just barely lost in 1964. I doubt Labour would win before that point if the POD is just a different leader. Gaitskell was considered a formidable opponent in OTL yet he still lost. Bevan would last two defeats at most before resigning as leader.
 
If Attlee retired as Labour Party Leader in 1951, it is very unlikely that Bevan would succeed him. (A much more likely choice would be Herbert Morrison, and that was one reason Attlee delayed his retirement--he disliked Morrison, and wanted to stay on as Leader until Morrison would be too old to have much chance of succeeding him.)

Remember that the Party Leader in those days was selected by the Labour MP's--the majority of whom were not happy with the way Bevan had split the party.

Now, if Bevan hadn't resigned, and if Labour had won the 1951 election, it is conceivable that Bevan would succeed Attlee in 1955 and go on to win the election. But I think Bevan's resignation was all but inevitable--to him it was a matter of principle that there be no charges for NHS services.
 
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So if the POD is no British entry in the Korean War thus no call for charges to fund it, Bevan stays on and Party splits are less fractious. Labour win in 1951 and hands over to Bevan. What will his new govt look like?
 
The Tories were very popular until the Profumo Scandal, and even then they just barely lost in 1964. I doubt Labour would win before that point if the POD is just a different leader. Gaitskell was considered a formidable opponent in OTL yet he still lost. Bevan would last two defeats at most before resigning as leader.

Except that Labour got more votes in 1951 than the Tories did, while losing the election. Oh, and Attlee called the election at the worst possible time for Labour (primarily because George VI asked him). Had Attlee waited until 1952, the economy would have improved, and re-election would be much more likely.
 
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