This Country Needs a New Parliament
London: Conservative and Unionist Central Office, 1948. First edition, only printing. Pamphlet. This postwar pamphlet is the first edition only printing of Winston S. Churchill's 21 April 1948 speech at the 21st annual conference of the Central Women's Advisory Committee at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The pamphlet is bound in wire-stitched paper wraps, measures 8.5 x 5.4 inches (21.6 x 13.7 cm) and is 12 pages in length, Churchill's speech comprising the entirety of the contents. Condition is very good plus. The paper wraps are complete, with no loss or tears or creases, and firmly attached. The covers show light overall soiling and both original binding staples, though firm and tight, show rust. The contents are clean with no spotting or previous ownership marks. Provenance is of note; this is the file copy of the "CONSERVATIVE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT", as evidenced by an oval purple ink stamp so stating on the upper front cover.
Having done so much to win the war, Churchill faced frustration of his postwar plans when his wartime government fell to Labour in the General Election of July 1945. Not until the General Election of October 1951 would the Conservatives regain their Parliamentary majority, returning Churchill to 10 Downing Street. In the interval, Churchill served as Leader of the Opposition. Churchill spent this interval opposing the domestic and foreign policies of Clement Attlee's Labour government and writing and publishing his six-volume history, The Second World War.
As the title of the speech implies, in addressing the Conservative Women's Conference, Churchill was addressing a partisan audience and spent much of his lengthy speech excoriating the "record of administrative blunders and mismanagement at home and overseas" of the "Socialist Government". Nonetheless, the speech is typically Churchillian in being rooted in historical context and perspective, well-informed, and broad ranging. This pamphlet publication is the first and only stand-alone publication of this speech.
Reference: Cohen A236, Woods A121. Item #004884
Price: $220.00