Editing Hugh Gaitskell (section)

=== 1959 general election ===
In the summer of 1959 Bevan supported Gaitskell on the NEC against Frank Cousins over unilateralism, which Bevan had opposed at the 1957 Conference, and nuclear tests (24 June 1959). Crossman believed Bevan could have overthrown Gaitskell (17 July 1959) and that both Bevan and Gaitskell thought Wilson an unprincipled careerist (13 August 1959).<ref>Campbell 2010, p236</ref> In the summer of 1959 Hugh and Dora Gaitskell, accompanied by Bevan, went to the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] to copy Macmillan's recent successful trip.<ref>Campbell 2010, p236-7</ref>

At [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], with a general election clearly imminent, Gaitskell pledged that Labour's spending plans would not require him to raise income tax, for which he was attacked by the Tories for supposed irresponsibility.<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.290" />

During the 1959 election campaign Crossman thought Gaitskell had become "a television star" with Bevan "a rather faded elder statesman behind him" (22 September 1959).<ref>Campbell 2010, p237</ref> The Labour Party had been widely expected to win the [[1959 United Kingdom general election|1959 general election]], but did not.<ref>David E. Butler and Richard Rose, ''The British General Election of 1959'' (1960)</ref> The Conservatives increased their majority, a fact partly attributable to the post-war prosperity that Britain was now experiencing.<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.290" /> Gaitskell was undermined by public doubts about the credibility of proposals to raise pensions and by a highly effective Conservative campaign run by [[Harold Macmillan]] under the slogan "Life is better with the Conservatives, don't let Labour ruin it."<ref name="auto">{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/in_depth/election_battles/1959_over.stm | work=BBC News | title=Election Battles 1945–1997}}</ref> This election defeat led to questions being asked as to whether Labour could ever win a general election again, but Gaitskell remained as leader.<ref name="auto" />