ABSTRACT
For the United Kingdom, adjustment to the challenges of peace was difficult. The decades of animosity between the Irish and the English were punctuated by the total breaking away of the Republic of Ireland from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on April 18, 1949. The six counties of Northern Ireland known as Ulster, which had not been part of the Irish Free State or Eire, continued as part of the United Kingdom. It nationalized key industries, installed a national health insurance plan, and expanded social services. The placement of defense needs ahead of social services and production of domestic consumer goods caused a rift in labour party ranks. Even before the close of Second World War, Parliament enacted far-reaching educational reform. In the election campaign of 1945, foreign policy had not been an issue, and all parties emphasized the need for more housing, social security, improved health measures, and full employment.
